RESEARCHING COMPANIES ...
WHY? WHAT? HOW?
WHY DO THE RESEARCH?
- Be better prepared to answer interview questions such as: Why do you want to work for our organization? What do you find interesting about our company? Why should we hire you?
- Be better prepared to ask good interview questions: You don't want to ask questions you can easily find the answers to on your own. To show you've done your research, lead off a question with something you do know.
- Researching the employer prior to the interview (e.g., when research is integrated into a cover letter or conversation), can demonstrate a sincere interest in working for that particular organization.
WHAT SHOULD YOU RESEARCH?
Company
- Services / Products
- Ownership (private, public)
- Size (# of employees)
- Structure (subsidiaries, etc.)
- Financial Status (profits, etc.)
- Recent Events/History
- Big Names (owner, board members)
- Competitors
- Locations
- Clients/Accounts
- Public Image
- Industry Rank
Industry
- Forecasts
- Recent Events
- Industry Leaders
- Trend
- History
- Big Names
Job/Position
- Job Titles
- Typical Career Paths
- Skills Needed
- Educational Requirements
- Typical Duties
- Typical Salary
HOW DO YOU CONDUCT RESEARCH?
Organization's Website:
- Best place to start, go to an Internet search engine (like www.google.com) to locate the company's URL
Other Internet Sites:
- Hoover 's On-Line Corporate Directory
- US Corporate Information
- Business News
- EDGAR Database of Corporate Information
- U.S. Industry and Trade Outlook
- JobSmart: Profession-Specific Salary Surveys
- Salary.com
- Occupational Outlook Handbook
AOK Library Reference Section:
- Moody's Manuals
- Standard and Poor's Corporation Records
- Business Periodicals Index
- Directory of Corporate Affiliations
- Ward's Business Directory of US Private and Public Companies
Career Services Center (MP 204):
- Vault Online Career Library
- NACE Salary Survey (entry-level salary averages by major and career field)
- Career Resource Center (MP212): Company directories, National Trade and Professional Associations of the U.S., Peterson's Job Opportunities series
Talk to People:
- Conduct informational interviews with alumni, current employees, clients, customers, and others in the industry
