Why research is vital in your job search

There’s little point applying for a job you know nothing about, in an industry you know nothing about, with current and future challenges and opportunities you know nothing about. You’d be lucky even to get to interview stage if you can’t show that you understand what the job is about, or what you’d be expected to achieve.

So it follows that to have the greatest chance of success, to be the most memorable and convincing candidate, you need to thoroughly research your target role, company and sector. Don’t skip this research even if you’re applying for a less senior role: the most authentic way to prove your enthusiasm is by showing you’re up-to-date with events and trends in your field.

Where to research

Find out as much as you can about the company from their website. What is the company’s mission, their milestone achievements, and who sits on their Board?

LinkedIn is a great place to find out about recent hires and departures, giving you an idea of which departments are shrinking or expanding, as well as where ex-employees move to afterwards. Join relevent LinkedIn groups to take part in industry discussions and to get to know people within the sector. Check out the membership list of these groups too, as employees of your target company might be there.

Use Google to find out news stories and other snippets of information. You can even set up a Google alert for the company name, to receive news and mentions directly into your inbox.

Read trade publications and attend industry events such as fairs and conferences to keep current with trends, developments, mergers, acquisitions etc at local, national and international levels. What impact will these developments have on the companies you’re applying to? What new opportunities will open up?

Make and build contacts in your industry. Get to know people within the company, the company’s competitors, and any professional groups they’re members of.

Bend recruiters’ ears for information too, and pay particular attention to their interviewing tips. They often have an inside scoop from their years of dealing with managers and staff.

Be active online. Regularly read forums and blogs in your sector, and follow thought leaders and company employees on Twitter. Start contributing to online discussions and conversations by posting links to articles, news, other blog posts etc. Everything you learn can be of potential use in your job search.

Be aware of your own shortcomings. How do your qualifications and skills match up with those in the industry – and those in the roles you aspire to? Can you take steps now to fill in any missing gaps?

How to put your research to use

Use information you’ve gathered to make your CV as relevant as possible. Can you demonstrate that you’ve successfully solved problems similar to the ones you’ll face in the new role, for example? Do you have any skills or previous working experience that could be important in helping the company expand into new markets? Perhaps you have working knowledge of another language, or you’ve worked with a target client or supplier in the past.

Demonstrate your knowledge at the interview to prove you’re serious about wanting the job. Use your research to ask intelligent questions about the role, and future possibilities at the company. “I’ve read that….. Can you tell me how you think this will impact on the role?” shows you’re ambitious to succeed.

The interview is also a good opportunity to talk about the steps you’re taking to make yourself a more valuable employee. If you know that the company prefers certain types of qualifications, you could say for instance, “I know that a CIM qualification is important, and I’m studying part-time in the evenings for this. What other qualifications would you say are essential for progression here?” This answers a potential weakness question convincingly by showing how you’re addressing that weakness.

Knowing as much as you can about the challenges in the role will also help you find relevant examples of career successes. Have you previously achieved something that you’ll be expected to achieve in this role? Have you dealt with similar issues in the past? The more your examples tie in, the more compelling they’ll be.

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