Originally published by Mike O’brien, CEO at Climber.com
Today, I want to talk about Company Research Made Easy!
Doing proper company research allows you to stand out from the crowd, by allowing you to effectively position your skills and experience to match the company’s job requirements; both on your resume and during the interview process. Additionally, in-depth research of a company allows you to discover whether or not a company is going to be a match for your needs.
Red Flags…
An interview is a two way street. During the research and interview phases you should be evaluating every company, assessing personal fit and long-term growth potential. Effective research may help you discover that your dream company might actually be a nightmare! A great place to start is your local Better Business Bureau website www.bbb.org. A company that treats its customers poorly might not treat their employees much better. Conducting a quick Google search on any company will provide a plethora of information from a variety of sources, and often times you can find first hand feedback from current and former employees.
Your local Chamber of Commerce has great information about local companies. You can use the search tool at www.chamberofcommerce.com to find your local Chamber branch. Most will have links to the city or county’s Economic Research Bureau to provide a local economic outlook.
Google also has a great news article search tool, news.google.com. Conducting a search on the company, its competitors, and the overall industry can provide insight into how a company is positioned within an industry. A Professor of mine once said, “The last buggy whip company was the best buggy whip company.” Remember, taking a job in a declining industry may only cause problems later.
Additional online resources:
- Hoovers.com – www.hoovers.com
- Better Business Bureau – www.bbb.org
- Yahoo Finance – finance.yahoo.com
- Inc. 5000 – www.inc.com/inc5000/
- Google News – news.google.com
- Sperling’s Best Places – www.bestplaces.net/
Interview Prep
Before you go on your job interview you should spend at least 30 minutes refreshing your knowledge of the company and position for which you are interviewing. Based on your previous research, prepare five to ten questions that will ultimately help you make your employment decision.
**Most Recruiters believe that it’s a good practice to bring a set of questions with you.**
Stay optimistic, your hard work will pay off. Most people will not put in the work necessary to get the job, but you will!