How to Research a company before you apply

How to Research a company before you apply by Amber Rolfe Sometimes finding the best fit requires a little legwork… Although it may seem time consuming to research the company for every role you apply for, there are few better ways to stand out. Not only will your application be better tailored, you’ll have more things to talk about at an interview and ensure its somewhere you actually want to work.To help you get started, here are our top tips on how to research company before you apply:Why should I research a company before applying? Researching a company is not only a great way to ensure you’re a good fit for them, but also that the organisation would be a good fit for you.Here are a few more reasons to research a company before applying:You can tailor your CV and cover letter in line with your researchYou’ll be able to decide what questions to ask at the interview (e.g. ‘can you tell me more about [insert recent company development here]?’)You can estimate the kinds of questions you might be asked at an interviewYou’ll get an idea of their work environment, company culture, and overall reputationBig or small company: Which is right for youEight signs an employer is not the one  What should I aim to find out? Although no two companies are the same, adding some structure to your research will really help you maintain focus â€" not to mention cut down on the time it takes you.Here are a ten key questions to answer to when researching a company:What do they do? Find out everything you can about their products and services, along with who their target audience is.What are they looking for in an employee? Check their job advert, careers page, and social media profiles to find out what skills, attributes, and experience they value most.What’s new within the organisation? From news stories to ‘about us’ pages, you’ll be able to gain a good idea of a company’s recent developments, successes, and failures.What are the company values? Find out what they’re passionate about, a nd what their goals are as a company. If you can find a mission statement, that’s even better.What does their company culture like? A company’s culture is demonstrated in everything they do, so look out for indicators of work-life balance, work environment, examples of CSR, and any social schemes they might offer.Are there good opportunities for progression? By finding out more about the company structure, and whether there are any senior vacancies coming up, you’ll be able to get a rough idea of whether progression is an option.What are their employee benefits? Do they offer flexi-time hours? How much holiday will you get? What about pensions? This is often stated in a job description, but may also be referenced on review sites and on a company’s career page.Who are their professional contacts? Check their social media pages to find out how well-linked they are within their industry.Who will you be interviewed by? Learning about their background, position, and common intere sts means less surprises if you’re invited to interview.Who are their competitors? Make notes on how their competitors differ, and what makes the company you’re applying for stand out.Not only is finding out all of the above a great way to decide whether the company is right for you, it’ll also be beneficial when it comes to writing a carefully tailored CV and cover letter, and impressing at an interview.How to: Use job descriptions to land your dream role  Where should I start career research?There are a variety of ways to find out more about a company â€" whether you want to learn more about their products, or you’re just keen on figuring out whether their culture would suit you.Here are the best places to start looking:  Check their website. Not only will you find essential information about the company’s background, values, and mission in their ‘about us’ section, you may also be able to gather insights into their team members, company structure, and future plans. Additionally, you’ll find out everything you need to know about what they do (e.g. their key products and services) â€" a topic which is often brought up at an interview.Search on social media. A company’s social media profile is a great place to find out more about their culture, tone, recent developments, and connections with other organisations. Whether it’s checking out who they follow on Twitter, or how they comment on the latest industry developments, it’ll give you a good representation of how they align themselves. You can also gauge their reputation by paying attention to their interactions with customers and clients.Read reviews. There are a number of online review sites that allow candidates, along with past and present employees, to share accounts of the experience they had with a company.This will provide you with information on everything from their interview process, to their company culture and employee benefits.Google them. You might be surprised at the thi ngs you can find just by googling a company’s name, whether it’s that they’re planning to expand their business worldwide, that a recent product was recalled, or they’re looking to open new stores/offices. Look out for press releases, news items, and anything else that provides a good amount of credible info.What next? OK, so you’ve gathered every bit of information you can find on your chosen company; now what?Here are a few top tips to follow when it comes to putting your research to good use:Demonstrate your knowledge in your cover letter (and show how you could help the company solve its problems)Come up with questions to ask the employer based on what you’ve foundBring up any insights you have about the industry at the interviewNo matter what you found out, remember: everything in moderation.Although the interviewer will undoubtedly be impressed with your research, it’s always important to avoid forcing it. Instead, just bring it up when it’s relevant and adds v alue to the conversation.But, using it in the right way, researching a company is a great way to stand out and show you’ve done your homework â€" even if it’s only a few lines in your CV or a comment at an interview, it could be enough to set you apart.Still searching for your perfect company? View all available jobs nowFind a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. How to start looking for work

Happiness tip List 3 things that made you happy at work today - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Happiness tip List 3 things that made you happy at work today - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Sometimes the simplest things work the best, and this weeks happiness tips is one of the simplest we know: Before you leave work, make a list of 3 things that made you happy at work today. It can be big things or small things, that doesnt matter, just list 3 things that you enjoyed about work today. It could be things like: We closed a big sale with a new client, that felt great A co-worker told me how much he appreciates working with me I had a great time at lunch with my team everyone was laughing We ?suggest making this list daily for a week and then switching to doing it only every Friday, where you list 3 things that made you happy that week. A study showed that making the list weekly rather than daily actually works better possibly because you dont tire of it as quickly. This is one practice that seems almost too simple to work, but one study showed that if you do this for two weeks, you will be measurably happier for 3 months afterwards. The reason why this works so well is probably that it helps us to actually remember the good things that happen to us during the work day. Normally our brains are subject to the phenomenon called negativity bias which means that were better at remembering bad experiences. If youve had 10 good experiences at work and one bad one, theres a good chance that youll go home thinking about that one bad experience, which will make the day feel bad, though it was actually mostly a good day. Pro tip: You can also apply the same tip at home. Id just finished doing a ?speech for a client once, when a lady came up from the audience. She told me that shed attended a speech of mine a few years earlier and that shed implemented this tip with her family. Every evening around the dinner table, every person (herself, her husband and the two kids) have to list three things that made them happy that day. At first they found it to be a little weird, but now its something they all look forward to and she told me that her kids collect good experiences throughout the day that they can tell about at dinner. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Resume Writing Cover Letter Servies

Resume Writing Cover Letter ServiesResume writing is a matter of doing your job well and getting the results you are looking for. What some of the job seekers may not realize is that it can be hard to write a good resume without having a great cover letter. You may have tried to use the two on their own without much success. The result is what you get.The reason why both these are important is because they are two of the most important parts of your application and they should complement each other in every way. One needs to fit in well with the other. A good example would be in regard to where the cover letter should go and where it needs to be edited. It would probably be better if the cover letter were first and foremost.However, that is not always the case. Because if you don't do the things as requested in your cover letter, you will never be successful when you look for a job. This would include such things as introducing yourself, answering any questions that could come up dur ing the interview, writing a specific paragraph of description, giving examples to support your resume and the most important is to make sure the resume really stands out.The reason why a resume is required for most of the jobs that require an application is to be able to provide a little bit more information and that is where a cover letter will be needed to do its job properly. It is not that many people are aware of this but most of the job seekers don't realize this. In essence they are asked for information such as your name, your contact details, your background, your skills and so on.So what does this mean? It means you need to be able to include information about yourself in your cover letter but that information should be organized and long form. It should include your name, your contact details, your educational background, your skill sets and so on. It is like giving a complete package to the employer or hiring manager and this makes a difference.And the last thing that w e have to mention here is to give an e-mail address where they could contact you. Most employers ask for this and it is advisable to include it. And it is also a good idea to supply a telephone number and mail address.Also, it is a good idea to write your resume by hand and include your cover letter as well. You need to be sure of your skill set and what you want to do with your future job because these two are definitely connected.