Pre-Interview Research

These days, finding out about potential employers is fairly easy with access to the internet. Obviously, going to the company's web site is the first step. Here you get a chance to see the image of the company that they want to portray to the world at large. Corporate philosophy, focus and goals are a few clicks away; while pipeline and products can give an accurate picture of where a company is and where it is headed.

Networking for answers is also a good way to find out companies; but perhaps from a more personal standpoint. Contacting former colleagues, associates from RAPS or DIA might give you insight into the personalities that make up the company. The idea here is to take in and store this information; not to let it be the overwhelming factor in making a decision… There are two sides to every story and the story you receive about a company might be based on hearsay or circumstances that are not always clear.

Another way to find out about a company is to search through the FDA site and see what kind of approvals and/or warnings a company has received.

But the most often overlooked and perhaps the most useful is to conduct an internet search using Google, Yahoo, or whatever your favorite search engine is. You will end up finding out about issues and even locals that may be important for you to know during the interviews and definitely will be important when it comes time to accept an offer.