GUIDE TO THE COMPANY VISIT

Candidates should prepare so that they can present themselves as being knowledgeable about the company, its products or services, and the career opportunity being discussed. The better prepared the candidate, the more probable it is that the company will recognize enthusiasm, drive, motivation, maturity, and thoroughness as assets possessed by the candidate.

The candidate should use the information obtained to develop insightful questions designed to show interest in the company and the position. These questions should demonstrate the candidate's thorough preparation for the visit, but should also provide the types of information that will support an informed decision to accept or decline an offer. In order for the candidate to prepare these insightful questions they should investigate the following company characteristics:

• Mission and long range goals
• Business philosophy and management style
• Community in which the company is located

The questions should be well positioned during the interview process. Recent hires of the company might be asked about training, promotion, performance evaluation and community life. More experienced interviewers can be asked about corporate culture, long-term plans, company history and other topics where experience enhances the value of a response. Good questions will cover a wide range of topics including:

• Corporate goals and direction
• Career enhancement
• Market growth opportunities
• Company's competitive environment
• Research & development
• Evaluation system
• Career paths of recent hires
• Commitment to training
• Community lifestyle

Questions such as: "So what do you all do?" or "What are the benefits?" do not sit well with most interviewers. These questions show shallowness and a lack of concern for the key criteria which are being judged during the visit. The first type of question begs information that should have already have discovered, and the second reflects an over-emphasis on matters that will be explained in good time.

Candidates frequently overlook personal preparation. While knowledge, good insightful questions and a sharp business outlook will go a long way toward succeeding in the company visit, a lack of personal preparation can detract from a candidate's positive image.

What factors constitute good personal preparation? They include:

• Leaving personal problems at home
• Taking appropriate business dress (for the type company involved)
• Having a well-groomed appearance (hair, face, skin, nails, etc.)

These are some areas of personal preparation often overlooked by the candidate, yet extremely important. Candidates often put themselves at a disadvantage by packing carelessly, neglecting to take grooming aids, leaving for the visit with pressures from school deadlines, etc. These all can contribute to a poor company visit.

The candidate is advised to dress appropriately for a social dinner. She should eat moderately, avoid alcoholic beverages (beyond a glass of wine, a beer, or a single drink,) ask good, penetrating questions revolving around the particular topic of discussion, and relax. The dinner is generally very social in nature and the candidate should be herself, although it should be her professional self that comes through.

The candidate should leave a wake-up call for morning, use a travel alarm clock, and have a parent or friend call in the morning to make sure she wakes up with plenty of time to prepare. No mistake is worse than tardiness.

The candidate should check out of the hotel upon leaving for the company site. If this is forgotten it can result in the company's being charged for an extra night. She should take any baggage with her as it may be out of the way to return to the hotel at the end of the day.

Many interview questions are geared toward assessment of candidates' communication skills, aggressiveness, leadership capabilities, interpersonal skills and desires as they relate to the position open and to long range career goals.

It is very important for candidates to understand that they are being probed during the company visit. Candidates must take a long range view when preparing their responses and assessing their qualifications prior to a visit.

In some instances, companies will assign each interviewer a specific quality or skill to probe during the interview. One interviewer will probe for leadership ability, another for analytical ability, still another for communication skills and so on. After the process is complete, all the interviewers will meet to discuss the candidate and a decision will be reached.

In other companies, each interviewer will determine independently the nature of her questions. This approach might appear less coordinated to the candidate. Again, the interviewers will share the impressions they have reached after the candidate's departure.

The candidate should try to avoid giving an exact figure in response to this question. If pressed on the issue by the interviewer, one has to respond by saying it is best to give a range.

Candidates are often tempted to bring up the salary issue themselves. As a general rule, it is best not to mention salary until the company brings it up. Salary will usually not be a topic of conversation until an offer is made.

Generally, most major expenses (travel and lodging) will either be pre-paid by the company or put on a credit card by the student and reimbursed by the company at a later date. Incidental expenses to be paid by the candidate and reimbursed later include:

• Parking
• Cab fares
• Business phone calls
• Meals en route
• Tips

Other incidental expenses fully borne by the candidate include:

• Room service snacks
• Newspapers
• Personal phone calls
• Gifts
• In-room movies
• Other personal items

The candidate should always collect receipts for expenses. She should also have resources to pay hotel expenses, even when pre-payment has been agreed upon. Mistakes are sometimes made.

While not an overriding issue, it is important that the candidate use common sense and good judgment regarding expenses. Companies will see an expense report and receipts after a visit. High expenditures for ordinary items or unnecessary expenditures are generally frowned upon. Meals need not be at a fast-food restaurant, but should be reasonable; items such as expensive wine or appetizers should be avoided. The hotel's own restaurant (or comparable priced one) is usually a good measure of how much to spend. The company wants the candidate to enjoy the visit but not to be extravagant.