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Research Your Way to a New Job
by Jan Cannon - www.CannonCareerCenter.com
Chances are when you send out a résumé, go on an interview, even accept a job offer, you know little about the organization. Perhaps you know the address and the product or service, but what else do you need to know? Is it financially stable? Does it have a reputation for quality products or services? How does the company treat its employees in regard to growth and promotion opportunities? What are the long-term prospects for the industry?
If you’re a victim of corporate downsizing or takeover, your research can discover a company’s financial stability, growth potential and employer relations record. If you decide to accept the first offer because additional openings appear limited and you are financially overextended, you at least know some of the problems you may face with a less-than-perfect employer.
One benefit of research is that it can show how you might fit into a company and what you can offer. This will lead to preparing a cover letter and résumé that will attract the employer’s attention and interest. The more you know about the company, the better you can target your comments about your own qualifications in the cover letter. Your research may reveal ways you can focus your résumé to emphasize parts of your previous positions that would directly relate to the new company you are hoping to work for.
With research your interviews can be better, providing the employer with information about you in relation to the job. Your questions can delve beneath the surface and get answers to questions that arose during your research. The interview will also be a better opportunity for you to gather the kind of information that will help you decide if a job with this company is what you want.
Where do you do your research? In libraries, at Internet sites, through college alumni networks, job fairs, college career services, professional associations, civic associations, government offices and your network of friends and former employers.
Start at the library or on the Internet. Look at published materials first. This background data will make your search more efficient when you seek additional information through informational interviews. Just remember that anything that’s in print is likely to be out of date. This includes annual reports; company brochures and newsletters; websites; and newspaper, magazine and trade journal articles. No single source will have all the information you need.
If you don’t know how to begin, start with a guide such as the Encyclopedia of Business Information Sources (Gale Research: Detroit) or How to Find Information About Companies: The Corporate Intelligence Sourcebook (Washington Researchers: Washington, DC). To find companies, check out the Almanac of American Employers, Dun & Bradstreet’s Million Dollar Directory, and Standard and Poor’s Register of Corporations. For annual reports of corporations, call investor services (find the toll free telephone numbers on company websites.)
Local, state and federal government offices gather data about companies and industries for statistical and regulatory purposes. Many civic and professional organizations have strong ties to the business community, such as Chambers of Commerce. News organizations, financial institutions and competitors’ suppliers are also good sources of information, but it’s not always convenient or easy to access them. Do preliminary research first so you are clearer about the information you are requesting.
Once you’ve exhausted the print sources it’s time to find someone who can tell you the answers to the specific questions you might have about a company. To find people to talk with, consider members of associations in the appropriate industry. Locate them in the Directory of Associations then go to a meeting and ask away.
The research skills that you learn in the job search process can be extremely helpful once you get a job. They can be used to find out about potential customers. Or use them to find out about your competitors – their products, plans, etc. And use them outside of work, too - to discover a great place to live, learn about contractors, investigate educational programs or licenses, etc. Knowing how to research the information you need is a skill with many possibilities. Use if now to find your next job.
Jan Cannon, MBA, PhD, has over 10 years of experience helping clients to find work that they enjoy through career coaching and resume preparation. She was an online expert with CIO.com and jobfindtoday.com and currently provides online content to the Career Connection of the Boston Herald ( http://print.jobfind.com ).
Jan speaks to groups and leads workshops on making career choices, networking, finding jobs, and staying motivated. She teaches courses on entrepreneurship for those interested in starting their own businesses. Jan has Myers Briggs™ MBTI™ and FirstStepFastTrack™ certifications and offers Inscape™ DiSC assessments.
Jan's book on senior job search will be published by Capital Press in April 2005.
Jan's own web site is at http://www.CannonCareerCenter.com
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