Thoroughly researching an employer can mean the difference
between knowing enough to apply and knowing enough to actually
lock down the job.
Employer
Research can usually be
accomplished through highly-accessible, low-cost resources. The
time you take to investigate your dream job will be time well
invested.
WHY SEEK
INFORMATION ABOUT PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYERS?
Increase your marketability
Research will enhance your marketability to
potential employers. Research exemplifies your interest and
enthusiasm toward an organization by showing the employer that
you are knowledgeable about their organization. One of the top
complaints among employers is that recent graduates have not
adequately prepared themselves for the job search. In addition
to helping you make a good first impression, researching
employers will allow you to create better cover letters and
resumes to target specific positions within an organization, as
well as better prepare you for the interview.
Make
an informed decision
You may research employers to locate
positions related to a particular type of work, industry, or
geographic location that will aid you in the process of
narrowing and selecting a future career.
FACTS YOU MAY WANT TO KNOW ABOUT EMPLOYERS
It is important to first establish what
information you will want to know about a potential employer.
Researching an employer will provide an overview of the
organization including valuable information regarding: Products
and services offered, financial health, plans for future growth,
potential career path options, and employee training, among many
other areas. The information obtained through research will be
useful in helping you decide whether or not to accept a
position.
The following list will help you organize
information that will be useful to have at your disposal during
the interview.
CHECKLIST OF FACTS TO KNOW ABOUT AN ORGANIZATION
Company Overview
___ What does the company do? What
products and services do they provide?
___ What is the size of the organization
(number of employees)?
___ How is the current financial health?
___ What is the anticipated growth? Are
there any expansion plans?
___ How is the organization structured
(Management)?
Employer Image
___ What is the organization’s national
and local reputation in the market?
___ What awards or recognitions have they
received?
___ What is their relationship to
competitors?
___ What associations are they actively
involved with?
___ What is their sales growth over the
last five years?
People
___ What
are the credentials/qualifications of the top executives?
___ How would you describe the organizational culture/working
environment?
Locations
___
Where is the corporate headquarters located?
___ Where are branches, subsidiaries, stores, satellite
offices, etc. located?
Professional Development Concerns
___ What
type of training programs are offered to employees?
___ What is the typical promotional path?
___ What is the typical career path in the field compared to
that of the company?
___ What benefits are offered?
___ How are employees reviewed or evaluated?
References:
http://www.fsu.edu/~career
and
The First Job Hunt Survival Guide
(Morton & Fox, Eds.)
ORGANIZING YOUR DATA:
WHAT TO DO WITH THE INFORMATION
YOU GATHERED
Locating employers can be a time-consuming process. Therefore,
it is imperative that you start your employer searches early.
Some information may not be available through printed
information and you may need to set up information interviews,
make phone calls, or search the Internet for answers.
As you begin gathering
information on employers, you’ll want to keep the facts
organized. Maintaining a file for each employer will make
preparing for the interview easier by preventing information
from running together. You may want to compile a summary sheet
of recorded, more relevant, facts.
OBTAINING
EMPLOYER INFORMATION ON-LINE
Use the following Internet
sites to seek out employers’ web sites, to find and analyze
information about a company, or to develop a list of employers
for your job search.
America’s Career Info Net
Search employers by name, industry and location. This site also
provides useful career information such as wages and trends,
occupational outlooks, and skills necessary for chosen
occupations.
www.companiesonline.com
SEC documents for 10,000
public companies including insider filings, annual and quarterly
reports. Provides links to company websites.
Hoovers Online
Provides a master list of 10,000+ companies with direct links to
their corporate websites, SEC filings, and other company
information. Also includes job listings.
www.vaultreports.com
Insider guides to companies, including many anonymous interviews
with current and past employees to find out “what it’s really
like in there.”
www.wetfeet.com
Research companies, careers, industries, city profiles.
Provides list of insider guides to companies for purchase.
Wall Street Research Net
Click on "researching a company" to find links to companies
listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock
Exchange, NASDAQ, and the OTC Bulletin Board)
Top
Company Listings
Fortune's Lists-top
companies lists including: America’s largest corporations,
world’s largest corporations, America’s most admired companies,
World’s most admired companies, America’s best companies for
minorities, and 100 Fastest growing companies.
Forbes' Lists-search
America's largest corporations by sales, profits, assets and
market value.
Business Research Services-searchable
directory of minority and women-owned businesses. Search by
industry and/or state.
SEEKING EMPLOYER
INFORMATION THROUGH PUBLICATIONS
University Libraries
The Southern Methodist University’s Fondren Library provides a
multitude of general resources related to Employer Research.
Find information regarding the best periodicals and books for
your purposes through the
“Ask A
Librarian” service by submitting questions online
Consult your academic advisor on what library may best fit your
needs. Also, visit the Business Information Center (BIC) in
Maguire for additional resources.
|
Specific Question |
Specific Resources |
| General
Infomration and Location? |
State industrial directories |
| Dun &
Bradstreet Reference Book of Corporate Management |
| Regional development agencies |
| State and local Chambers of Commerce |
| Telephone directories |
| Business sections of local newspapers |
| Moody’s manuals |
| Directory
of Corporate Affiliations |
| Company 10Ks and annual reports |
| Job
Seeker’s Guide to Private and Public Companies |
| High-growth
Industries |
Value Line Investment Surveys |
| Predicasts forecast manuals |
| Directory
of Industry Data Sources |
|
Salary Levels? |
American Compensation Association
publications |
| The
American Almanac of Jobs and Salary |
| Salary.com |
|
Competitors? |
Dun &
Bradstreet Million Dollar Directory
Standard & Poor’s Industry Survey
Business periodicals index
Industry Buying Guides |
| Products
Made? |
Company annual report
Moody’s manuals
Thomas Register
(company catalog volumes)
U.S. Industrial Directory
American Business, Company Profiles (CD ROMs) |
| Company
Reports & Analyses? |
Standard & Poor’s Stock Report
Moody’s Investors Fact Sheets
Value Line Investment Surveys
|
| Key
Personnel? |
Dun &
Bradstreet Reference Book of Corporate Management
Standard & Poor’s Corporations, Directors, and Executives
Who’s Who directories
Corporate proxy statements |
|
Search Firms? |
The
Directory of Executive Recruiters |
Job
Hunters’ Sourcebook
Directories produced by state or local associations |
| Government
Employment? |
State: The State Administrative Officials
Classified by Functions- has a section listing state
employment offices and phone numbers
Federal: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management recruits
Civil Service positions at GS 1-15. A network of federal
job information centers is located in major cities, phone
numbers listed. |
|
INCORPORATING YOUR FINDINGS INTO THE
INTERVIEW
Simply
being informed about an employer does not guarantee a
successful interview unless you use that information
effectively. Knowledge of products and opportunities is
only helpful if you know how to tactfully weave that
knowledge into the interview. Spouting out facts or
prefacing a question with a lot of memorized details will
not convince the employer of your interest and/or knowledge.
During the
interview, most employers will ask some variation of, "Why
do you want to work for our organization?" or "What are your
long-range career goals?" Relating your skills to those in
the literature which seem to be needed for a position, or
valued by the organization in general, can be an effective
way to show that you've done your homework. Remember to
bring in transferable skills like communications, writing,
sales, or computer knowledge. Before the interview,
brainstorm how you can help the employer be competitive in
specified markets found through your research.
Another way to incorporate information
is through the questions that you ask the employer, usually
towards the end of the interview. Request information only
on topics you really want to know more about, and avoid
being too detailed or projecting a "know-it-all" attitude.
Ask questions that encourage the employer to expand on
information from the literature.
|
