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Doing a little bit of
company research is a very easy way to help yourself stand out from the
competition in your job search. These seven tips will to use company
research to get a big jump on your competition.
1. Ideally you should research the company before you apply for the
job.
When you learn a bit about the company's products and services and typical
customer base, you'll be able to edit your resume so that it shows that your
skills and experience truly meet the needs of the company. You'll also be
able to write a highly targeted cover letter that addresses the company's
main needs and concerns. Very few people target their resumes and cover
letters in this way, so it's a very easy way to put yourself well ahead of
the competition.
2. If you are applying to an advertised job, and all you have is a fax
number, and no company name, you still might be able to determine the
company name so you can target your resume and cover letter.
Try using a reverse fax directory. Some online phone directories will allow
you to do a reverse search in which you enter a phone or fax number and the
directory will provide the name of the company that is connected with this
number. You may need to try a few directories because some directories with
this function only work for phone numbers. If you use this strategy to
discover the company name, it's fine to name the company when you write your
cover letter.
3. If that fails, try a little bit of detective work.
If you only have a fax number, and you've tried step two without any
results, try a little more sleuthing. Since you have a fax number, you have
an area code, so you'll at least know the city where the company is located.
There's a good chance, based on the information in the ad or the type of job
that's available, you'll also know the type of industry the company is
involved in.
With that information, go to your local library (or go online) and get a
business directory for the appropriate city. Look up the companies that are
listed under the appropriate industry. Their fax numbers will be listed in
the directory, so just keep looking until you find a fax number that matches
the one in the ad, and you'll know the company you are applying to. Because
you've narrowed your options down to a specific industry in a specific city,
you shouldn't have to look through a lot of listings to find the one with a
matching fax number.
4. Don't waste your time.
If tips number 2 and 3 don't turn up any results and you still don't know
the name of the company, go ahead and write your resume and cover letter
without doing specific company research. No one else will have gone this far
to try to research the company, so if you haven't found the company name, no
one else will either.
5. Use a variety of sources for your research.
The Internet, libraries, business directories, industry contacts and
community employment offices can all provide great leads on information
about the companies that interest you.
6. You don't have to memorize a million facts and figures about a
company.
Once you get to the job interview stage of your job search, it's important
to go in knowing a few things about the company. However, you don't have to
memorize endless facts. Be sure you understand the major products and or
services the company offers, know who are their primary customers or
clients, read the mission statement to get a sense of the company's stated
goals and priorities and understand, in general, where the company fits
within the industry and in relation to its competitors. If you know these
few things about a company, you will know far more than the vast majority of
the other people who are competing for the job.
7. Do it!
Most people have heard the advice the you must research a company at least
before a job interview and ideally before submitting a resume. Very few
people actually do it. If you were ever responsible for hiring new staff
yourself, you were probably amazed at how many people come into an interview
knowing very little about the company. Conducting company research is not
difficult, and it quickly put you above your competition in the eyes of
employers. |
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