Internet Research
There are plenty of places online where you can get the needed information quickly and effectively. The best place to start is with a company's Web site. In addition to basic company information, you can often obtain annual reports, lists of company executives, the company's mission statement, and its history. If there is a section for press releases, read the latest ones. You can learn about pending mergers and other key developments within a company. This is a great way to show the interviewer that you know the most current happenings in the company. There are also a number of sites that will arm you with the facts you'll need to know about an industry and/or a specific occupation that you are interested in. A few of these sites are profiled here:
Monster advertises itself as the “World's Leading Career Network.” Use its resources to create resumes, search for jobs, and prepare for interviews to help launch the career you want.
In addition to providing tons of job postings — 1.5 million jobs, according to its Web site —
Here's another all-in-one site that can help you find a job, prepare for the interview, and research a company all with one visit! This site is an invaluable source for job search information. You can post your resume for potential employers to come to you, or you can peruse listings and apply to the jobs that interest you.
The result of a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Education, Career Voyages is targeted at students and adults who have been out of the work force for a while and also those adults who have never worked before. The site is designed to provide information on high-growth, in-demand occupations along with the skills and education needed to attain those jobs.
Don't forget online resources like ValueLine and LexisNexis and the major business publications:
