Throughout school, communications students learn to consider who their audience is, as professors urge them to “define your audience,” “analyze your audience” and “understand your audience.” It is interesting that, despite these lessons, I often find myself interviewing a candidate who hasn’t taken the time to read our website, much less our blog, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest sites.

A job interview is simply a pitch to a company. Would you pitch a story to the media without knowing anything about the outlet or reporter? If you were in my shoes, would you be interested in a candidate who hadn’t researched your company? What you learned in your Communications 101 class also applies to interviewing: “know your audience.”

My advice to those applying for communications jobs is to read the company website and come prepared with some questions. A good interview is a two-way conversation.