Employopedia!

One of the first and most important aspects of job hunting is to research potential employers, and that involves digging for information.  The more time and thoughtful consideration you devote to researching a prospective employer the better your chances of finding the best possible position with a good company.

Researching a company gives you valuable information before you interview and even before you send out your résumé. Once you know about the company, you can shape your résumé and cover letter to reflect your abilities and knowledge that will benefit the company.  During the interview, your research will enable you to carry on a productive dialogue.  Most important, your research goes a long way toward establishing a mutually successful and enduring work relationship.

Company knowledge has a short-term value – it helps you win job offers. It has a long-term value - you are building a personalized reference work of your specialty or profession that will help you throughout your career whenever you wish to make a job change.

Benefits of Employer Research

• Write better résumés and cover letters
• Decide which field to go into
• Decide if the company is a good match for you
• Develop a list of your target organizations
• Gather information in order to make a more informed decision
• Let the company know of your genuine interest
• Improve your networking and interviewing skills
• Increase your confidence
• Send a message to the interviewer that you’re resourceful
• Send a message that you know how to gather information
• Get an edge over competition by showing initiative and enthusiasm
• Identify the needs of the company and market yourself appropriately

Where to Look for Resources

Company Website

Most companies have their own website that contain good information.

Public Libraries

The public library is one of the most underrated resources of job-hunting.  It is a gold mine of information with reference books to consult. Look at several reference books because no single reference work is complete.  Seek the expertise of the reference librarian as a valuable source of help.

Internet

The Internet is an excellent tool for researching companies and industries.  Most companies, big and small, have a web site that you can locate using a major search engine or by calling the company directly and asking for its Internet address.  Typically the website will contain information about the company, its products or services, key personnel and any newsworthy advances or changes. Many websites provide access to employer descriptions and will often lead to other tools, such as résumé banks and more specialized job directories.

Historical Society

If you wish to know more about how the organization got started, try the historical society for documents that no one else may have.

Chambers of Commerce

Visit the local Chamber of Commerce.  Local chambers have information on the businesses in their community and employees might be able to give you some personal insights into the company.  Chambers also have newsletter/local business magazine that will be beneficial.

Government Offices – Local, State, and Federal

Contact government offices because they gather data about companies.

Better Business Bureau

Call the Better Business Bureau.  It might be worth finding out if the company has had any complaints lodged against it

College or Professional Career Fairs

Employers visit campuses each year to conduct preliminary interviews.  This is a great way to gain company information and get plugged into the recruiting process. You have the opportunity to speak with company personnel in person, and secure information about their company.

Professional Associations

Associations are an important source of information.  They tend to be very helpful and will assist you in getting the jargon down so you can use the language of the trade. Associations promote products, gather statistics, educate the public, lobby legislatures and ensure that industry interests are not overlooked. To find out about relevant associations, see the National Trade and Professional Associations of the United States.  Once you have the association names, you may want to see if they have websites that can provide you with ideas for additional industry resources and also potential and specific contact names.

Trade Shows

Attend trade shows.  Many companies participate in local and national trade shows relevant to their industry.  Visit their booths and ask about products, markets, achievement, and future plans.  They may also be a good way to obtain the names of the appropriate people to contact for employment.

Civic and Professional Organizations

Civic organizations have ties to the business community and can provide information concerning local businesses.

Annual Reports

The annual report of the company or organization offers a summary of all the operations for the year, products involved, highlights events and names of key personnel, plus budgetary data.

Stock Reports

Information is available at any stockbroker’s office for an organization that is publicly owned.  Look for information on SEC’s Website at www.sec.gov.

Obtain financial data.  If the company is a public corporation, you can solicit the annual report as a potential investor.  This document provides a wealth of information from sales volume and product distribution to plans for the future.

Ex-Employees

Speak to ex-employees.  If you know someone who has worked for the company in the past, he or she might be able to give you helpful input.  Remember to take this information with a grain of salt, since ex-employees opinions may be based on their reasons for leaving.

Newspapers

Get in the habit of reading the local paper each day to see whether your prospective employer is mentioned. Newspapers cover business issues or run articles about companies and their management teams. An article on an expansion might be covered, a citation by the mayor might appear, or an employee who won an award might be featured.  Many newspapers also have cataloged archives in which you could find past clippings.  You may even be able to access those archives via the Internet.

Business Publications

Most firms regularly distribute information on their new products, services and employees in business-to-business magazines and industry trade journals. Virtually every business, industry, and profession has at least one publication devoted exclusively to it.  Because they focus on one industry, trade publications are a valuable resource.  Hundreds of business periodicals are published.  Some are broad in scope, such as Business Week, Fortune Magazine, and Forbes, and cover the general economy and specific companies and industries.

House Publications

Request a copy of the organization’s in-house newspaper or magazine that gives inside stories about company operations.

Competitors

Learn about the company competitors.  Call to solicit their sales literature.  Use this information to learn not only about the competition but also about the field.

Suppliers

Ask suppliers and distributors for information.  They can give you an insight into a company’s business practices.

Factors to Investigate

Company

• What is the proper and full company name?
• What is the corporate headquarters address?
• Is the business a sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation?
• What is the size of the firm, including the number of employees?
• What is its reputation?
• Who are its main customers, type of clients or major markets that are served?
• Who are its competitors?  What are their strengths?

History, Philosophy, Mission

• When and where was it established?
• What are the philosophies of the organization?
• What is its mission?

Product or Service

• What industry (or industries) is the company in?  (product lines or service)
• What are its greatest accomplishments?

Stability of Company

• How profitable is it?  Is it expanding or downsizing?
• Has the company’s net income increased or decreased in the past year?
• What is the potential growth of the company and the industry it represents?

Public or Private

• Is the company publicly owned or privately held corporation?

Subsidiary Companies

• What are its divisions and subsidiaries?

International Activities

• Does it have foreign satellites?

Union/Non-union

• What is the name of the worker’s union?

Officers of the Company

• Who are the CEO and president?

Vice President, Manager/Director, Recruiter

• What is the name of the recruiter or others with hiring responsibility?

Current Activities

• What major events (if any) have taken place in the company over the past year new product launches, joint ventures, acquisitions, major personnel changes, etc.)

Associations

• Does the company have employees that are graduates of my university / college?

Advantages

• Is there a training program?  Is it structured or unstructured?
• Does it promote from within and does it offer mentoring or other professional development programs?
• What is the typical career path within the organization?
• Does the organization and position fit in with your employment objectives?