Research for your interview

The employer wants the person they choose to be a good fit for their organisation and the job. They need to understand whether your:

• values and attitudes and work style fit the culture of the organisation
• skills, abilities and experience meet the requirements of the job

You will prepare better answers and sell your potential if you research both the organisation and the job.

Essential basic research

For part-time or full-time jobs:

• carefully read the job advertisement, the selection criteria, the duties and responsibilities of the job
• find any information you can find about the organisation

If you aren't familiar with the work, use the Job Guide to find related job descriptions.

Detailed research

Before graduate job interviews develop a strong understanding of the occupation, the organisation, relevant current affairs and commercial factors.

Occupational knowledge

It will be difficult to explain how you fit the job if you aren't clear about:

• the daily duties
• what is required to undertake the role effectively

Read the job description and the company's career pages thoroughly. If you can't get a copy of the job description, ask people working in similar jobs for detailed information about the role.

You can also find information about graduate recruitment programs on the Graduate Opportunities website.

Organisational knowledge

Employers prefer candidates that have a good understanding of their business, its products or services, and the sector in which it operates.

• Read the employer's web site, marketing materials and annual report (if they have one).
• Find recent information about the organisation and highlight any special achievements.
• Develop an awareness of its competitors.
• Search the Internet for sector and company information and look for useful articles in newspapers and professional journals.

Current affairs and commercial awareness

Increase your awareness of developments in the field you are seeking to enter. Be ready to express your thoughts and ideas.

• How will current events (internal or external) affect it?
• Is it in a state of growth or decline?
• How is the market changing or developing?
• How are the organisations in the sector responding?