Job Intelligence Gathering
Before the application, before the interview, and before going to work for a
company, there is intelligence to gather. Investigate in advance to find out if
this is a company you even want to work for. There may be aspects you really
like about the company. But there may also be aspects which you detest. Finding
out about a company ion advance may prevent pain ion the future.
A call to the local chamber of commerce could tell you a lot. Research
through the local newspaper archive can yield helpful details. And even taking
with anyone who works at the company can yield facts that may prove quite
useful.
Google returns over 3
million hits when asked about company employment intelligence. So finding
out in advance what the company you may work for is easily accomplished. Sleuth
out what you want to know before your interview to avoid finding out later.
Further, investigating a company will put you in the right position to talk
intelligently with the recruiter.
Monster.com provides the below information SOURCE
at their website about career intelligence. They are an excellent source for
detailed methods to employment procedures. Find their main web site HERE.
When you walk into an interview, are you prepared? Really prepared?
You may know how to respond to questions about your skills and experience,
but that's not enough in today's competitive job-hunting environment.
Job candidates need to be prepared to speak intelligently not just
about themselves, but also about their potential employer's organization
and industry. Do you know where the company stands in relation to its
competitors? What about its future goals and plans? Are you knowledgeable
about the organization's values and culture? Do you even know if the firm
is privately or publicly held?
If the answer to these questions is "no," you're at a
disadvantage.
Employers expect candidates to have an understanding of an industry,
to be able to discuss market trends and to have a grasp of the
competitors' strategies. That's where something known as "competitive
intelligence" comes in. Competitive intelligence is the in-depth,
insider information you learn about a company to give you an edge. Think
of it as that something extra to push you to the top of the candidate
list.
Whereas researching companies was once an arduous, time-intensive
task, the Web now makes it easy to gain a snapshot of a company and
industry within minutes. What's more, in-depth research, with the help of
industry publications, can provide you with the sort of industry analysis
and perspective you need in order to stand out in an interview.
Before you set foot in a potential employer's office, take a few hours
to learn as much as you can about the organization and its industry. Here
are some of the best resources for building competitive intelligence.
Company and Industry Info
These resources should help you gain insight into specific companies
and their industries. Be on the lookout for links to industry trade
publications, which will provide a trove of information about key players.
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Business
Wire: Industry and company-specific news, as well as corporate
profiles.
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Corporate
Information: A variety of information and reports on companies and
industries -- particularly handy when you're trying to seek out links
to industry resources, from aerospace to retail.
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Hoover's
Online: Hoover's covers the world of business, offering company
profiles and industry snapshots.
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Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) EDGAR:
If your prospective employer is a public company, you can find lots of
financial and other business data in the SEC's EDGAR database.
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And don't overlook the obvious: Make sure you visit the company's own
Web site. If the site doesn't have a good search tool, you can use Google
or other search engines to find out how your prospective employer's
company is handling such issues as new product announcements and the names
of key executives.
Information Technology
Beyond company information, you want to make sure you've got the
latest news about trends in your own area of IT.
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Computerworld:
From the concerns of CIOs facing budget crunches to the training needs
of tech-support workers, Computerworld covers the IT industry.
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News.com:
Looking for the latest tech headlines and cutting-edge reports on IPOs,
e-commerce and infrastructure? News.com is the place for you.
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TechWeb:
A network of IT-related publications and resources, with specific
sections on everything from e-business to security.
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Research and Analysis
Complete research results may only be available to clients of these
firms, but you can typically read brief reports, excerpts and press
releases.
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Forrester
Research: Research from Forrester concentrates on technology's
impact on a variety of industries, including healthcare and travel.
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Gartner:
In-depth reports on everything from outsourcing to Web services.
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Jupiter:
Leading-edge research on e-commerce and other online trends.
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Tell us
what you think about this article.
The purpose of this
article is to both provide information and facilitate general dialogue
about various employment-related topics. No legal advice is being given
and no attorney-client relationship created. Please see the disclaimer
for further limitations and conditions.
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Follow the links in this link rack to access aspects of the employment
process:
This search box may help you find details you seek in a hurry. Try Google:
Here are books which may be of interest and use from Amazon.com.
Click on the cover image to go to more detail about each book.
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