Interview
Using AI to Research Companies Before Your Interview
Company research used to take hours. AI compresses it into 20 minutes. Here's how to walk into any interview more prepared than 90% of candidates.
What You Need to Know Before Any Interview
Company Basics
- • What do they actually do?
- • Who are their customers?
- • How do they make money?
- • What's their competitive advantage?
Recent Context
- • Recent news (funding, acquisitions)?
- • New products launched?
- • Leadership changes?
Culture Signals
- • What do employees say on Glassdoor?
- • What does their careers page emphasize?
- • How do they talk about work on LinkedIn?
Role-Specific
- • Why is this position open?
- • What challenges is the team facing?
- • What does success look like in 90 days?
1. Company Overview Prompt
Start with the basics:
PROMPT
Give me a comprehensive overview of [COMPANY] including: 1. What they do in simple terms 2. Their business model (how they make money) 3. Main competitors and how they differentiate 4. Company size and growth trajectory 5. Recent news or developments (last 12 months) 6. Any red flags I should know about I'm interviewing for [POSITION] there.
2. Deep Dive on the Role
PROMPT
I'm interviewing for [POSITION] at [COMPANY]. Based on typical responsibilities for this role and what I can find about the company: 1. What are the likely top priorities for this position? 2. What challenges might someone in this role face? 3. What skills or experiences would they value most? 4. What questions might they ask about my background? Help me understand what success looks like for this role.
3. Interviewer Research
If you know who you're meeting with:
PROMPT
I'm interviewing with [INTERVIEWER NAME], [TITLE] at [COMPANY]. Help me prepare by: 1. Understanding their likely background and priorities 2. Suggesting topics they might care about based on their role 3. Identifying potential connection points (shared experiences, interests) 4. Preparing thoughtful questions I could ask them Keep it professional—I want to build rapport, not seem like I stalked them.
4. Glassdoor Deep Dive
Copy a few Glassdoor reviews and analyze them:
PROMPT
Here are recent Glassdoor reviews for [COMPANY]: [Paste 3-5 reviews] Analyze these for: 1. Recurring themes (positive and negative) 2. What employees consistently praise 3. Common complaints or red flags 4. What this suggests about the culture 5. Questions I should ask to verify these patterns
Build Your Research Cheat Sheet
Create a one-page document you can review before the interview:
COMPANY AT A GLANCE: • [One sentence: what they do] • [Founded/HQ/Size] • [Recent milestone or news] WHY I WANT TO WORK HERE: • [Genuine reason 1] • [Genuine reason 2] THEIR LIKELY PRIORITIES: • [Priority 1 based on research] • [Priority 2 based on research] QUESTIONS TO ASK: • [Thoughtful question about the team] • [Question about a recent development] • [Question about growth/success metrics] THINGS TO AVOID: • [Any sensitive topics from Glassdoor] • [Recent negative news to handle carefully]
Advanced Research Prompts
Tech Stack (for technical roles)
“What technology stack does [COMPANY] likely use based on their job postings, engineering blog, or public information? I'm interviewing for [ROLE].”
Customer Understanding
“Who are [COMPANY's] ideal customers? What problems do they solve for them? Give me specific examples so I can speak intelligently about their market.”
Culture Fit Prep
“Based on [COMPANY's] values page and public messaging, what culture-fit questions might they ask? How should I frame my answers to align with what they value?”
Questions That Show You Did Your Homework
Generic questions signal lazy research. These show you actually prepared:
Instead of: “Tell me about the company culture”
Ask: “I noticed on Glassdoor that employees mention fast pace and high autonomy. How does the team balance moving quickly with avoiding burnout?”
Instead of: “What's the growth trajectory?”
Ask: “I saw you raised Series B last year. How has that changed the team's priorities or the role I'm interviewing for?”
Time Budget: 20-30 Minutes
- 5 minCompany overview prompt
- 5 minRole-specific deep dive
- 5 minInterviewer research
- 5 minGlassdoor analysis
- 5 minBuild your cheat sheet
That's it. You'll walk in more prepared than 90% of candidates.
The Payoff
Good research does three things:
- 1.Confidence: You know what you're talking about
- 2.Better answers: You can connect your experience to their specific needs
- 3.Better questions: You ask things that show genuine interest
Companies want candidates who want them, not just any job. Twenty minutes of AI-powered research is the difference between a forgettable interview and an offer.