(Photo by Marten Newhall on Unsplash)
I promised a chat about why and how to check into a company before sinking time and energy into an application.
Every company is different, but they are going to do their due diligence prior to hiring you and it makes good sense that you do the same. For them, it’s usually about avoiding litigation and ensuring you are who you say you are and are eligible to work in the US.
For you, mining information about a potential employer is just a great use of your time and will help prevent you from jumping out of the frying pan of your current situation in the fire of another company that isn’t a fit.
While this activity shouldn’t take you days it’s wise to put some time and effort into at least a cursory search. Here’s how:
Use LinkedIn to find the company page. From their page click on “people” and then search for the title of the role of you’re looking at. You’ll be able to review some profiles of people at that company that have or have had that title.
Why do this? Do get a sense of the background they look for when hiring for THAT role. Are there any common denominators? Maybe everyone in that position came from within the company? Or perhaps they all have a degree in a particular area? What you’re looking for is an idea of how closely you match their preferred candidate’s experience. If you know you’re not a close match - it doesn’t mean you can’t apply - although you’ll have a better sense of your likelihood to receive a call for an interview.
Do a google search for the “company name AND complaints” or “company name in the news” or other variations of a quick search. Any general search is a good opportunity to see what is being said about the company publicly - just be sure to go down the results a bit as most companies will make sure that THEIR desired press will come up in the first page or two.
Why do this? Find out where the company is excelling and where they might be struggling in today’s economy. This helps you in an interview if you can prepare your STAR answers with a look toward showing them how you can help them solve their current challenges.
Do a search on industry or consumer reporting websites for information about the company. If they are a consumer services company the Better Business Bureau can give you a sense of the volume and type of complaints they receive (even if a company doesn’t pay to be a member of the BBB, consumers can use that platform to report a company.)
Why do this? Again, you’ll want a sense of the strengths and weaknesses of a company prior to going into interviews. In fact, you may find enough information to make you realize that it’s not a good fit for you and you can save yourself time and energy by not applying.
Connect with current or former employees - especially those that have or have had the title of the role you’re looking at. “One of the smartest things I did during my job search was connect with as many people as I could who had the job I was applying for. I asked them about the culture of the company and what to expect in the role,” Nicholle told me in a recent conversation.
Why do this? You’ll gain a first-had view of the job and the company and you’ll walk away with a clearer sense of questions you can ask during the interview as well as deeper understanding of the company culture.
This week, take some of the time you’ve been using to rapidly click “easy apply” and use it to do some sleuthing BEFORE you apply. And then let me know what you’ve learned in the process.
Coming May 17 at 8pm Eastern - Crafting a Career You Love Porch Chat.
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As always, I’m grateful to you for making time this week to read this letter. I can’t wait to chat with you soon.
Until then, you are priceless and you deserve to be happy at work!
Peggie