Quick Tip – Get the Inside Scoop
Company news paints a pretty picture – Issue #62
When you are preparing to interview with a company, you need to research it thoroughly. The easiest place to start is the corporate website. You can learn a great deal on their About, Team, Press, Careers, News pages, etc.
However, any information that you find on the corporate website should be taken with a grain of salt. It is the view of the company through rose-colored glasses. They are only sharing highlights and positive news.
So, check out what other people say about the company, its team, and its product and services. Look at the comments on social media.
What do people say when they @ the company on Twitter (e.g., people tweeting at Airbnb)?
What comments do people leave on their Facebook page (e.g., Uber’s page)?
What are industry analysts saying about the company (e.g., WeWork)?
What do past employees say on Glassdoor (e.g., reviews of Amazon)? Note: it seems like mostly upset past employees bother leaving reviews.
You should also check out sites like Crunchbase, AngelList, and SimilarWeb to learn more about the company’s funding, competitors, and so forth.
On Crunchbase, you can learn that Databricks has raised $897M
On AngelList, you can find out that Bright Money is hiring a Product UX Design Lead
On SimilarWeb, you can compare ConvertKit to Mailchimp
However, a company’s employees — both past and present — are my favorite resources for getting the inside scoop. You can start your research long before you consider interviewing with the company.
Go on LinkedIn and search for the current employees of the company (e.g., Omada Health). Find people who are most likely in the organization you would join (e.g., the Design team).
Message a few key employees and ask if they would be willing to have a short call with you to learn more about the company and the opportunity. You’d be surprised by how helpful and friendly people will be.
It is also quite informative to talk with a few past employees who have left the company. Some of my best information came from someone who used to have the role I was interested in pursuing. I reached out to him to ask why he left the company and to get his advice on how I could be successful in the role. He was incredibly helpful!
So, dig deep. Learn everything you can about the company, its products and services, and its team. You want to make sure that you are making an excellent decision to join them!