Why You Should Research the Company in Great Detail Before the Interview.

I wish I knew this when I was interviewing for internships and entry-level jobs while studying Mechanical Engineering.

So you’ve landed an interview at the career fair. Here some tips I wish I knew when I was in your position.

This may seem obvious but research requires more than just glancing at their website. Do you have an idea of what market they serve? Is it multiple markets? If so, which market are you interviewing for? For example, many large companies do more than specialize in one particular market. See the Fortune 500 companies like Emerson Electric. We must understand that companies like Emerson do MANY things for many markets such as engineered solutions in Oil & Gas, Power and Refining, Life Sciences, and even to kitchen appliances like garbage disposals. So in the event where you are interviewing for an internship or entry level job for Emerson, you need to understand and define what specific market you’re applying for.

I remember interviewing for Continental my senior year. My father is a truck driver and I’ve been familiar with Continental and always associated the brand to the automotive industry. It was not apparent to me until the actual interview that this specific position I was interviewing for was for their rubber and plastic technology in industrial hoses. Their specific location specialized in manufacturing industrial hoses. As soon as I learned this, I immediately became uninterested. Why? Because I did not expect this. I was expecting to work on tires or semi trucks. It was that moment that I realized how naive and unprepared I was for the interview - I was wasting the recruiter’s time.

You may think, well a company like Continental is global company, couldn’t they pass my resume to my desired location that specialized on things I want to work on? Yes and no. Most companies at the career fair are recruiting for THIER location and specific business. Unless you completed an online application, the chances of the recruiter sending a word to another office will be slim in many cases. Not all recruiters at the career fair have the resources or time to go the extra mile to pass your resume around. Overall, companies who fall into this category merely reflect how effective their recruiting program is. Larger companies with solid talent management/recruiting programs have more flexibility and could potentially offer you more options like location and business sectors/units opportunities.

TLDR: Take the extra time and research the company you are interviewing for in great detail. Many companies have their efforts in multiple industries. Ask recruiters at the career fair what specific markets they work in.

Quick plug: I’ve released an entire episode about this on my podcast for engineering students. Check out Episode 16 for more information at worksleeve.com