Resources for Conducting Pre-interview Research

In an earlier blog post, I discussed the importance of conducting pre-interview research and the details you should be sure to learn before you go for an interview. Here are some key resources that you can use to gather this essential information.

The company website. This is the first stop on your research trip. Look for their “about us” tab to learn the company history, their mission statement, their goals, and corporate philosophy. However, don’t stop there. Make sure you are familiar with every aspect of their website and the features it offers.

Hoovers Online and CorporateInformation. (http://www.hoovers.com/ and http://www.corporateinformation.com/) These sites are basically information gathering sites on companies of all sizes where you can learn financials, management structure, names of senior staff members, competitors, and much more. There are parts of the sites that require you to pay for access, however many libraries offer free access to these sites.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (http://www.sec.gov/) If the company is publicly held you can access their stockholders’ report on this website. Evaluate the company’s prospectus, look at their financials, and learn their mission statement from the reports posted here.

Online news articles. Always conduct a search on http://www.google.com/ to find if there have been any recent articles or news items written about the company’s current events and developments. Another valuable resource is Google News (http://news.google.com/). This specialized search engine focuses on news, journals, and blog websites and you can search by company name.

Information exchange forums. Don’t forget to check sites such as http://www.glassdoor.com/ and www.indeed.com/forum. These are sites where current and former employees can post information about the company. These are often where people go to air their grievances, but even the complaints of a disgruntled employee can offer valuable insight into a company’s problems or needs. These sites may also be a source of information for your interview preparation. They often include the types of interviews and even interview questions other candidates have faced.

Your network. Don’t forget to check with friends, family, and colleagues – they could very well be your most valuable resource for insider information. Use http://www.linkedin.com/ to find people you may know or that know someone within your network and can provide you with pre-interview knowledge.

Do Your Industry Homework

Whether you’re staying current on the industry in which you’re working, looking to change industries, or entering an industry as a recent graduate, it's wise to do some industry homework. When researching industries, you look at some of the same types of information you look at when researching companies, except on a broader scale.

Before you begin your research, it’s helpful to know that industry sectors are classified by a U.S. government coding system. Initially, industry sectors were classified by a four-digit Standard Industrial Classification Code (SIC). Although still used by some government departments, the SIC was replaced with the introduction of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) in 1987. Most government entities and businesses use NAICS codes (a two through six-digit hierarchical classification system) as the standard for categorizing businesses by type of economic activity. This is important to know, as you might use NAICS (and, in some cases, SIC) codes when searching for specific industry data or when cross-referencing information.

Industry information is plentiful. You can conveniently start your research right in Career Transitions “Explore Careers” portal. Career Transitions provides current and vetted industry information and data, including overviews, projections, periodicals, association information, and more. In addition, your public library has industry information, which can typically be found in directories, periodicals, market research reports, white papers, etc.

Now that you know where to start, you need to identify what kind of industry information to gather. Assuming that you’re interested in learning about the employment outlook of an industry (although your research should be driven by your specific needs), the following is a list of information definitely worth considering:

• Overviews
• Employment growth (growth history/trends)
• Types of occupations
• Average wage/salary
• Products and services
• Forecasts
• Sales and forecasts
• Issues/challenges
• Trends and opportunities
• Market volume and value
• Competitive landscape
• Government regulations/legal considerations

Be Thorough In Your Organization Research

If you’re looking for a new job, the idea of researching an organization probably isn’t a new one. But have you ever asked yourself how extensive the information gathering needs to be?  Although there isn’t a set answer to this question, it’s to your advantage to thoroughly research any organization that interests you, especially with one that you have an interview.

Researching helps identify organizations that best suit your qualifications and interests and allows you to target your resume and cover letter.  Plus, if you land the interview, thoroughly researching the organization conveys that you’re seriously interested in the job and helps you frame interview questions that will fill any knowledge gaps about the organization. 

Though not an exhaustive list, the following is organization information you should consider researching:

• History, including date established, growth pattern, and past challenges and successes
• Vision statement, missions, operational objectives, and core values
• Organizational type and structure
• Global presence and locations of headquarter and satellite offices
• Number of employees, including growth trend and employee retention history
• Product and service offerings
• Financials found in annual reports, earnings reports, and stock and securities data
• Competitor data
• Salary and benefit packages compared to other industry organizations
• Employee advancement opportunities, training, and recognition programs
• Employee feedback found through websites, such as glassdoor.com, or someone in your network who might be familiar with the company
• Customer reports
• Litigation issues, such as class-action lawsuits

A great place to start your organization research is within Career Transitions “Find Jobs” section.  Visit your local library for directories, periodicals, newswires, and other information sources.  Finally, the Internet can be a very useful tool, but be careful to discern credible and untrustworthy information sources.