It is important to take the time to research a company to learn more about an employer you are interested in working for. The more you know about a company, the better prepared you will be when you ask about employment opportunities and interview with the company.
The information you collect about a company will help you determine:
- if the company hires people with your job skills
- if it is a type of business you want to work for
- what to say in your cover letter, calls and company visits
- what questions to ask during an interview
When researching a company, you will want to know:
- company name, address, telephone number, e-mail address
- if the company hires people with your job skills
- name (job title) of the position you're interested in and what qualifications are needed for the position
- product or service provided by the company
- who the company's customers are
- how long the company has been in business and if there's more than one location
- stability of company (is business growing or shrinking)
- how many people work for the company
- specific name(s) of:
- manager of department you want to work in
- person to contact about possible job openings
Resources that can be used to research companies and jobs:
- company's website
- company's annual reports, product or service pamphlets, employment brochures
- library reference books, magazines, newspapers
- internet search engines (Google, Yahoo, etc.)
- job service office
- family and friends who know or work at the company
Tips for Researching:
- use different resources
- keep records on what you find out about the company
- continue researching because a company's business is always changing