As someone who has interviewed many people over the years, I can tell you that it is obvious to the interviewer which applicants have properly prepared for the interview, which applicants have prepared a little, and who hasn't prepared at all.

Thanks to the Internet, you don't need to put in a huge amount of effort to dig up useful information in preparation for your interview. Focus on researching three categories of information:

1. The company
2. The position
3. The interviewer

The Company -- Check out their website, but also head over to www.hoovers.com and take advantage of the free data that they serve up on most companies. The bigger the company, the more information that you will find. If you are interviewing for a mid-level or senior level position for a publicly traded company, you'll want to spend time on www.sec.gov and read their most recent SEC filings. Make sure that you take a quick look at the company's Press Releases/News section so you'll be up to speed with the latest company info.

The Position -- If you haven't seen a job description for the role, you need to get your hands on one. It is appropriate and OK for you to send an email to the interviewer/hiring manager prior to the interview to ask them for the latest version of the job description. If you can't get through to the hiring manager, then you can also call in to the company's HR department. In most cases, you'll be able to find the job description on the company's website. Read it, understand it and feel free to have questions about any bullet points that you need to have clarified.

The Interviewer -- There are a number of sources popping up on the Internet that allow you to find information about the person that you'll be meeting with. If you are interviewing with a senior member of the company, you will likely find their bio on the company's About Us/Management section. Also, do a quick Google search for the person's name in quotes ("John Doe"), and take a look on ZoomInfo.com , Facebook or any other social networking sites that you use. It's always great to break the ice by saying, "I saw online that you went to the University of Houston.... "

Prepare, prepare and prepare some more and you'll separate yourself from the stack!

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