information. You may even discover some really great companies that you didn’t know about. For example, LinkedIn hosts hundreds of interest groups, and if you search for groups in your areas of interest, you should be able to find others in your targeted industry who are working for great companies. Let’s say your field is graphic design. You can search the “groups directory” on LinkedIn for “graphic design” and join a professional group to meet other designers. You can then ask group members about the companies they work for.
You can search for specific companies, a city you’re interested in, or for a specific industry. Make sure to search for old friends and classmates as well to find out if and where they’re working. Someone you knew in the fifth grade might be working at the company that’s number one on your list! You won’t know unless you look, so be sure to try.
When you search for one of your targeted companies on LinkedIn, you’ll find lists of its employees who have LinkedIn profiles. Look for people working in the division you’re interested in, for example, and check out their details. You’ll be amazed at how much information you’ll find there. Once you have a list of people on LinkedIn who work at a particular company, you’ll be able to see how connected we all truly are to one another. There’s a good chance that someone you’re linked to knows an employee at your company of interest.
Another great thing about LinkedIn is that people can write testimonials about you and post them directly to your profile. This means that the testimonials are proven to be objective. You can’t tamper with them (although you can decide not to add them to your profile if they say something you don’t want others to read). These testimonials also give you a chance to see what others are saying about employees at a company you’re interested in. Then, you can get a sense of the kind of people the company likes to hire.
When you review the profiles and testimonials, look for trends rather than just data about individuals. Does a particular company’s employees have things in common that could help you better understand what that company is all about? For example:
•Do the LinkedIn profiles sound similar — such as all conservative and formal or all pretty casual?
•What type and level of education do most of the employees have?
•Can you find profiles of recent college graduates that the company has hired?
•What kinds of things are mentioned most in the testimonials of the company’s employees? Do they tend to focus more on creativity … loyalty … integrity? This will give you an idea of what’s important to the company.
Culture is Key
As you sort through all of the information on LinkedIn, Facebook, the rest of the Internet, and elsewhere, see what it tells you about the company’s “culture.” Every company has one, and as I said before, it’s usually driven by its top leaders. So, reading LinkedIn profiles of a company’s top execs can be incredibly helpful. Based on how its leaders are presented, you can get a good sense of what’s important to the company.
As you think about applying to a company, remember that making sure you fit in with the company’s culture is key. First of all, if you don’t fit in, you’ll definitely have a harder time getting a job there. Second, if there isn’t a cultural “fit” once you do get the job, you’ll probably end up feeling like a fish out of water. And that’s definitely no way to end up in a job you love.
The Right Questions
Okay, so now you’ve done your research, connected with people, and you have an “in” with someone at one or two of your top companies. Suddenly, it’s time to talk to this contact on the phone or face-to-face. What questions should you ask?
Here’s the very best suggestion I can give you: Ask for advice! Be honest, and let that person know you’re interested in working for the company. Ask them what they would suggest you do as first steps to get started finding a job there. You may be surprised by how much someone is willing to help you just because you’ve asked for their help and guidance.
Here are a few other questions to ask if you get the chance to talk to someone who’s already working for a company you’re interested in:
•What does the company look for in an employee?
•What do you think are the top five skills the company values most?
•What do you like the most about working there? What do you like the least?
•Is it a training-focused company? If so, does it send employees to outside training programs, or does it hold regular in-house trainings?
•What are three words that best describe the culture of the company?
•How does the company treat its employees in general?
•Does the company hold a lot of events for its employees? If so, what kind? Are employees’ families invited to these parties, too?
•On a scale from 1-10, how open to new ideas is the company? What examples can you share with me to show why you give it that score?
•Would you say that the company is more team- or individual- oriented? Can you share with me a few examples of why you think that?
The answers will give you great clues about what to focus on in your resume and interview. If you find out the company values integrity and collaboration skills, you can get some examples ready to share in an interview about situations in school, groups, internships, or part-time jobs where you’ve been able to show your integrity and how well you work with others.
Of course (and this does happen), in the process of getting answers to your questions, you may find out you no longer want to apply to a particular company. That’s actually a good thing! Scratch that company off your list, and focus your energy on getting a job in a different company that’s a better fit for your specific likes, dislikes, and talents.
Once you know about the companies where you’d like to work, you can use the same ideas to find out about a specific division, department, or branch office. Most of the time, there’s a ton of information out there about the particular area you’re interested in.
Find Out About the Interviewer
Sometimes, before an interview, you may actually be told who your interviewer will be. If you’re only given the person’s title, be quick to ask for the person’s name. If you still don’t get the name, try an Internet search for the company name and the interviewer’s title to see if a name shows up. No matter how you get the name of your interviewer — which is a bit like being handed a golden key — rev up your favorite search engine. Also, look for him or her on social networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Knowledge is power! So, the more you know, the better you can be prepared for your interview. You may not want to talk about any of the information you’ve discovered in your search — especially if it’s something personal like the name of the interviewer’s children — but the information you find may tell you a lot about the interviewer’s personality. And that can definitely come in handy.
