The Internet is a huge collection
of databases just waiting to be used. Tap the
resources provided by the thousands
of companies, colleges and universities,
governments, and news and information
services to do extended research into
your target occupations, industries,
and employers.
Have you ever gone into a hardware
store and asked the manager if there were
any job openings for day care
providers? Probably not, because you know it is
pretty unlikely a hardware store
would have any need for someone with those
skills. However, many employers
do offer day care on-site, but you may not
know if a company does, or if
it has a potential need for someone with your
skills, unless someone told you.
This is why you research employers, to find
those that have a need that you
can fill. You want to know what they do, how
they function, and how you might
fit into the organization.
In the same vein, if you are
invited for an interview based on your resume,
you can't just walk into an employer's
office and say, "So, what is this job
you are interviewing me for,
and how do I fit into your organization?" Most
employers expect you to know
who they are, what they do, what the job
entails, and how you fit into
the company structure and culture before you
come in. Researching the employer
will get you past the small talk and into
the real purpose of your interview,
convincing the employer that he or she
needs you and that you will be
a valuable addition to the team.
Think of a job interview as a
sales pitch: you have a product to sell (yourself), but
you need to know who is buying
(the employer) and what he or she is looking for
(what skills are required in
what jobs). Once you've determined the situation, you
send in your marketing brochure
(the resume and cover letter), highlighting the
company's needs and specifying
how your product fills those needs. If you've
done it right, you'll be invited
to make a live presentation (job interview), and
hopefully make the sale (be offered
a position). All it takes is some advance
research. You probably know the
conventional wisdom: "80 percent of all jobs
are never advertised, not even
on the Internet." Well, researching the employers
and contacting them is one way
to get connected to that "hidden market."
Here's the three-stage procedure:
1. Start your employer research
at the employer's website.
The company website is a book
about the employer by the employer. Read it
"cover to cover,"
and print out the pages that interest you or have information you
want to double-check.
• Look at anything that says
"News" or "What's New." This will give you the
latest information on what
is happening and possible clues on new areas or
projects where you might
be able to help.
• Read any mission statements
or description of services to learn how this
organization describes itself.
Use this to customize your cover letter to
the company's interests.
• Look for an annual report
or strategic plan, and read it carefully. These
will tell you where the company
is going and where it's coming from.
• Check out the human resources
area for more information on current or
ongoing job openings and
the benefits offered by this company. It's possible
that there are many job openings
not posted online, but read over the
instructions given on the
website for applying and use this as a guide to the
application procedures.
• Look over the whole site.
What does the design of these pages say to you
about this organization?
Is the design conservative or freewheeling? Are the
pages well organized or difficult
to follow? Most companies want their
websites to reflect the business's
corporate image, so the site can say a lot
about the institution with
very few words.
• Don't be afraid to refer
to the website during your interview. It will reinforce
your efforts to convey your
knowledge and skills regarding the Internet.
Some company representatives
aren't aware of what their pages say or haven't
seen them recently, so it
could be useful to take some clean copies of certain
pages with you to the interview.
Just don't point out any spelling errors.
The virtual libraries and Internet
directories can help you find employer
websites, as can many of the
online resource guides dedicated to business
information, such as those
on the following list. If these aren't working for
you, then try the search engines.
Online Business Directories
Hoover's http://www.hoovers.com
(also has a European list)
ComFind http://www.comfind.com
Individual.com http://www.individual.com
IndustryLink http://www.industrylink.com
(includes Canadian companies)
2. Check business directories
and other employer information sources for outside
profiles of the employers.
This could include a brief
profile with financial information,
as you'll find in Hoover's,
a copy of a 10K report from the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission's Edgar
database, or insider profiles like
those from The Vault Report
and WetFeet.com. The reference librarians in your
local library can point you
toward even more print and electronic resources to
help you with your research.
You'll need to find online
resource guides for business and industry informa-
tion for this step. The Argus
Clearinghouse and Britannica can help, as well as
"Tell Me About This Employer"
from The Riley Guide. Along with its many
links to business research
resources, The Riley Guide includes a section on how
to research employers, with
links to online tutorials that you'll find helpful.
Online Resource Guides
Hoover's (company profiles)
http://www.hoovers.com
Edgar (IOK reports) http://www.sec.gov
Vault.com (insider reports)
http://www.vault.com
WetFeet.com (insider reports)
http://www.wetfeet.com
Tell Me About This Employer:
http://www.rileyguide.com/employer.html
The Riley Guide (more guides,
plus tutorials on doing business
research)
3. Fire up the search engines.
Look for more information
on an employer anywhere you can find it.
Search the employer's name,
the company'sproducts, the names
of any people in the organization,
and so forth. Why?
Well, as one job seeker put
it: "The employer's website told me what they
wanted me to know, but I found
what I wanted to know by doing more
searching online." Anything
you find can be useful, either in your initial
search, your sales pitch, or
your final decision on whether or not to even
contact this employer.
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TIPS
That's, not all, folks.
The Internet can also be used to find information on industries,
career options,
salaries, and much more..
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