Page 95 - James Caan - Get the Job you Really Want

Talk to people you know, or friends of friends, who have worked
with or for the company – you’ll get some great information
straight away. It is essential to embrace technology, but there is
nothing quite like picking up the phone or having a face-to-face
chat to glean unexpected titbits of information outside the

preprogrammed algorithms of a search engine.
If somebody approaches me with a product for investment,
I will always go out and talk to retailers who would be likely

to stock that product. I find they nearly always give me one
piece of vital information I would never otherwise have picked
up.
And finally, if you know who is going to interview you,
research that person. Look to see if they have a short biography

on their company website or, even better, a profile on LinkedIn,
so that you can see how they personally developed their career.
Again, there may be press pieces about them online. If there’s

a photo of them, add it to your file of research. The fewer
surprises the better. And you will pick up some background
details that might give you a couple of ideas for small talk
before and after the interview.
Beware . . . Just as you may be researching your interviewer

online, you should assume that they or their colleagues are
doing exactly the same about you. Bring your LinkedIn profile
up to date and check that it matches your C V. If you have a

presence on Facebook or MySpace, take a long hard look at it.
Have you spent rather too much time telling your friends just
how much you hate your boss, or the amount of time you’ve
been bunking o≠ work to meet up with your mates? And make

83 preparation