You are fresh out of University and looking for a fresh role in Commercial…what do you do? When in doubt, always start with the Basics!

The P.E.S.T Analysis

In the absence of access to any historical data, this is always a great place to start. P.E.S.T is an acronym for Political / Economic / Social / Technology…every aspect of our lives is impacted by one of these four segments.

Examples:

  • Political : Ukraine was a country that had a thriving Tourism Industry however the ongoing war has impacted the industry.
  • Economic : India as a country has a GDP growth of approx 6.1% this automatically will see a rise in air travel both corporate and leisure, and sale of smart phones
  • Social : The DFW Metroplex area has seen a population growth from 4,000,000 to 8,000,000 over the last thirty year, this will automatically take real estate values up and there should be plenty of teaching position available
  • Technology : The advent of Data usage has changed sales jobs from being pure sales to that of Business Development and a Data Analyst

From the above examples we can draw conclusions based on the Macro conditions of whatever it is you are trying to research

Organizational Research

Before you go into an interview ensure you know everything there is to know about the company on the internet. Excellent starting points:

  • The annual reports are excellent places to start for listed companies. Here you not only have a clear pictures of the company’s P & L but also their guidance over the next 18 to 24 months. This is excellent ammunition to have, especially when you are up against a panel and questions can come thick and fast
  • The S.W.O.T Analysis. This will give you a competitive understanding of the organization viz a viz competition, this in conjunction with the P.E.S.T Analysis & Annual Reports should give you a deep understanding of what to expect with the company ( growth wise )

You the Person

  • It is important you visualize yourself with the company as you do the above analysis. This way you have already imbibed a number of the qualities the company is looking for
  • Exhibit your knowledge to the interviewer…but be understated. The company needs you as much as you need it
  • Always be professionally attired ( even for phone interviews )

The Final Word

Job Searches can be long and arduous and be demotivating, it’s at times like this you show off your resilience and tenacity.

Best of Luck!