What do you know about this company? This is a very important question. When you go to an interview a company likes to see that you have done some research into who they are and what they do, not that you are just there to try and earn a wage. Before attending be sure to read up as much as possible about the company, and take as many facts as possible and add positive notes to them.
Example Answers
What the company does: What is its industry? What does it do/make/sell/provide?
“I know McFarlane’s is the finest fast food chain in the world. I know you only sell fresh food, freshly made, and only use 100% British beef in your burgers”
What the company history is: How long have they been trading. Where did it start?
“I know that you started making burgers in 1900 when Donald McFarlane decided it made more business sense to make his own burgers and sell them to the public, rather than selling his cattle from his farm to the butcher to sell to restaurants. I know he was so successful that within 10 years he had a restaurant in every state in the USA, and his chain went international, arriving in the UK in the 1950’s”
How well the company is doing in the marketplace, especially in terms to its competitors.
“I know McFarlane’s is a highly successful operation, with in excess of 5000 restaurants in this country alone. I know that you are a very financially secure business so I would feel very secure in my employment. I also know that you are favoured by the public over your competitors ‘Sandwich Queen’ and “KCF”.
Be aware of recent news about the company.
“I was thrilled to read the article in Business Weekly last week where McFarlane’s were featured about their upcoming project working with a new packaging provider to create more environmentally friendly packaging. I was also very impressed when I read that my local council had praised McFarlane’s for sending out cleaning crews to areas within 5 miles of their local restaurant, as some customers choose to discard their packaging by the roadsides. I thought that a very humbling and caring response of such a large company. After all, you cannot help the actions of your less caring clients.”
Finally, finish off saying that you have spoken with employees of theirs previously who have intimated how happy they are with their jobs.
“I was actually in a McFarlane’s last week having lunch and was served by a very happy and friendly young lady. I told her about my upcoming interview and she was absolutely enthused whilst talking to me about how much she enjoys her job. It was clear to see that working at McFarlane’s offers a lot of job satisfaction”.
Good luck.
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