Social Media Research for Job Interviews

So your resume was fabulous, you networked, got the interview, now what? It's research time!

Every job candidates knows that you must visit the company's website, review core competencies, read the latest news releases and know the management team, and an even more industrious candidate might google the company and see what else is out there.

But most candidates are missing a huge advantage over the competition in their research: social media. And as we've discussed repeatedly, it's a very crowded job market, you must stand out.

Here are a few tips to use the easy, free and publicly available social media outlets to set you apart in your interview preparation research:

• LinkedIn: Join the company's page, review the company's profile and most importantly, identify and 1st or 2nd degree connections within the organization. If you've got a 2nd degree connection, ask for an introduction. Take those "insiders" to coffee, pick their brain about the company's culture, challenges and opportunities.
• Twitter: Use the SEARCH function to find out what others are saying about the company. Follow major players, what are they saying?
• FaceBook: Fan the company's page, if they have one. Enter the company name in the Search field to determine if you have a FaceBook friend with a connection there.
• Google Alert: Enter the company's name in the Google Alert search field and every day you'll receive a daily digest email with all relevant references that day across the entire world wide web, from blog posts to news releases and even Twitter feeds.