Know the Corporate Culture When Interviewing For a Job

Differences in “Corporate Culture” and what might be called “value systems” can well determine whether or not a certain personal style or profile will be acceptable. What goes at a major corporation in terms of skills and job traits may not be the skills that are preferred say as a night manager at a halfway house for former convicts or other persons of similar traits.

Good interview strategy would entail that you must first find out something about the culture of the organization of the culture in which you hopefully will be working in and with, and what traits, characteristics and behaviors that are desired, preferred. Corporate and business cultures generally hire those that have the attitudes and mindsets that they like and feel most comfortable with.

In essence you will take sample and determine the “cultural temperature” of the business or organization long before your arrival at the interview meeting site or room. If you are fortunate enough to have people or contacts “on the inside” this is easier. If not you can even be at arms length through contacts one step away. Interestingly with the networking available through modern communication networks and the internet, social networking services such as “Linkedin” are now providing this function of networking with insiders of companies in an easier and more sophisticated 21’st century means and manner. With such a social networking service such as Linkedin you can more easily and quickly stay informed about your chosen industry, its people and its trends. As well you can more easily find the contact people and the strategic information that you need for your purposes. Why not take full advantage of such services to accomplish your goals.

It can be said and summarized that without some advance insight concerning any organization or business that you are applying for employment with and that organizations preferences for certain characteristics and behaviors. Your chances or succeeding at obtaining successful employment are no better than hitting a bull’s-eye at a hundred paces while blindfolded. Your situation can be like a ship sailing in the fog without a map and navigation balance. You will in essence be flying blind.

How else will you be able to “correctly” answer questions that come your way in an interview setting? By being well prepared with your research information you will in essence be “marketing “yourself successfully. It is not lying in any manner. It’s simply a matter of being able to present the same information in a manner that fulfills the expectations of the questioner in a style and fashion that they want and are looking for.

In the end it can be said that the whole interview process is about matching the right candidate with the right job. But more importantly it’s about you getting that job. Do your homework first, on the corporate culture of any jobs that you are applying for. Do your homework. Be prepared. Its well worth the effort, time and expense when it comes down to that job employment interview.