Company Specific Preparation
In an interview situation, you want the interviewer(s) to remember all of your positive qualities, and not be distracted by negatives. When it comes to narrowing down candidates for a position, details matter. For example, if you were interviewing with a pen company, you wouldn’t show up to the interview with a competitor’s pen. The key to making a positive impression is knowing your audience.
Before you interview with a company, do some legwork:
Familiarize yourself with any available news or information on the company, recent press releases, new item launches, merger announcements, etc. A good place to start? The internet.
Conduct Store-Level Research
Go to Walmart stores to view modulars, and understand the following for the company’s categories/brands/items:
- Shelf layout (brand block, segment block, price point block, etc)
- Packaging
- Pricing
- Products
- Competitors
Note any promotional vehicles for the company or its competitors:
- Endcaps
- Pallets
- Bonus Packs
- Rollbacks
Based on your research, develop questions, observations, and recommendations to bring to your interview. When you’re prepared for your interview, you’ll feel more confident, present better, and impress those interviewing you.