In addition to getting to know yourself better, take the time to find out about both the employer and the position before your interview. The more informed you are, the more confidently and enthusiastically you will be able to build the bridge between your relevant experience and the employer's needs. Gathering this information will help you make good decisions as to which potential employer will be the best fit for you.

Some areas to research are:

• type of industry/organization;
• basic organizational philosophy / “corporate culture”;
• products or services;
• company size;
• financial history / net earnings;
• mergers / acquisitions;
• competitors.

Methods of finding out information about the prospective employer

• Finding an inside contact - someone who is now, or has been, employed at the prospective work place - and asking her or him about it.
• Using the Internet to research companies through their home pages and related articles.
• LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter company pages.

Your knowledge of the industry, company, and position will help you answer the following interview questions:

• Why do you want to work here?
• What do you know about our company?
• What attracted you to this company?
• Do you have any questions for me?

Here are a list of tools to help you research each company. (check with your local library for access to some of these databases).

• LinkedIn company pages
• Glass Door
• Hoovers
• Reference USA
• AtoZ Database
• company website