Research is important because it will
help you understand the economy and industry trends, and how
easy or challenging your job search may be. Researching a
company or organization will help you understand what they
are doing, how well they are doing it and whether that matches
up with your career goals. Then you can decide whether it
makes sense to send them your resume.
Learning about the company is also essential to a successful
interview. You want to create a positive impression by appearing
informed and goal-directed. During the interview you can demonstrate
your goals by indicating why you are interested in that organization
and how your goals, qualifications, and personality fit that
employer's opportunities. When a job offer is extended to
you, knowledge you have gained through research will help
you make a good decision.
Suggested
Areas of Information to Have Prior to the Interview
• Size of company relative to the industry
• Potential growth for the company/industry
• Annual sales growth for past five years
• Age/backgrounds of top management
• Array of product lines or services
• Potential new markets, products, services
• Major competitors
• Number of years in business
• Organization structure
• Geographical locations
• Short-term profit picture
• History of organization
• Relocation policies
• Location of home office/headquarters
• Promotional path
• Number of plants, stores, offices
• Formal versus on-the-job training
• Type of training programs
• Name of recruiter/hiring manager
• Recent items in the news
• Average time in assignments
• Typical career path in your field
Identifying
Potential Companies
The Office of Co-op & Career Services is a great
place to start when gathering information. If you are wondering
about relationships that a particular company may have with
RIT, ask your program coordinator. He/she will be able to
provide employment history, contact names, and more.
CareerSearch –
We highly recommend this site that is accessible through a link in RIT Job Zone.
By using CareerSearch you will easily be able to identify
companies by industry and location. The company profiles provide
a wealth of info about the company including contact people,
web addresses, products and services and more. A CareerSearch
guide is available to you with more details.
Your program
coordinator's homepage has links specific to your major
that will help you identify job sources and association information.
Wallace Memorial Library is a high-technology, multimedia resource center where you will find materials to help you identify potential employers. Wallace Library provides handouts (available in racks across from the Reference Librarian's main desk or at their website: http://wally.rit.edu/researchguides/subjguides.html to help you identify and locate companies. Some of the titles include How to Find Information on Your Career (by major), Where to Find Company Information and Industry Analysis. Each college is assigned a reference librarian so if you need assistance or resource suggestions, make an appointment to meet with him/her.
Directories offer information on companies
including goods and services provided, financial information,
key people in the company, addresses and sometimes even future
hiring projections.
The reference section of Wallace Library has state and regional
industrial and/or manufacturers' directories such as The New
York State Industrial Directory provide addresses and product/service
information for employers in a particular geographic area.
National and international directories such as Standard and
Poor's Register of Corporations, are general in nature and
are helpful in finding companies located in a specific geographic
area or a specific field. Other directories are dedicated
to specific industries or populations such as the National
Restaurant Association Directory and Peterson's Engineering,
Science, and Computer Jobs. There are several CD-ROM research
tools in the library such as Dow Jones Interactive and Disclosure
Corporate Snapshots, a database available through FirstSearch.
Job Choices is one directory we recommend. It is free and available in the Office of Co-op and Career Services and Wallace Library. Ask your program coordinator to recommend additional directories and other resources that they think may be especially helpful for your job search.