People often skip research when preparing for tech company interviews because they use the product or service. And while it is a great benefit to be familiar with what the company produces, just being a Facebook user does not mean you are ready to go into your interview at Facebook without looking further into the company.
So, how do you research a company in order to prepare for your interviews? There are a few different places where you can find great information. Then, you can use that knowledge as you prepare your interview responses.
About
This is a great place to start because it will explain their mission, history, and future goals. You can use this info to talk about the impact you can make and to connect yourself to their mission.
For example, if you are interviewing with Meta, check out their About/Company Info page first to see their mission. Continue reading the page to understand more about their history. This shows how you have been working towards their goals, culture, and leadership. Then, when you prepare your elevator pitch and your responses to behavioral interview questions from top tech companies, explain how your interests and background match their mission.
Jobs/Careers
Next, take a look at their Jobs/Careers page. Often, these pages will include information on what their teams are doing to further their mission or solve a problem. They will also include what they look for in a good employee at their company. This is really important for you to internalize because it helps you to become the type of candidate they want. For example, at Stripe, they say that to be successful in the company, you need to be a “rigorous thinker” who is “unafraid to be wrong”. So, when you are responding to their behavioral questions, tell stories that highlight these personality traits. This shows them that you are a good culture fit.
Culture or Life at Company
A lot of companies have a culture or page with information about what it is like to work at that company. These are great for you to review so you can learn the company values, which you can use in your responses. Some companies even ask you which of their values you fit in with most. So, it is important to have this background knowledge. Amazon and Netflix are well known for asking questions like this. Therefore, you need to make sure you do your research on their values before interviewing.
Products
Spend some time researching the company products so that you have knowledge of what you will likely be working on in your role. If you are going to meet with specific teams, take a look to see what they are doing. This helps you properly prepare and jump right into the work when you get there. At Google, they have a variety of products listed on their Products page. This gives you the opportunity to do research on what they are working on, the languages and programs they are likely using, and how you will contribute, even if this is your first software engineering job.
This research will help you feel more confident in your interviews because you will be going in with knowledge of what the company does, how they do it, and what they value. Make sure you make mention of your connection to their mission and values in your responses and you will see better success rates.
Pathrise is a career accelerator that works with students and professionals 1-on-1 so they can land their dream job in tech. With these tips and guidance, job-seekers in our program have seen their interview scores double.
If you want to work with any of our mentors 1-on-1 to optimize your interviews or with any other aspect of the job search, join Pathrise.
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