Description
Going into an interview without having researched the company is one of the most common and most avoidable mistakes candidates make. This assignment walks you through a systematic research approach and asks you to practice on camera.
Learning Objectives
By completing this assignment you will be able to:
- Apply a structured research process to prepare for a specific interview
- Synthesize company research into a confident on-camera answer
- Demonstrate professional video presentation skills using OBS
Steps
- Watch: Interview Prep Series, Part I: Conducting Research for the Interview (YouTube).
- Use the job from your cover letter (or any role you are targeting). Spend 20-30 minutes researching the company: their website, recent news, social media, clients/portfolio, and employee reviews.
- Open OBS and record yourself answering in 60-90 seconds: ‘Why do you want to work for this company?’ Your answer should be purely about the company, assume your skills have already been discussed.
- Upload to your school YouTube and submit the URL here.
- In the Canvas text box, write the company name and job title for your instructor’s context.
Example
A strong answer is specific enough that it could not apply to any other company:
✗ Weak: “I’ve always been passionate about animation and your company makes great work.”
✓ Strong: “I’ve been following Polygon Pictures for a few years, I’m particularly interested in their rigging approach on Blame! and the technical animation in their Netflix projects. I read an interview with their animation supervisor about the pipeline and it’s exactly the technically rigorous environment I want to work in.”
How to Submit
Submit your YouTube URL and the company name/position in the text box.