How to know if your next interview is your dream job? (and most importantly, nail it)

Try to avoid committing the biggest faux-pas in the job seeking world: not knowing what the company you’re interviewing with actually does. See if the product is something you’re interested in - you don’t want to spend 8 hours a day working on a product that puts you to sleep.

Not every company you interview with will have raised $500M, on its way to world domination, and is backed by Warren Buffet. That said, every company has strengths, and it’s better to be aware of them so you can pull them out of your bag of facts and shine during your interview.

All companies have weaknesses, but the company you’re interviewing for shouldn’t be offering surfing lessons in the Sahara Desert.

Is the company you’re interviewing with pulling ahead and on track to become the next Uber or is it making the same product as 100 other companies? Don’t have unrealistic expectations - every company will have competitors, but it should have a strategy to beat out the competition.

Who do you want messaging you late at night asking you to complete an urgent report? Find out who is driving the company forward, and be sure the founder’s vision is something you get behind.

Whether they’re bootstrapping or if they’ve been given $50M from a VC with over a billion dollars in investments is a huge difference, and not just when it comes to snacks at team meetings.

The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary. A solid lead team can make or break a company. Apart from people who know the best sushi places for lunch and are fun in the breakroom, you want the leadership team to have experience in their professional field, in leadership positions, and ideally in founding a company.

There’s a big difference in how the market would accept a company that deals with carrier pigeons and a company that let’s you control your coffee maker from your iPhone with a cool new app. Check and make sure the company you’re interviewing with has a bright future ahead of it, and isn’t going to fizzle out in the next few years.

Check if there are company happy hours or team building retreats (if that’s something you’re into). See what the company website says about the work environment. Make sure this company has an atmosphere which jives with your personality. You don’t want to work somewhere that completely clashes with who you are.

So now that you know what to look for, the only question that remains is: “Where do I find this information?” Zirra has insights, tools, and analyses for you to use for countless companies. Taking the time to check out www.zirra.com and search for the company you’re interviewing with could give you the leg up over other applicants and set you apart as the star candidate. Zirra company pages are filled with unique and valuable data for top-level interview questions. And, if you’re interviewing for a company that Zirra hasn’t covered yet, we’ll gladly cover it for you within 24-48 hours. We’re on top of our game so that you can be on top of yours when it matters most.