One of the most important skills a job-seeker can learn during a job-search is research skills. The quality of your research skills will dramatically impact both short term job search and longer range career continuity. 

WHERE To Start Your Research…
If you really have no idea of what companies might be best for you, there are some good places to start. A number of media have already done the research for you - and have produced various "best" lists. . . best private companies, best companies for minorities, best employee-owned companies, etc.

One such site is FORBES… http://www.forbes.com/2003/05/07/bestland.html

Finding Specific Company Information
Probably the single best resource of company information is the company’s Website. You can also find the company site by trying to type the company name in your browser. For example, if you were trying to find information on Optimance, all you need to do is enter www.optimance.net and you’re at the company’s Website. However, not all companies have such obvious Web addresses, so the next easiest thing to do is go to your favorite search engine, such as Google.com, and type the company’s name in the search box. Then simply follow the link to the company’s Website.

Sometimes the information you’ll find on a company’s Website is limited. While the trend is certainly for companies to place more and more information on their sites, private companies (not traded on any stock exchange) tend to have less need to provide sensitive information.

SOLUTION? Read outside reviews and profiles of companies.

Among the two best sources for gathering information on public companies are BusinessWeek Online: Company Research and Hoovers Online.

One of the better, comprehensive volumes may be: The Almanac of American Employers, by Plunkett Research. Also, from the Wall Street side of the tracks, check out the Bond Guide, published by Standards & Poor’s. Print media can be overviewed in The American Journalism Review.

Finding information about private companies -- and the vast majority of all companies in the U.S. are private -- is a bit trickier. One such resource is The Inc. 500 list of America’s fastest growing privately-held companies.

If you are interested in working for a non-profit organization or association, check out a marvelous career-related website called "Quintessential Careers" where you can find: Volunteering and Non-Profit Career Resources and General Professional Organizations and Associations.

Another great source of company information comes from articles and stories published in various media outlets. There are literally thousands of media outlets, from national news and business publications to specialized industry-specific publications. A good source for finding media that cover your industry is NewsLink.

Getting Industry Information
Another level of sophistication in conducting research is getting a handle on the competitive nature of the industry (or industries) that your list of companies operate within. It is within the competitive environment that you might be able to spot trends that are either opportunities or threats for your prospective employers.

The best Web-based source for industry information is Hoover's Industry Snapshots, where you'll find profiles, resources, headlines and more for major industry and service sectors. Another good source is Industry Portals, a listing of links to many different industries.

The best print source is a U.S. government publication: U.S. Industrial Outlook, from the Bureau of Industrial Economics.

Gathering Country and Place-of-Living Information
The final step in your research process may be to gather information about specific parts of the U.S. or other countries -- to help you decide if you want to relocate to where a prospective employer is located.

For conducting research within the U.S., we recommend Sperling's BestPlaces.net, where you'll find a wealth of data, statistics, and comparisons about U.S. cities and counties.

For developing a better understanding of locations outside the U.S, we recommend the CIA World Factbook, which contains detailed snapshots, compiled by the U.S. government, of just about every country in the world.

Let’s not forget your networking for exploration and discovery:

• Find a former employee through networking. Often the most candid information comes from a person without current, loyalty ties.
• Try to identify a company "hangout" where you can engage in casual conversation over coffee, or during a "happy hour."
• The Investor Relations Department of a company can provide a wealth of information… although much of it will be quite self-serving, written by the company PR folks.
• Colleagues in a professional or trade association.

Half an hour spent with the librarian of a good business reference library (BEST in Dallas = The Richardson Library @ Arapaho and Hwy 75) will open a world of organized information to you. The more specific you can be with them, the better RESEARCH MAP they can provide for you.

Remember, the sooner you get started, the better off you’ll be.  Now is a good time to review the WHEN, WHAT and WHERE to research covered in this series.