How to Do a Competitive Analysis Before Your Interview
How to Do a Competitive Analysis Before Your Interview
Conducting a competitive analysis before your interview provides a powerful strategic advantage. This research helps you understand the company's position in the market, anticipate business-focused questions, and ask intelligent, insightful questions that demonstrate your commercial awareness.
What is a Competitive Analysis for an Interview?
A pre-interview competitive analysis is the process of researching a company's primary rivals to understand their products, market position, strengths, and weaknesses.
The goal is to grasp the environment in which the company operates. This insight transforms you from a candidate who simply wants a job into a strategic partner who understands the business.
Mini-definition: Commercial Awareness is the understanding of how a business or industry operates and what makes a company successful in its market.
Why is a Competitive Analysis Important for Interviews?
Performing this research demonstrates genuine interest and initiative that goes far beyond reading the job description.
It equips you to formulate strategic answers about growth, challenges, and opportunities, showing you think like a business leader.
This knowledge enables you to ask questions that reveal your critical thinking and impress the hiring manager.
Ultimately, it positions you as a high-value candidate who is already thinking about how to contribute to the company's success against its rivals.
How to Identify a Company's Main Competitors
Identifying a company's rivals is the first step. Use a multi-pronged approach to get a complete picture.
Start with a direct Google search like "[Company Name] competitors" or "[Company Name] vs." This often provides the most obvious answers.
Consult industry-specific review platforms like G2 (for software) or market analysis reports from firms like Gartner.
Read recent articles about the company on reputable business news sites like Bloomberg or TechCrunch. These articles often frame the company's news within the context of its competitive landscape.
Finally, check the company's investor relations page or annual reports if it's a public company. They often explicitly name key competitors.
What to Research About a Company's Competitors
Once you know who the competitors are, focus your research on a few key areas to find meaningful insights.
A great framework to use is a simplified SWOT Analysis.
Mini-definition: A SWOT Analysis is a strategic planning technique used to identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats related to business competition.
Use this table to guide your research on both direct and indirect competitors.
| Aspect to Research | Direct Competitors (e.g., Lyft vs. Uber) | Indirect Competitors (e.g., Lyft vs. Public Transit) |
|---|---|---|
| Products/Services | How do their core offerings differ in features and pricing? | How do they solve the same customer need with a different solution? |
| Market Position | Who is considered the industry leader? Who is the challenger? | How do they capture a different segment of the market? |
| Recent News | Have they launched a new product, secured funding, or had a PR crisis? | Are their industry trends impacting your target company? |
| Customer Reviews | What are common complaints or praises on sites like G2 or Capterra? | What do their customers value most about their solution? |
How to Use Competitive Analysis in Your Interview
Your research is useless if you don't weave it into the conversation naturally and strategically.
When asked, "What do you know about us?", go beyond their mission statement. Say, "I know you're a leader in the X space, and I find your approach to competing with [Competitor Name] on [specific feature] particularly innovative."
When answering behavioral questions about challenges, frame your skills as a solution. "From my research, a key industry challenge is [challenge]. My experience in [your skill] could directly help in differentiating your product from rivals like [Competitor Name]."
Most importantly, use it to ask insightful questions. Instead of "What's a typical day like?", ask, "I saw that [Competitor Name] recently launched [Product Y]. How is the team here positioning its own product in response to that move?"
Interview Research FAQ
How much time should I spend on this?
Allocate 1-2 hours for focused research. The goal is not to become an expert, but to gather a few key, insightful talking points.
What if the company is a small startup with no clear competitors?
In this case, research the broader problem they are trying to solve. Identify companies that offer alternative solutions, even if they aren't direct one-to-one competitors.
Where can I find reliable financial data for public companies?
Publicly traded companies file quarterly and annual reports with the SEC, which can be found through tools like Yahoo Finance or directly on their "Investor Relations" website.
How Cruit Gives You a Strategic Edge
Conducting this level of research can be daunting, but Cruit's AI-powered tools provide a clear advantage.
Cruit's Job Analysis Module helps you understand the specific skills and industry terminology the company values most, giving you context for your competitive research. It shows you what capabilities they believe are essential to winning in their market.
The Interview Prep Module is your strategic partner for turning research into powerful answers. The AI coach helps you brainstorm examples and structure your responses using frameworks like the STAR method, allowing you to seamlessly integrate your competitive insights into compelling stories about your past achievements.
This guide was created by Cruit, a career growth platform that helps professionals build and execute their career strategy.