There’s no such thing as ‘too much’ research! And yet too few early-career professionals are really diligent in their research into companies before their interviews.

In this article, we show you where to get intel on your future employer, and how to interpret what you find at the interview and beyond. 

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Where to find information about a company (the basics) 

A company’s official website and social media channels are great places to research your future employer. You’ll want to find out what the business does, who its clients are, the company’s size, its corporate values, its mission, its goals, and what it wants to achieve.

• Read their website… every page of it! Pay particular attention to the people in your department. This will show you who is on your team and where their expertise lies.
• Visit the company’s channel on YouTube. YouTube might not be the first platform we think of for business, but it can be an excellent resource as more and more companies are using video to showcase their culture. 
• Find the company on LinkedIn and read their latest updates. 
• Research the people you are likely to meet at the interview on LinkedIn and Google. 

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How to dig deeper for information and impress your interviewers

Anyone and everyone will have easy access to the above information. Set yourself apart and research your future employer the right way by really doing some digging. 

• Visit Companies House and search for the business’s financial statements. 
• Read the Financial Times and Bloomberg – you can choose to set alerts for news about the company and research the archives for older stories.  
• Read the press releases on the company’s website to find out if they speak at events. A private equity firm, for example, will probably be a member of the BVCA. Have their leaders spoken at the BVCA conference or any others? Listen to what they had to say. 
• Some companies host webinars to help people use their service. Sign up for them – any insight could lead to fruitful conversations at the interview round. 
• Search your interviewers’ names on podcast channels. Many professionals are using podcasts to promote themselves and their companies, and these audio episodes often provide more subjective, personal opinions that could help you form an impression of the company’s culture. 
• Supercharge your LinkedIn strategy. Look through employee profiles to see if the company works to retain its talent. Type the company’s department into the LinkedIn search bar – this will show you where previous employees have moved on, and how past and present employees have developed their careers within the company.
• If your selected company is a little coy about what they do, try to look at the companies they follow on their social media channels. What are they doing? What do you admire about them?

Not yet applied? Read our key tips on how to write a job application and how to write a great cover letter!

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How to turn your research into intelligent questions at an interview

Your questions say a lot about you, so stay mindful and informed. Make sure you’re not asking for the sake of asking.

Your questions should come from your research, and they must genuinely interest you. What interesting details did you unearth? You might have questions about their team or their activities that would show the interviewers you have really thought about their company.

Think about how your personal story might relate to these questions, and use concrete examples from your experience to help interviewers picture you working for their company.

P.S. We also have a general guide for how you can prepare for an interview. 

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At Aldrich & Co, we help our candidates rise.

Contact us today, and we’ll connect you with one of our recruitment consultants, who will help you find your next finance role in the City of London.