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Research With A Purpose
Research has always been a key element of any successful job search campaign, and the Internet is a dream source of employment-related information. There’s both good news and bad news when it comes to conducting research online, however. The good news is that the Internet is rich in easily accessed and helpful information. The bad news is that so much information is at our fingertips, it’s hard to know what to focus on.
How can you organize your online research to make sure that it generates the information you need to find a new or better job? Recent studies suggest that you should concentrate on two key areas:
preparation for interviewing, and
networking. This column is the first in a two-part series that will explore how to tap the Internet’s information sources in these key areas.
Interview Preparation
Despite urban legends to the contrary, an astonishing number of Internet job applicants actually get an interview. The only way to capitalize on that happy outcome, however, is to be well prepared. Your preparation should include acquiring information about both the organization with which you will be interviewing and your current “value” in the labor market. The more you know about the employer, the better able you will be to assess its fit with your goals and preferences. And, the more you know about the salary and benefits currently being offered to others with your skills and experience, the better able you will be to negotiate an appropriate compensation package for yourself, should the organization follow up the interview with an offer.
The Internet has many sources of information about employers. They range from simple descriptions of an organization’s industry, product or service lines, executives, facility locations, stock price and recent news releases to much more detailed assessments of its financial stability and subjective assessments of its culture and practices.
For company summaries, try Hoovers Online (www.hoovers.com). You’ll be able to access some information for free, but will have to pay for in-depth research;
For descriptions of individual companies and even a list of the interview questions they typically ask of candidates, study the Company Profiles and Company Interviews posted at Wetfeet.com;
For press releases issued by a company as well as references to it in business analysts’ reports and the media, search Google.com and Yahoo! using the company’s name and the names of its executives;
For financial information about publicly traded companies, check out the Edgar database of the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov);
For a specific company’s perspective on its business prospects and employment opportunities, visit its Web-site, paying particular attention to its Careers area; and
For opinion and commentary about what it’s like to work for an organization, take a look at what its current and former employees are saying around the “Electronic Watercooler” at Vault.com. Although the postings can be insightful, recognize that some are heavily influenced by personal agendas.
The more prepared you are for an interview, the more likely it is to go well. That being the case, it only makes good sense to be equally as ready to discuss an offer. Happily, there is also a great deal of salary-related information available on the Web.
For the latest compensation and benefits trends in your profession or industry, visit the Web-site of your professional association or trade organization. The easiest way to find these sites is to use the free, worldwide Association Directory at my site (www.weddles.com);
For current salary information in your occupational field and region of the country, visit the Salary Wizard at Salary.com, the Salary Info links at Job Star (www.jobsmart.org) and SalariesReview.com, which lists salary information for 5,800 U.S. and Canadian locations. You’ll have to pay for some of the information at Salary.com and all of the information at SalariesReview.com, but the fee is modest compared to the financial impact of selling yourself short when negotiating with an employer; and
To compare the cost of living in your current location to the cost of living somewhere else, check out the Moving Calculator at Homestore.com and the Salary Comparison Calculator at Monstermoving.com.
As in the real world, research on the Internet can be time-consuming and marginally helpful or it can be efficient and very productive. To make sure that your research pays off, focus on acquiring information that will help you interview effectively with prospective employers and secure a compensation package that reflects your true “value” in the labor market.
- Peter Weddles
WEDDLE's is a research, publishing, consulting and training firm dedicated to helping people and organizations maximize their success in recruiting, retention, job search and career self-management. Its research have been cited in such publications as The Wall Street Journal, Money, Fortune, and Inc. magazine. In addition, WEDDLE's presents its most up-to-the-minute findings on the best techniques and secrets to success in two free bi-weekly newsletters -- one for recruiters and HR professionals and one for job seekers and career activists. Written exclusively by WEDDLE's Publisher, Peter Weddle, every issue is an outside-the-box look at what works and what doesn't and what works best in the American workplace of the 21st Century.
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