By John Rossheim,
Once upon a time, a job seeker landed an interview, skimmed the prospective employer's
annual report, wowed the hiring manager with a few company facts and strolled into his dream
job.
That late-'90s fairy tale rarely comes true these days. With employers in more control of the
labor market, candidates feel compelled to give it their all when preparing for interviews. And
that includes mounting a broad, deep search for relevant information about the position, the
company, the industry and even the interviewer.
Luckily for you, diverse resources, many of them free or cheap and available on the Internet,
enable you to achieve that competitive edge if you're willing to put your nose to the grindstone
-- or computer monitor.
Employers' Web Sites
Your prospective employer's corporate Web site is the best place to see the company as it
wants to be seen. Do check out that annual report, but also look for a "press room" or
"company news" page that links to recent news releases. As you mull all this information,
consider how the open position, as detailed in the job posting, relates to the company's mission.
But don't stop there. Use the company site's search facility to query the names of the hiring
manager and any others on your interview dance card. You may retrieve bio pages or press
releases that give you insight into their most visible activities at the company. "Learning about
the interviewer is probably the most valuable thing you can do," says Ron Fry, author of
101
Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions
.
Next, get some vital statistics and independent perspectives on your prospective employer.
Hoover's Online, for one, provides capsule descriptions, financial data and a list of competitors
for thousands of large corporations.
Your 401k or mutual fund account with a major broker likely provides more detailed research
on publicly traded companies and industries, free of charge. "You may be able to go to
competitors for the prospective employer's financials," says Joyce Lain Kennedy,
Los Angeles
Times career columnist and author of
Job Interviews for Dummies
.
News Sources
Now broaden your perspective and see what general-interest and business publications and
Web sites are writing about the employer and its industry. You can find a wide range of media
outlets at NewsLink, notes Kennedy. Search national publications for news on major
corporations; use hometown newspapers to learn about small businesses and how big
businesses interact with their local communities.
Refdesk and bizjournals.com also offer
gateways to journalism on companies and industries.
Trade Journals
Taking cues from your research so far, drill down into your target company and its place in the
industry by looking at trade journals and other specialized publications. "Get a few months of
the relevant trade journal," advises Fry. "You're going to find out about new products and
what the trade is saying about the company."
You may find hard copies of trade journals at university or public libraries. Some journals are
available for free or by subscription through their own Web sites; the full text of thousands
more is available through periodical databases like
ProQuest and InfoTrac. You may even be
able to access InfoTrac for free via the Web, using just the membership number on your
public library card. Contact your local library for details.
Industry Directories
Of course, you can also use networking services to get in touch with people inside the
company.
Google
Finally, if you hope to have a company ogling you, try
Googling them first. You just might
come up with a nugget you would have missed otherwise.
While you're at it, Google yourself to make sure you and the interviewer are on the same page.
Because if he's savvy, he's doing unto you as you've just done unto him and his company.
