Career Prep 2009 Summer Blog

Keeping up with the news- especially business news- is important. The added benefit is it can also provide you with some good conversation starters. Tanya Menendez at UCSD asks that you read up particularly on interesting/fun news articles relevant to your industry (or company)- and reference them as you start a conversation. Asking the person if they have heard about the news/if they have an insight or opinion on it can lead to an informative discussion for you.

Giraurd Payen (Florida Atlantic University) highlights company and industry research as the first step of interview preparation for the fall. Among other findings, you should unearth what functions within the company are of particular interest and explore the opportunities available within those functions. Your research should also reveal the company’s competitive strength and the qualities and skills that are supportive of that competitive edge from a talent perspective. Given your own set of skills, another important objective of your research is to find out where you may be a good fit. Ella Everhart (University of Georgia) adds that you must know the mission, values, clients and competitors of those companies you plan on interviewing with.