Fail to prepare, prepare to fail!

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail! Preparation is always key to success and lack of preparation is one of the main reasons why students don’t get through the application process. One of recruiters main complaints is about receiving numerous generic applications for a position. Companies want to see that you have researched their company. They test this through competency-based application questions, covering letters and telephone interviews. To ensure you get through these stages you need to show the recruiter that you are answering questions in a way that is specific to their company and not giving answers that could apply to any company! To test this look at what you have written and change the company’s name. If it could apply to that company to, then it is too generic. To avoid this you need to do research! Here are my top tips for carrying out in-depth research about a company and how to use the information in the application process.

• To gain the best insight into a company, I would advise attending an insight day. This is a good way to gauge the company culture first-hand. Insight days usually involve a company presentation. This is an excellent way to compile facts about the company that only people who have attended the insight will know. 
• Visit the company’s website. From this you can usually find out the company’s core competencies. You can also find ‘hints and tips’ for the application process and news links. 
• Visit Targetjobs.co.uk. Targetjobs provides excellent advise on how to write applications and CVs; however, it also provides company profiles which can be used to find out about the company’s culture, recent news links, and awards. 
• Research the industry not just the company. Finding out facts and figures about changes in the industry will be an added extra that will put your application to the top of the pile. Researching the industry could include changes in legislation, technology and information about competitors. This level of research show recruiters that you have gone the extra mile. 

How to use this information?

When you have collated this information, to answer either application questions or to write a covering letter, I advise you to write five reasons why you want to work for that company and five reasons how you match what the company is looking for. This will formulate a succinct covering letter/application answers, but will be in-depth enough to show that you have done your research. This level of research may take a few hours, but what is a few hours if it gets you to the next stage in the application process? I bet most of you spend longer than a few hours per day on Facebook!