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Certainly by now, we all know how to Google a company and peruse their Web site to conduct research about them and their open positions. But, what are other things you could be doing to delve a little deeper?
In a recent interview with Shawn Graham, author of “Courting Your Career,” he offered the following clever ways to conduct such research.
1. Attend an industry conference. Most professional organizations hold annual conferences for members. If you're able to attend, you can sit in the audience and learn more about particular jobs and companies from speakers and panelists.
2. Be a secret shopper. Many wannabe marketers learn about companies of interest by walking the aisles of retailers to get a feel for their products or services, competitors and product packaging. By interacting with them from the eyes of the customer, you're also more likely to see how they treat their employees and manage their day-to-day operations—not the staged and rehearsed dog and pony show that often goes along with the interview process.
3. Talk to vendors, clients or customers. Through some creative searches on Google, you should be able to uncover the names of some of their large corporate partners. But, don't expect them to openly share a ton of information—the feedback you get will likely be general.
4. Schedule an informational interview. Locate people at organizations and/or in jobs that you're interested in, and ask if they would be willing to speak with you for 10 to 15 minutes about their current role and how they got started.
5. I would like to add another suggestion to Graham’s list – read the news. Do a Google News search about the company to see how they are portrayed by the media. Are they often in the financial pages for failing economic strategies, or are they receiving awards for community service?
Join me and J.T. O'Donnell, a caeer coach, workplace consultant and founder of Careerealism, for a free, live, online chat about crafting winning cover letter and résumés for internship and entry-level job candidates. The chat will begin at 4 p.m. EST / 1 p.m. PST on Sunday, February 8, 2009. Click here to register.
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