Do your Research!
Researching Employers
Engineering recruiters love candidates who have done their research and got under the skin of the organisation. How can they tell? You're likely to have spelt their company's name correctly in your application, tailored your CV or application responses to match your skills to those they seek, and at interviews you'll be comfortable and enthusiastic talking to them about their business and why you want to work for them.
So how can you go beyond the basics? Put some structure to your research. The key things to investigate are:
- Background information - Find out what the company does (products made/services provided), where it is located, who its customers/clients are, where it operates and in which key markets, who its main competitors are, and whether it is expanding and reaching out into new markets.
- Recruitment information - Find out what the recruitment process involves, application deadlines, degree backgrounds sought, and general skills and competences required. Then do some self assessment and match your skills and experience to what's required.
- Company culture - Find out about the company's ‘core values'. Think about what its brand promotes. How does the company like to see itself? How is it viewed externally? Based on the information you find, how do you view the organisation and why does working for the employer appeal?
Start your research trail at the employer's graduate recruitment website, but don't stop there. See what additional information you can glean from the corporate site – look for press releases and market information. Gather more information about the employer from business directories such as Brad, Kelly's and Compass. Many universities make these available on their networks or they may be accessible through your university's library. Follow stories in national papers, trade publications and on industry news websites. Think about how a news story affects the business and the direction in which the company is moving.
If you're still a student, or recently graduated, visit your university's careers service to see what information it holds on the employers that interest you. Careers services also have links with employers through the presentations and careers events they organise. And don't forget to attend careers fairs. These present opportunities for you to talk to representatives from a range of organisations and get an insider view of working life.
Ten top tips for researching and choosing employers.
- Structure your research – know what you want to find out.
- Make sure you know what the company does.
- Find out about its products, services, clients and market.
- Make sure you know what job you are applying for.
- Search beyond the website of an employer.
- Use all resources available – internet, national papers, trade press, and if available to you university library and careers service.
- When you meet employer representatives at recruitment events and fairs, ask them questions about their jobs and what it's like to work for the company.
- Ask different representatives the same questions and compare their responses.
- At interview and assessment days for graduate programmes, talk to employees currently on the programme.
- When visiting a work space, observe how people interact with one another and try to get a feel for what it would be like to work there. If you can picture yourself fitting in, you probably will.
Dr Gill Whiteman is editor of TARGET Engineering graduate careers publication.
For further information, please visit wwww.doctorjob.com/engineering