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Office of Career Services

Office of Career Services. Introduction to Employer Research August 2010. Introduction to Employer Research AGENDA Why conduct employer research? What is important to know about employers? Where do I begin? Available resources and tools Examples of good questions.

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Office of Career Services

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  1. Office of Career Services Introduction to Employer Research August 2010

  2. Introduction to Employer Research AGENDA • Why conduct employer research? • What is important to know about employers? • Where do I begin? • Available resources and tools • Examples of good questions

  3. Why Conduct Employer Research? • Employers value candidates who know key information about the company because it demonstrates your interest and enthusiasm for the company and for the position. It is a critical factor in evaluating applicants. • In a job interview, information about the employer equips you with knowledge to ask relevant questions and provides the opportunity for a dialog, enabling both you and the employer to evaluate the position fit and company fit more accurately. Interviews are a two-way street

  4. Top Reasons to Research Employers • The primary reasons to research employers are: • To explore career opportunities • To learn about the industry • To find internships and job openings not advertised by traditional methods; many jobs are not advertised at all • To target your resume and cover letters • To prepare for interviews • To build career networks • To make informed decisions

  5. Top Reasons to Research Employers Employer Research Employer research will help you fill in these boxes with relevant information and equip you with relevant information to shine in interviews Company Knowledge Industry Knowledge Interview Preparation

  6. When Should I Conduct Research? • The future is NOW • The fall recruiting season is rapidly approaching, so you should begin researching prospective employers, industries and career paths right now • Employer research is an on-going process • Throughout your career, you will need to research prospective employers

  7. What You Need to Know About Employers • Organizational structure • Top management and their backgrounds • Geographic locations including corporate headquarters • Types of training programs • Typical career path in your field • Identify a division or initiative where you can make an immediate impact • Culture • Corporate Social Responsibility practices • Name and correct spelling of employer contact(s) • Size of organization in industry • Industry: trends, forecasts, challenges, opportunities • Growth potential • Profitability: revenue, growth - long term and short term; funding sources (for nonprofit organizations) • Complete product lines or services/Value proposition • Pipeline of new products or services • Competitive landscape    • Recent developments reported in the news

  8. Where To Begin Your Research • Know Thy Self • By knowing your career goals, strengths and weaknesses, work style, geographic location preferences, etc. you will be able to narrow your search to a manageable pool of potential employers • Conduct Industry Research • Find out what is happening in the industry • Who are the top companies? • Who has growth potential? • Who is developing cutting edge products, leading in innovation or delivering unparalled customer service? • Narrow your research to a manageable number of companies based upon what you have uncovered

  9. Where To Begin Your Research • Company Research • There are more ways to conduct job research today than there were even a few years ago; however a great place to start is on HireSmith

  10. Resources and Tools • HireSmith Home Page has links to several online research guides; passwords are listed

  11. Resources and Tools • HireSmith Links • Vault – Launches to Career Insider, a web site that provides company and industry information, employer rankings, career advice, blogs & discussions, downloadable insider guides, job search engine and anonymous interviews with current and past employees • Hoovers – Provides insights and analysis about companies, industries, executives. A well respected staple in employer research • Wetfeet – Provides industry profiles, insider guides, company snapshots, articles on careers • Indeed – A mega job search engine • Uniworld – Find American firms with international operations and find international firms operating in America. Includes data on company size, revenue, contact information and whether they provide career postings

  12. Resources and Tools • HireSmith Links • H1Base – The first stop for H1B jobs in America. Offers targeted job search and H1B information • VBIC – Industry information from various sources • LexisNexis – A repository of business-related articles from periodicals • Business Source Complete – a business database of journals, SWOT analyses, industry and company reports and much more • Factiva – a comprehensive database by Dow Jones to search business and international news publications. Includes newswires, periodicals, market information from Dun & Bradstreet and Reuters, key media outlets and more • TopMBA Careers – Provides international job postings, global employment market information and salary guides • Internships.com – Provides job postings, online career coach, company directories • Internships USA – Internship job postings

  13. Resources and Tools • Other Resources • Nonprofit Resources • Net Impact – netimpact.org • Green Dream Jobs – sustainablebusiness.com • idealist.org • MBA Nonprofit Connection – mnconnection.org • nonprofitcareer.com • usajobs.gov • Common Good Careers – cgcareers.org • Other Web Sites – and there are lots of them • glassdoor.com – an insider look at company reviews and salaries provided by current and former employees • jobsinsports.com – a paid subscription site • simplyhired.com – a search engine site • cpgjobs.com – provides a wealth of information about the Consumer Packaged Goods industry including job postings, career information, interview guide • ventureloop.com – job postings from venture-backed companies • smartbrief.com – delivers industry briefs to your email box

  14. Resources and Tools Don’t Stop There

  15. Resources and Tools • Attend Corporate Presentations: These include information sessions, meet-and-greet events, club-sponsored events and treks. Not only is it a chance for you to make an impression on the employer and possibly win an interview, but you may also get a feel for an organization. • Network: Talk to people, Find people who work for or know about the company.  This could be representatives at a career fair, Smith alumni, professors, professional associations, personal and professional contacts, Smith Centers of Excellence. • Read employer's web site:  This is a no-brainer! Look for basic facts and information about mission, culture, values; browse the annual report, 10K and 10Q reports, review transcripts. If the web site posts jobs and/or the organization accepts resumes online, follow the instructions the employer provides and then network yourself into an interview. • Remember that information generated by the corporation is what they want you to know. It is best to use multiple sources of information • You may want to seek out informational interviews at your target employers

  16. Resources and Tools • Read the news/journals for that industry. Take note of those organizations that are making headlines, for better or worse. Also look through member directories of professional associations and read their newsletters. • Blogs, social media tools and discussion forums are all ways to find out more about a company or a job. You will be able to find insider information and can ask questions, so that you are educated about the employer and can make informed career decisions. • A company’s blog can provide a voice for a company that educates and informs readers; it is typically updated more frequently than the web site. There are several good examples of company blogs, like the Google blog, that are supported by the company and often provide information on the corporate culture.

  17. Resources and Tools • How to Conduct Employer Research on LinkedIn • Company pages on LinkedIn are filled with current information • Key statistics, stock information, operations • Activity – shows what is going on within the company, e.g. promotions, job postings • How you are linked to current and former employees • New Hires – see new hire positions, background of new hires • You can “follow” a company on LinkedIn • Research the people with whom you will interview, meet at a corporate presentation or career fair • Use the information as a conversation starter • Add the LinkedIn Company Buzz app and you can follow comments about a company on Twitter • Click on the “More” menu; then click on “Application Directory”; scroll to Company Buzz

  18. I Have Information, Now What? • Organize your information in a spreadsheet or document so that it is easy to locate – you may need it for a second or third round interview • Based upon the information you have found or not found, write out questions that you would like to ask the employer • Be sure the answer to your question is not one that is easily found on the employer’s web site • Work your newly acquired knowledge into conversations as you network and/or into your interview

  19. Example: Tracking Document

  20. A Few Good Questions to Ask • There are some questions that are good to ask in every industry • What significant changes do you see for your company in the next 3 – 5 years? • What would you consider the most important aspects of this job? • What are some of the growth opportunities for a person coming in to this position? • What are the skills and attributes you value most for the person hired for this position? • What are some of the immediate challenges the person hired for this position will face? • What does a typical day look like as a __________? • What do you enjoy most about working for this company? • What are some of the challenges this company/division/position is facing? • How would you describe the culture of the company? • How is performance evaluated? • A final question: What are the next steps in the hiring/interview process? • Tie questions to your research • I read about product ABC and how it is expected to revolutionize the way energy is consumed. How will the launch of this product impact this position? • Tailor some questions to the specific industry • Predicated growth in the industry is approximately 30% according to Expert X. Where do you see this company’s growth in relation to industry growth?

  21. Potential Challenges • The company/organization may not recruit at Smith • Competition is steep for this company • I do not have a contact at this organization • If there is enough interest, a Trek to the company may be an option • Search Smith Connector to see if there are any alums there • Use your network to find a connection • Comment on the company’s blog and initiate a conversation around the topic with the blogger • Use research to find out who the hiring managers are and send your cover letter and resume • Attend conferences

  22. QUESTIONS

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