The Pre-Application Checklist

Before you apply, complete this checklist.

Spoiler alert: most people don’t do their homework before applying for a job. Be smarter.

I would guestimate that about 10% of people are actually prepared to hit submit on their job application.

Maybe another 50% of people think they’ve done their research. They’ll tell you they read a few articles and have a general idea of the company.

But the candidates who stand out are the ones who know TONS about the job, the company, the industry and how all of this fits into their career.

Being prepared to apply for a job means more than simply conducting basic company research.

The number of people who bomb my most basic interview question (“explain our business model on your words…what do we do?”) is shocking. The number of people who fail the second question (“tell me about yourself”) is even worse.

But the worst answers of all are in response to “why do you want to work for our company.”

Don’t be like those people. Be prepared. Your cover letter will be better for it. Your resume will be better for it. Most importantly, your career will be better for it because you will know whether or not this role aligns with your values.

The Checklist

Strong candidates don’t just say they “go above and beyond”. They actually go above and beyond in everything they do. This starts with prepping for their job application.

This checklist has two parts — Company Research & Personal Reflection

Company Research

Pro Tip #1: For each question start by making a hypothesis and then go try to prove or disprove that hypothesis. Make sure you find at least three sources that confirm or deny your hypothesis.

A. Can you describe the current state of the industry?

Pro Tip: If this is an industry you haven’t worked in before, make sure you understand the vocabulary. The best way to do this is to read as many articles as possible.

1. What is the major news in the industry?
2. How does this company serve the larger industry?
3. Who are the other key players in this industry? Note: they don’t necessarily need to be direct competitors.
4. Are there any policies impacting the industry?
5. What are the biggest obstacles facing the larger industry? How are other companies reacting to these obstacles?
6. Is this business the industry leader? Are they respected? Or are there stronger companies? It will be helpful to get this information from someone you know in the industry. If that’s not possible, look at forums (Reddit is always a good place to start).
7. Who are the company’s biggest competitors? What company’s look like competitors but are actually different?

B. Do you know the company’s history?

1. When was the company founded?
2. Why was the company founded?
3. How has its mission changed over time? If at all.
4. If the company is a private venture backed company, how much money have they raised?

C. Do you know the company’s business model?

1. How do they make money? (for a nonprofit — who are their biggest donors?).
2. Is the company B2B (business to business) or B2C (business to consumer)?
3. Who pays for their service? If they serve businesses, what types of businesses? What type of person would be their contact at those businesses (i.e., the Director of Marketing? Sales? Engineering?). What type of education or background would that individual have?
4. What are their key metrics for success?
5. Is the company profitable? If not, do they have immediate plans to become profitable or are they focused on growth?

D. Do you know how the company is structured?

1. How many people work in the company? If there are multiple offices, find an estimate for how many people work in each location.
2. Who is on the executive team? Where did these people work before joining the company? Were they promoted from within? How long have they been at the company? What do people say about them online? Can you find videos of them talking about the company online?
3. How is the organizational chart structured? By department or by product? For example, a small company is likely structured by department whereas a larger company may be structured more by product (i.e., Google). But there are many variations.
4. Where does your prospective team fall in this organizational chart?
5. What countries does this business operate in?
6. Does the company have offices in other cities? If so, how is this structured? Will some of the people you work with daily be in a different time zone?

E. Can you explain the company’s core product (or service)?

Note: This could be anything from a hardware product, a consumer product or an online solution.

Pro Tip: Most people get this wrong so dig deep here! Question your assumptions. Find validation.

1. Are there multiple products in the company? If so, how are these organized? How do these products relate to each other?
2. What problem does the company’s core product solve?
3. Explain the product as if you were selling it to a potential customer. How does it work? Why do people choose your products over someone else’s?
4. What alternatives do customer’s have to your product?
5. What product would you be working on in your prospective role?

F. Can you explain where your team fits into the overall picture of the organization? What is expected of them?

1. How does your team add value to the company?
2. What are your team’s metrics for success?
3. How would your success as an individual on this team be measured?

G. Do you have an idea of what the company is looking for in team members?

1. What are the backgrounds of other people on your prospective team? Do they all seem similar or is their diversity of experience?
2. What are the backgrounds of people on different teams? Is it similar to your team or very different? How so?
3. Is it difficult to get hired at this company? Or do many people get an offer and then reject it?
4. What skills or experiences does this company value above all else? (i.e., consulting company’s value people who take a structured approach to solving a problem).

H. Can you describe your position and why it is important to the company?

1. What will you be doing in this position?
2. How will your position add value to the team? How will your position add value to the company’s mission as a whole?
3. How would this position compare to a similar position at a competitor? How would it differ?
4. What skills are most important for this position (even if they’re not listed on the job description)? Look at job descriptions in other companies. What are people typically looking for? It’s possible you know more about the role than the person hiring you — do your homework.
5. What is a competitive salary for this position in this industry?
6. What would be the next likely role? What skills would be needed for that role? Will this role prepare you for that role?
7. Where would your position fall in the org chart?

I. Do you know what the company culture is?

1. What is the company culture? That is to say, what do people in the company value? How do people interact with each other?
2. What are the hours like? Is there flexibility in when you show up to the office?
3. Does the company have a structured feedback process?

Personal Reflection

1. When you look for a new position, what are your top 10 values? I’m referring to things like “flexibility”, “validation”, “opportunity to make a difference”, “smart coworkers”, “social culture”, “short commute”.
2. Which values are you willing to compromise on? Which ones are set in stone?
3. What do you NOT want in a position? Know these before you even look for a job. This includes things like “micromanagement”, “remote teams”, “low pay”, “anti-social culture”.
4. Does this position align with your values?
5. Where does this position fit into your overall career strategy? It’s okay if it’s just that it gives you a certain type of experience — but know that going into it.
6. Will this job prepare you for your next career goal?
7. Given market conditions, your experience and your skills, what is your target salary? What’s your “no-go” number? If you don’t know, do more research. Go talk to people who are looking for canddiates like you. What do they typically pay for this type of job? Talk to recruiters. Get creative on how you get this information…but do get this information.

By now, your eyes have probably glazed over. You’re wondering how you are supposed to gather all of this information for multiple companies.

The Answer:

Structure.

Focus.

Time.

It helps to narrow down your industry and field before you decide which positions to target. If you are applying to jobs in multiple industries and fields, you might ask yourself whether or not you have properly filtered your search.

If you have something add here or have questions about the article, send us a message. info (at) getmarlow.com.

-Mary