You probably heard countless times from career counsellors, seniors and even your parents to do your research on what career suits you and who you’d wish to work for. Though the urge to skimp on employer research can be strong, especially if you’re rushing to submit an application or make urgent degree decisions, it’s essential to find time to fit it in if you want to make the best choices and be well-informed.
The Company
Before you apply for a job, unearth some understanding and awareness of the organisation and business sector in which it works. Break down your research into digestible chunks to avoid overwhelming yourself. We suggest preparing a checklist and follow this structure of questions we have for you to get started:
Don’t limit your searches to the company’s webpage alone. Pop their name into Google and see what other news sites say about them, make sure you’re reading from a credible source. You can also read up on the CEOs, directors and managers of the company – an organisation’s leader(s) can tell you a lot about what they’re leading.
What Vacancies Do They Have? How Is It Like Working There?
Apart from knowing the organisation as a whole, it’s time to dig into the behind-the-scenes– what you’ll need to deal with if you start working (i.e. the people, culture, job scope and recruitment process).
How Can This Research Benefit You
Graduate employers will expect you to have some understanding and awareness of their organisation, the job you applied for and what you wish to learn. By keeping a document or spreadsheet of information you find, it’ll help you in interviews and assessments if you ever need to refer back to your research.
