How to access the company you are thinking of moving to.
You are at the top of your career ladder and seeking a much higher-level position – the executive position. Executive positions are probably the most competitive so it is imperative that you do your homework to adequately convey your experience, seniority and prestige. Executives are the hottest commodities on the market because so many companies are focused on growth and these are the people that make it happen.
Do your homework: research the interviewing candidates, the company and the industry. Go to the first interview like a consultant as good consultants spend most of the initial meeting identifying what the prospective clients need. It is very important to identify the needs of the company first. Spend time asking questions about the organization such as why the position is open? If you were to list your needs in this position over the next twelve months, what would they be? Use the job description as a platform to find out the needs and constraints.
You can’t do enough research into the company’s history, ensuring to include the softer area of the company’s philosophy as well as the hard financial facts. The following are ways to aid you in that search.
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Research the company online.
CorporateInformation.com contains links and information on how to research companies worldwide. It also gives you profiles of other sites matching the search terms you entered.
Yahoo’s Business and Economy is also an excellent resource
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Employer Stock and Financial Information
Employer financial reports, including stock market indicators and annual reports can help you determine how healthy the organization is, how they have performed in the past and where they are planning or expected to go in the future.
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The Company’s PR department can be extremely useful in gathering current information on the company from their perspective.
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Business Directories and Company Profiles:
The Thomas Directories which are known throughout the world for their information and coverage within a given industry. Check out the Thomas Register of European Manufacturers online which has numerous Industry lists and Company information.
Vault.com – the vault reports are insider guides to companies, including many anonymous interviews with current and past employees to find out what it is really like in there.
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Business Headlines/PR Information:
Print and electronic media, periodicals, trade magazines, newspapers and books may assist in many areas of business research.
IndustryWatch from InfoSeek – an excellent tool pulling together everything you need to know about the company. It contains a lot of news and PR information on companies including an overview of the company, key competitors, key executives, quarterly and annual financials, stock quotes, a link to the homepage, and access to buy their credit report. You can view lists by industry or do a keyword search for a particular company.
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Last but not least the Company’s own webpage.
Debbie O’Halloran
