Researching Employers
In a competitive industry or job market, how does a candidate stand out from the crowd? Employers consistently give us feedback that students could do more research about them to be successful in making a good first impression.
Employer Comments
Employers tell us in evaluations from career fairs and on-campus recruiting that students need to research their company. Use the following tips to prepare some information to introduce yourself to a recruiter in person at a career fair, before or during their information session or any kind of networking event at a company site visit, or maybe a professional association event/conference.
Where to start? Tips for researching companies, job titles and salaries
First, if you are doing research about the companies that are attending the career fair, please use DR 2.0 and search for the companies attending.
Second, the company website is another great place (in DR 2.0 this is already linked for you if the company is coming to the career fair). Review any information listed in the "career" section or any pages about hiring, i.e. "Join Our Team!" or anything else. Review the "About Us" page to better understand the history of the company. Another great place to find out information is the area of the web page where the company lists its own "news" or updates through press releases.
Finally, start to build your professional network. One way to find out information about a specific organization is to conduct an informational interview. Talk to someone who is working at the organization. Stop by Career Services to see if there are alumni who are working at your ideal company and are willing to speak with Montana Tech students. These people are great resources for you to talk to about a variety of things. These volunteers are not for you to ask for a job or internship; however, they are a resource for you to ask about first-hand experiences at the organization.
Remember your goal is to make a good first impression and to be remembered in a positive way!
Take a look inside the companies...
A fabulous resource for you to use in addition to the above-mentioned resources is GLASSDOOR. Glassdoor.com gives you an inside look at jobs, company salaries, reviews, and interview questions for more than 150,000 companies.
Review all career advice while doing your research, this highlights your knowledge and preparedness but also shows an employer you are interested in their organization and that you have your stuff together. Who wouldn't want to hire a well-educated, hard-working student from Montana Tech?