Research employers

Research is a critical part of the job search process. It can help you:

• Identify companies that may be hiring in your field
• Prepare you for a job interview
• Learn about potential growth of businesses and industries
• Understand how you can apply your skills in a new field
• Focus your job search on employers that share your values. Need to clarify your work values? Try the Work Values Matcher.

Identify employers you want to learn about

Visit the Business Finder to search for organizations in your local area that may hire people in your field.

Enter your location and the name of your preferred job title, industry, or company. You’ll see a list of companies with their address, number of employees, and distance from your location.

Then use the filters to narrow down your list to a targeted, manageable size of good prospects. Here are some ideas for ways you might filter your results:

• Find employers in your chosen location. Do you use public transportation? Want to find work near your children’s school or day care? Or just prefer a shorter commute? Finding employment nearby can save time, energy, fuel, and potentially, stress. When you enter a ZIP code in the location search box, you’ll see the distance from that ZIP code to the businesses on your list. Then you can sort your results by Distance, “Low to High” to see the closest companies first.
• Target companies of a specific size. Filter your results to show businesses of the size you prefer, by approximate number of employees. Jobs at smaller companies sometimes have more variety and independence. Jobs at larger companies may have more defined job descriptions and tasks. Larger companies may also offer better benefits, salary increases, or advancement opportunities, but you should check into every company’s policies to learn more.

Find sources of employer information

Once you have a list of potential employers, try these sources to focus your research:

• Company websites. Use the Business Finder or a search engine to find organizations' websites. Read descriptions, look for current job listings, and read their “about us” section to understand their purpose and focus. 
• Company social media accounts. From the company website or from a general search, learn how the organization presents itself on social media.
• Business media. Search online for local business news outlets or do a general search for the name of the company and find media mentions.
• Professional and industry association publications and trade journals. Search the Professional Association Finder to find groups organized around the industry or career you’re interested in. Then you can search their website for business reviews or directories to learn more.
• Annual reports. You can find these on company websites or by searching online. These reports can help you learn about a company’s financial outlook and whether they are expanding or facing downturns.
• Local chamber of commerce website and publications. Search the Chamber of Commerce Directory to find local chambers where you can research companies in their home city or state.
• College or university career services. Check with the career services office or alumni network of any schools you’ve attended. Many have information about prospective employers and businesses.
• Job fairs. Visit job fairs to meet with employer representatives in person. You can find a calendar of job fairs in your state using the State Resource Finder.
• Business reviews and directories. Find employee reviews and other information through an online search or at websites such as Glassdoor Reviews.

Look for these types of information

Here are some important topics to learn about prospective employers.

• The company’s mission, values, or vision. Do they align with your values?
• Key products and services. Would you be excited to help produce, improve, or promote these services or products?
• Target market or audience. Who makes up the company’s main customer base? Do you have an interest in or experience with this group?
• Leadership. Search online to see if you can find articles about or by the company’s president or other executives.
• Financial outlook, projects, plans, expansion, layoffs, or closings. Is the company financially stable? Look at annual reports or business news stories to find detailed business information.
• Events, community engagement, and company culture. A company’s website or media coverage can give you a good idea about how active they are in the community and other aspects of company culture.
• Trends influencing the industry or type of employer. Search news media for articles about the industry you’re interested in.
• Former or current employee experiences. You can search online for employee reviews and other feedback. Does it sound like a place you would thrive?