Before applying for a role, it’s important to do your research first to decide if it’s the right role for you, and to give you a solid understanding of what the company does, for you to demonstrate in your application.

The company you choose to work for has a big impact on your career, making the wrong move can impact your confidence and make you question your ability. It impacts everything from your level of work satisfaction to your ability to get noticed by other employers, and travels into impacting your personal life. Make sure you’re doing your due diligence and research the company before applying.
Research and know the companies you know you want to be a part of and specifically target them.

When most candidates set out to find a job, they are fixated on obtaining the next job title or salary increase. As important as personal development and salary are you want to be confident the career goals offered by the company is compatible with your goals and values.
With companies fighting for top talent, the interview process is officially a two-way street a huge benefit to candidates when making the decision on their next career move.

WAYS TO RESEARCH THE COMPANY

Employee reviews & feedback:

Many of us in every day life probably wouldn’t buy an item without checking online reviews first. The same goes for any potential employers. Search for the company’s reviews to discover how both current and former employees really feel about the company, its culture, its benefits, and its brand at large.

Connect with past employees or use your network to make an introduction. Use LinkedIn as a tool for connection. Research their profiles and see what they post.  Whatever way it’s always good to speak with past employees, to assess a company culture.

Bear in mind, people move on, and new management could be in place. Ask these questions and research the current management structure.

Company Website & Social Media Platforms

Read their “About Us” page. Read their social media feeds and pages. You will quickly find out what really matters to them. Do they post new initiatives and successes? What is their voice? Does it align with yours?

Use LinkedIn company profiles as a way to find more information on a company you’re interested in. You’ll be able to see your connections at the company, new hires, promotions, jobs posted, related companies, and company statistics.

Visit LinkedIn for past employees and see how long they stayed with a company, a trend of high turnover and leaving within months of starting never paints a good picture….

Google:

Search both Google and Google News for the company name so you can see what’s been written about them recently. Good news or bad news, you can find it on the web.

Just Google what’s it like to work at…. and see what you find. Please be sure to only visit reputable sites.

HOW THIS RESEARCH CAN HELP YOU:

Your company research will make your responses to interview questions compelling and show that you’ll be helpful to their goals and bottom line.

Plus, your knowledge will help you give a specific answer if you’re asked why you’d like to work for the company. You can share details about things you find admirable about the company, its mission, or its culture.

Interview The Company:

When you’re in an interview, it’s easy to forget that this is an opportunity for you to decide if this company is right for you. Often, we’re so focused on being liked and impressing the interviewer that it can be hard to remember that as a potential employee you also have control in this conversation.

When you’re asked if you have any questions, don’t forget that this is your moment to ask about the job / company. You’re not limited to asking about what the goals are for the role or the time frame by which the company hopes to achieve those goals.

You should the interview panel as well as the team members you meet what they love about working for the company, and how the company shows them they are valued. This is a very important question, use this to observe how quickly they are able to answer and read their body language.

This is probably the most valuable research you can do. You’ll get real-time answers from the people who matter most – the ones you’d be working with if you were to accept a position.

Then it’s time to just trust your instincts.

Finally…..

If you feel you had a bad interview experience let the company know directly either by phone or email, don’t use social media as this will put other potential employers off from enaging with you.