How To Research Companies Effectively
Researching a company is hard work, especially if you have a lot of companies to look up or if you are new at it. Take heart – there is a method to this madness! Try these steps:
1. Start early! Do not wait until you are called to an interview. By researching companies and the industry overall, you may find companies that you never even considered. You may find out that another company in the industry has just laid off 10% of their workforce; therefore, you are not going to apply for a job there.
2. Now to begin: Start off with the company's website. Most companies will post their job vacancies on their own website before posting on jobsites or advertising in the newspapers. See if they have any recruiting information ie. how to apply for jobs, etc. Check out their products/services.
3. Search for media coverage of that company and the industry overall. Use Toronto Public Library's electronic databases to check for articles from The Globe and Mail, National Post, Toronto Star, Canadian Business, Maclean's, etc. To get more details on how to use specific electronic databases such as Canadian Business and Current Affairs, and free internet company directories such as Canadian Company Capabilities, refer to our previous posts: June 19th – Searching for Company Information: Spotlight on Canadian Business and Current Affairs, May 15 – Canadian Business and Company Information for Job Searchers, and April 23 – Canadian Company Capabilities – Company Directory.
4. Research the industry. You have heard this before – become familiar with the top companies, the latest trends and growth areas and how new technologies have impacted the industry as well as the individual company. By knowing this, you can figure out smart questions to ask at the interview.
5. Dig out some financial information on the company which you may be able to use in the interview. While such information about privately-held companies are harder to find, a lot of information can be found about publicly-traded companies. They are required by Ontario securities law to report certain financial information such as annual reports, stock prices, etc.
6. Check your facts. Use Toronto Public Library's electronic newspapers and journal databases. Believe me, you do not want to divulge wrong information at an interview. If you cannot confirm some of the facts, ask your interviewer. This will show that you were doing your homework.
7, Use your networking skills. Talk to your friends, family and alumni networks for possible contacts in the company and the industry. Even if you have had no contact with your school for years, your alma mater's career centre can prove to be a gem in providing information and contacts. Many schools keep records of where alumni live and work. See if you can contact fellow alumni; then, use your "informational interview" skills. Check out our July 17 post on Informational Interviews.
8. Keep track of your research. Maintain files because you may want to use some of the information a couple of weeks/months down the road.
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2 thoughts on “How To Research Companies Effectively”
This is a very important step when you are on a job search. You need to know what kind of work they do, what type of people they work for, and if you dig deep enough you can figure out if they are a company you really want to work for. Another step is if you do decide to apply for the job, you may have to take a test from a Professional Employer Organization or you may be asked to attend an assessment center. Some people find the assessment center to be more stressful than just taking a test, but it depends on whether you are more confident in taking an assessment test or better at performing on the spot.
Some people feel that it is rather like stabbing in the dark but I have seen many times that a targeted company search increases your chances of getting a job that you want. Thanks for adding your very useful information.