Researching an employer is a distinct skill many take for granted. I read an article few days ago stating “search for the company name in Google” as a top tip for interview preparation.  Now I’m not suggesting you avoid Google, its is not at all bad however I just don’t believe this is valuable advice. After all, Average Santa does not land the job.

We all know applications should always be tailored for each specific company. We also know if you turn-up to interview armed with facts, able to talk fluently about the organisation you stand a far greater chance of success. Actually making this happen relies on strong research skills.

This task should be split into 2:

• Describe the business activity in no more than 2 sentences

• What industry do they operate in?

• How many employees?

• How many offices and located where?

• Is the business owned by another company?

• Who are the customers? (TIP – if the answer is people e.g. for Tesco, then what type of people?)

• Why do the customers buy from this company?

• Who is the competition?

• Has the company been in the press recently and if so, why?

• Are there stories about the industry or competitors in the press?

• What skills does the company look for?

Secondly, spend your time online wisely. This means using reputable websites and services.

From personal experience I recommend the following:

Company website: focus on the ‘about us’ page, the products/ services, read client testimonials (if they exist) and spend considerable time on the press / media page reviewing all the text since this should represent the image the company likes to portray.

MoneyControl.com: great resource for industry news, Public Limited Company performance, competitor information

Linkedin.com: use the site to get key information about the current employees of the organization, especially pertaining to the job vertcal/department you are applyintg to.

Good Luck

www.cvwritingindia.com