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Internet Resources For Company and Job Search Research
We want to thank Sharon Hamersley of The Resume Coach for joining us again in this episode.
Often we tell Employment For Senior clients that they need to “research” employers. They want to understand what the employer does – particularly before they meet a recruiter. Get to know the culture. What are their products/services? And be sure to understand the application process required when looking at their job postings.
In this episode, Sharon is going to give us some tips on how to do that employer searching!
Many internet resources are available to assist with narrowing down career choices and determining what companies are a good fit for your skills and experience. We can divide them into three broad categories:
Company research – information about company location, management, and financials.
Job research – what jobs are available, and which companies are posting them?
“Job fit” research” – what jobs are a good fit for my skills and experience?
Company research:
Mergent and Reference USA are two major business research databases. Using their Advanced Search function, you can narrow down companies to geographic location, company line of business, number of employees, and other information that you determine is needed.
Most public libraries have a subscription to one or both of these resources. Check with the reference librarian at your local library for assistance in using these tools.
Company web sites. Ideally, the web site will provide information about company history, mission and vision, leadership, products and services, and (if publicly traded) financial information.
Employer review sites such as GlassDoor and Great Places to Work. These sites provide the employee perspective on companies. Some caution is warranted since employees (current or former) who believe they have been treated unfairly are more likely to post reviews than employees who are happy in their current roles.
Job Research:
Major job boards (Monster, Indeed, Career Builder, Zip Recruiter, and increasingly, LinkedIn) are a great resource for researching what jobs companies are posting.
With the exception of LinkedIn, be cautious about setting up an account with a job board. Provide the least amount of information possible. Your goal should be to set up job alerts so that you can track which companies are hiring and for what positions. Actual applications should be submitted through the company web site, or ideally through the company LinkedIn page.
Use key words common to your field to search on each site. Then set up an alert so that you get ongoing notifications about similar jobs.
“Job Fit” Research:
If you are considering a career change or re-entering the workforce, there are several free/low cost assessments that can provide direction. These include:
MAPP Career Assessment – a short test that helps identify strengths and match them to career paths. Only “downside” is that the company will attempt to “upsell” you.
My Next Move – free 60-question assessment sponsored by the Department of Labor. Assesses skills and interests and helps match them with career paths. Linked to ONET which has detailed information about required skills, experience and training for jobs.
Holland Code Career Test – assesses six interest areas and matches them with careers that require those skill sets.
Other resources include:
Ohio Means Jobs
O*NET
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Latest Numbers
Sharon's top job search tip - don’t just jump into a job search. Be prepared and do your homework using the tools we covered in this podcast.
This podcast is free to you and available on your favorite podcast player. If you have benefited from this podcast and would like to help us defray costs involved in producing the podcast, we welcome your support. Click here to donate via our safe and secure PayPal account.
Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or SubscribeOnAndroid.
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By Carol Ventresca and Brett Johnson
4.2
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We want to thank Sharon Hamersley of The Resume Coach for joining us again in this episode.
Often we tell Employment For Senior clients that they need to “research” employers. They want to understand what the employer does – particularly before they meet a recruiter. Get to know the culture. What are their products/services? And be sure to understand the application process required when looking at their job postings.
In this episode, Sharon is going to give us some tips on how to do that employer searching!
Many internet resources are available to assist with narrowing down career choices and determining what companies are a good fit for your skills and experience. We can divide them into three broad categories:
Company research – information about company location, management, and financials.
Job research – what jobs are available, and which companies are posting them?
“Job fit” research” – what jobs are a good fit for my skills and experience?
Company research:
Mergent and Reference USA are two major business research databases. Using their Advanced Search function, you can narrow down companies to geographic location, company line of business, number of employees, and other information that you determine is needed.
Most public libraries have a subscription to one or both of these resources. Check with the reference librarian at your local library for assistance in using these tools.
Company web sites. Ideally, the web site will provide information about company history, mission and vision, leadership, products and services, and (if publicly traded) financial information.
Employer review sites such as GlassDoor and Great Places to Work. These sites provide the employee perspective on companies. Some caution is warranted since employees (current or former) who believe they have been treated unfairly are more likely to post reviews than employees who are happy in their current roles.
Job Research:
Major job boards (Monster, Indeed, Career Builder, Zip Recruiter, and increasingly, LinkedIn) are a great resource for researching what jobs companies are posting.
With the exception of LinkedIn, be cautious about setting up an account with a job board. Provide the least amount of information possible. Your goal should be to set up job alerts so that you can track which companies are hiring and for what positions. Actual applications should be submitted through the company web site, or ideally through the company LinkedIn page.
Use key words common to your field to search on each site. Then set up an alert so that you get ongoing notifications about similar jobs.
“Job Fit” Research:
If you are considering a career change or re-entering the workforce, there are several free/low cost assessments that can provide direction. These include:
MAPP Career Assessment – a short test that helps identify strengths and match them to career paths. Only “downside” is that the company will attempt to “upsell” you.
My Next Move – free 60-question assessment sponsored by the Department of Labor. Assesses skills and interests and helps match them with career paths. Linked to ONET which has detailed information about required skills, experience and training for jobs.
Holland Code Career Test – assesses six interest areas and matches them with careers that require those skill sets.
Other resources include:
Ohio Means Jobs
O*NET
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Latest Numbers
Sharon's top job search tip - don’t just jump into a job search. Be prepared and do your homework using the tools we covered in this podcast.
This podcast is free to you and available on your favorite podcast player. If you have benefited from this podcast and would like to help us defray costs involved in producing the podcast, we welcome your support. Click here to donate via our safe and secure PayPal account.
Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or SubscribeOnAndroid.
HELP US SPREAD THE WORD! We'd love it if you could please share this...