Regardless of how qualified you are for a position, failing to deliver in an interview can still ruin your chances of getting hired.
That's why, in addition to showing up on time and having your resume in hand, Amazon Director of Global Talent Acquisition Kathleen Carroll says it's imperative that you do this simple thing beforehand.
"My word of encouragement to candidates interested in working at Amazon or anywhere is make sure you do your research," Carroll tells CNBC Make It. "It's a clear miss when someone shows up and [they] haven't done their full homework."
She says it's immediately obvious when a candidate hasn't taken the time to truly learn about the company, and that candidates who are looking to stand out should go a step further.
"I look for a level of engagement that showcases if the candidate is actually passionate and will be a good fit for the opportunity," she adds. "I look for indicators that people have gone a little deeper."
Carroll suggests looking at a company's mission statement or leadership principles to help guide you on what you should or shouldn't do and say in your meeting. For example, at Amazon she says the company's 14 leadership principles help to guide the hiring process in terms of who's a great fit and who isn't.
"Look over them, understand them and really do some self-reflection," she advises job-seekers.
She adds that when applying to any company you should look at the workplace principles and then "think about how you can highlight a work experience you are passionate about that ties into what those principles are." Doing this, she says, will show that you have "a level of connection to the job, the opportunity and the team."
Bestselling management author and CNBC contributor Suzy Welch agrees. In fact, when looking for candidates to join her team she says she sometimes directly asks, "What did you do to prepare for this interview?"
"I myself have used this query for years, and oh, the answers I've heard — the good, the bad and the ugly — and always so revealing," she writes for CNBC Make It. In one interview, she says a candidate impressed her by admitting that she had been "stalking" her for days by reading everything she could find about her.
"As a result," Welch says, "she came to the interview ready to talk not just about her fit for the requirements of the job — but my interests, values and, perhaps most impressive, the intellectual content of my life's work."
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