· How do you research?

The first thing you need to do is go to the company's website and read it thoroughly. The website is usually an organizations most public face, at least the face they want you to see. Are there any recent press releases or new projects they are touting on their site? How do they divide up their organization? Do they list projects or departments by geographic region (i.e. Asia , Africa ) or do they list them by functional specialization (i.e. small arms division, new technologies, preventative diplomacy)? Their website will give you a good idea of how they view themselves so be sure you have a good overview of the organization's mission statement and various departments and projects.

So now you have some understanding of how they want to be viewed but if this is a job you are truly interested in you will want to find out more than this. The next step is to talk to people who know the company. Approach professors during office hours, make an appointment at your career center, use your college's alumni network, talk to classmates and colleagues, go to events where similar organizations will be attending, join an association in the relevant field. Talk to people who are likely to have had contact with your target company. If the person is a good friend or acquaintance it is probably okay to be honest and say, “Hey, I am interviewing with XYZ Corp. next week. Do you know much about them?” In other situations more subtly may be required. If you are at an event you could say, “I am new to this field, what organizations are making the biggest contribution?”

It is also worthwhile to do an Internet search on your target company to see what others are writing about them. Are they partnered with any other organizations on projects? Are there newspaper articles written about them? Have complaints been lodged against them with the Better Business Bureau?

· What is your goal?

When doing your research you are trying to get a solid idea of exactly what the organization does, how they do it and what they pride themselves on. Why was the company founded? How do they get their funding? Why is this organization different and better (in their minds) from the one down the street that does the same thing? If you cannot answer these questions you are not ready for the interview.

· Know the job as well as the company

So you know what the company does and how they do it but do you know what they want you to do? Many people mistakenly assume that if their goals align with an organizations mission statement then they are a perfect fit. This is not the case. Companies rarely hire someone to implement their mission statement. The vast majority of positions involve multiple tasks and the successful candidates speak to the specific job requirements rather than the organizations goals. Perhaps an example will illustrate the point.

Many students I meet with want to work with international development organizations. I often show them a position description and then ask them to imagine interviewing for that job. I ask, “Why do you want this job?” A typical answer usually goes something like, “It has always been my dream to work at XYZ Corp because it is also my dream to live in a world free from poverty.” While this answer demonstrates the applicant's enthusiasm it is far too general. I guarantee you that no job description states: “free the world from poverty.” It is the applicant's responsibility to show the employer they understand the specific job as well as the organizations goals.

A better answer would be, “I am interested in this position because it combines my passion for development with my excellent computer experience. Furthermore, I am familiar with USAID procurement procedures and consider my self a person who pays great attention to detail. While

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