Preparation for interview is the most important part of the interview process. If you do your homework on the role, the company and the industry, you’ll considerably increase your chances of success at interview stage.

Researching a company enables you to talk compellingly about their business and how you can impact upon it. You’ll also benefit from being confident in answering any questions asked and will stand out from the other applicants.

Remember, read the job description and understand why you want the job and what skill sets you have to help you carry the job role out. Make sure you emphasise these points to sell yourself at interview.

What you need to know:

-Company culture

-Key products and services

-Demographic

-Unique selling points

-Competitors

Places to look:

-The company website

-LinkedIn and social media

-News websites

-Online forums

-Corporate literature

-The Companies Registration Office

-Professional bodies associated with the job

You also need to research the role, matching your skills and experience with the job description.

What you need to show:

-Increased profitability / efficiency

-Problems solved

-Built/re-built relationships

-Identified opportunities

-Generated business/delivered duties/improved processes

If all else fails, talk to your consultant about what research you should be carrying out. They’ll help and guide you through your research and will know a lot about the clients and their products