High Technology Careers

CAREER COACH:
Advice for Job Seeking and Job Keeping

BY SARAH JERSILD

Q: I'm preparing for a big interview and want to research the company. Where do I start looking for information? How detailed do I get? And how do I let the interviewer know I've done my homework without sounding like a brown-nosing showoff?

A: You're smart to want to do your research. The best way to set yourself apart from other candidates is to show that you actually have a clue about the company and the issues it is facing.

Here's what you should do for pre-interview research:

Check out the company Web site.

To get an idea of the image the company wants to project there's no better place to start than their company Web site. Most company sites will have the following: details on the products or services produced, press releases or news clippings, basic employment information (what jobs are available, etc.) and information on partners and customers, or customer testimonials.

You should particularly look for clues to the corporate culture; information about new or upcoming deals, products or projects; and news about challenges faced and overcome.

Check out other Web sites that relate to the company. You've got a couple of different options here:

News sites

Look for stories about the company, the industry or competitors to get a handle on what challenges the company may be facing in the near future.

Corporate message board sites

Sites such as WetFeet.com and Vault.com have sections where current and former employees can dish about what it's really like to work for the company where you're applying. Take a look. You can get some valuable clues about what the corporate culture is really like at the firm, but be aware that most people posting have strong feelings. Take both rave reviews and blanket condemnations with a grain of salt. However, if every post mentions the 80-hour work weeks, you can bet that you'll be putting in overtime.

Competitor sites

Take a look at what the company's chief competitors are doing. What sort of things will your company have to react to in the upcoming months?

Network

Find out if you know anyone who knows anyone who knows anyone... . You get the idea. Take your contacts out for lunch and ask for them to give you their insights on the company. You're not looking for insider-trading information, just their impressions of the sort of work they do and their take on the issues facing the company.

Now that you've done your research, how do you work it into the interview without sounding like a know-it-all? Some of it may come up naturally. For example, you may be asked questions like:

What do you know about our company?
How much do you know about the industry?
What are your impressions of the problems facing our market?

If you get an opening like that, you're golden. Take it and run with it.

You may also be able to use your research in answering "What would you do..." questions. For example, "What would you do to open new markets?" "Well, I noticed an article in The Times about the need for products like yours in the Widgets industry... ."

Finally, your research will come in handy when you get to the "Do you have any questions?" portion of the interview. Focus on questions about the work and the company, not about the perks of the job. For example: "I know that start-ups in this market have had a hard time getting second-round funding. How are you dealing with that problem?" or "Would the team I'm working on be dealing with the threat that Microsoft poses to our market share?" You get the idea.

As for how to avoid coming across like a brown-nosing show-off, keep in mind that you don't want to ask the interviewer anything that would smack of insider information ("How did you deal with that lawsuit that was suppressed and not revealed to the media?") or showboating ("according to my calculations, your press releases tend to average 356.35 words. How does that relate to the stock price, which has risen by .376 percent per week over the last 4.5 months?") In general, any question that would cause your interviewer to reach for a calculator or run a spreadsheet is too complex. You want to give the impression that you're interested in the company, its products and its prospects, not the sort of minutia that would show up in someone's dissertation.

Q: Is it appropriate to ask my current manager for a reference when I'm looking for a new job?

A: In general, no. According to Eleanore McNaughton, McGill University Engineering Career Center coordinator, you shouldn't expect a reference from your current boss except under unusual circumstances—ai.e., if you have a "personal type" relationship with your manager and you've already discussed that you are unhappy and looking for another job. So, if you're neither being fired nor leaving your job willingly—ayou and your spouse are moving to another city, for example, and your boss knows and understands that—ayou might be able to swing a reference. Otherwise, stick with references from previous managers.

Sarah Jersild writes about job searching and other career issues in her job as a Senior Producer for BrassRing.com. You can email your questions to her at mailto:"sjersild@brassring.com".

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CAREER COACH: Advice for Job Seeking and Job Keeping BY SARAH JERSILD Q: I'm preparing for a big interview and want to research the company. Where do I start looking for information? How detailed do I get? And how do I let the interviewer know I've done my homework without sounding like a brown-nosing showoff? A: You're smart to want to do your research. The best way to set yourself apart from other candidates is to show that you actually have a clue about the company and the issues it is facing. Here's what you should do for pre-interview research: Check out the company Web site. To get an idea of the image the company wants to project there's no better place to start than their company Web site. Most company sites will have the following: details on the products or services produced, press releases or news clippings, basic employment information (what jobs are available, etc.) and information on partners and customers, or customer testimonials. You should particularly look for clues to the corporate culture; information about new or upcoming deals, products or projects; and news about challenges faced and overcome. Check out other Web sites that relate to the company. You've got a couple of different options here: News sites Look for stories about the company, the industry or competitors to get a handle on what challenges the company may be facing in the near future. Corporate message board sites Sites such as WetFeet.com and Vault.com have sections where current and former employees can dish about what it's really like to work for the company where you're applying. Take a look. You can get some valuable clues about what the corporate culture is really like at the firm, but be aware that most people posting have strong feelings. Take both rave reviews and blanket condemnations with a grain of salt. However, if every post mentions the 80-hour work weeks, you can bet that you'll be putting in overtime. Competitor sites Take a look at what the company's chief competitors are doing. What sort of things will your company have to react to in the upcoming months? Network Find out if you know anyone who knows anyone who knows anyone... . You get the idea. Take your contacts out for lunch and ask for them to give you their insights on the company. You're not looking for insider-trading information, just their impressions of the sort of work they do and their take on the issues facing the company. Now that you've done your research, how do you work it into the interview without sounding like a know-it-all? Some of it may come up naturally. For example, you may be asked questions like: What do you know about our company? How much do you know about the industry? What are your impressions of the problems facing our market? If you get an opening like that, you're golden. Take it and run with it. You may also be able to use your research in answering "What would you do..." questions. For example, "What would you do to open new markets?" "Well, I noticed an article in The Times about the need for products like yours in the Widgets industry... ." Finally, your research will come in handy when you get to the "Do you have any questions?" portion of the interview. Focus on questions about the work and the company, not about the perks of the job. For example: "I know that start-ups in this market have had a hard time getting second-round funding. How are you dealing with that problem?" or "Would the team I'm working on be dealing with the threat that Microsoft poses to our market share?" You get the idea. As for how to avoid coming across like a brown-nosing show-off, keep in mind that you don't want to ask the interviewer anything that would smack of insider information ("How did you deal with that lawsuit that was suppressed and not revealed to the media?") or showboating ("according to my calculations, your press releases tend to average 356.35 words. How does that relate to the stock price, which has risen by .376 percent per week over the last 4.5 months?") In general, any question that would cause your interviewer to reach for a calculator or run a spreadsheet is too complex. You want to give the impression that you're interested in the company, its products and its prospects, not the sort of minutia that would show up in someone's dissertation. *Q: Is it appropriate to ask my current manager for a reference when I'm looking for a new job?* A: In general, no. According to Eleanore McNaughton, McGill University Engineering Career Center coordinator, you shouldn't expect a reference from your current boss except under unusual circumstances—ai.e., if you have a "personal type" relationship with your manager and you've already discussed that you are unhappy and looking for another job. So, if you're neither being fired nor leaving your job willingly—ayou and your spouse are moving to another city, for example, and your boss knows and understands that—ayou might be able to swing a reference. Otherwise, stick with references from previous managers. Sarah Jersild writes about job searching and other career issues in her job as a Senior Producer for BrassRing.com. You can email your questions to her at mailto:"sjersild@brassring.com".