Researching Companies

Before you go after a job, it’s a good idea to do your homework. A little company research can go a long way in a job interview, and peeking into the operations of a company isn’t as hard as you’d think.


Start with the Obvious

Start your company research with the most obvious resource, a company’s Web site. Many companies offer press releases, product information, organizational charts and demographic data from their sites.

For more exhaustive information, check out the resources in our company research directory. Another valuable source of information is Kelzen, where you can research reviews about employers written by current and former employees.

Public or Private?

Is the company public or private? Publicly-held companies (those that sell stock to the general public) are required to disclose financial information to their shareholders and to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Their annual reports are a wealth of company research information and provide a great synopsis of performance over the last year. From the Public Register’s Annual Report Service, you can request a copy of more than 3,600 public companies’ annual reports free of charge.

What’s In the News…

Business Wire and PR Newswire are two of the best resources for keeping track of company news — key to your company research. Both allow you to search by keyword or industry. For general business news, try magazines like Fortune and Business Week. Local newspapers can also provide valuable company research information. To track down a paper, consult the directories listed at LibrarySpot.com Newspapers.