As the hiring market picks up and new technologies put marketers in high demand, it is important to be ready to take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. With that, welcome to our weekly blog series on getting that marketing job you’ve always wanted. Each week we will discuss a new tip or technique you can use to land that job you’re after. Last week’s topic was Create a Portfolio.

This week’s topic = Do Your Research

The first three posts in this series all dealt with topics related to getting the interview. That is step one. Step two is preparing for the interview.

So how do you prepare for an interview? You learn as much as you can about the company, the position, and how your skills fit exactly with what the company is looking for.

For most positions, the company or the person doing the hiring has a picture in their head of the candidate that will eventually get the job. They are looking for some specific areas of experience and expertise, and when they see the right candidate, they will know it.

That does not mean that you aren’t in control of your own destiny. Because if you can be the most knowledgeable candidate they interview, and blow them away in the interview, you can be the one they’re looking for when the process is all said and done.

Interviewers expect you to have some knowledge coming into the interview. And you can impress them by reviewing the company’s website, social media profiles, advertisements and marketing messages, LinkedIn and other company profiles, etc. Learn as much as you can about how they operate so you can ask serious and thought provoking questions about how your role would help the business achieve its goals.

While you are doing this research, you can prepare a cheat sheet for the interview. Write down some key strengths and weaknesses that you see. Include key questions that you want to ask them during the interview.

Remember, the interview is not just about them finding the right person for the job. It is also your chance to find out if this is really the right job for you.

Have anything to add? Keep the conversation going in the comments below…