|
| Home >> How to Find a Job? >> Getting Started >> Background Research: Be Prepared! |
Background Research: Be Prepared!
Background Research...Too often job seekers think ‘background research’ means doing some internet surfing the night before an interview, but there is much more to it than that. Doing your homework is an essential part of effective job seeking. Information gathering Background research is about gathering the latest facts and figures related to your future career. Equipping yourself with this valuable information will improve your application and interview performance and enable you to make better career choices. Areas to research include:
Up-to-date knowledge about your industry and profession is empowering: you will network better, work better and know what opportunities are out there and which ones to seize. If you do your homework, you will have an edge in the competitive job market. Sources Part of the research process is finding the right information resources. Below are some commonly used sources:
Keep it up Undertaking regular research is also important in maintaining your employability once you have launched your career. By making research a habit you will ensure you are always aware of:
This article is taken from the 2008 edition of Graduate Careers Australia's employer directory Graduate Opportunities . © 2008 Graduate Careers Australia Researching Potential Employers - Steps One to FourNot sure where to begin researching potential employers? This article is a guide to two key questions often asked by university students at some stage during their studies.
How do I identify which organisations employ graduates with my degree? and
How do I research a specific organisation or position? To answer the first question, this article provides you with hints to help you research each of the following 10 steps:
Once I have identified some potential employers, how do I research specific information about the organisation or suitable positions within the organisation? The article lists ideas about:
Which Organisations Employ Graduates with my Degree? Many of you will ask this question at some stage during your university studies. Sometimes the answer is easy (eg. the top accounting or law firms are well known and are frequently mentioned in the press). Other times the answer is not so simple, especially when identifying second or third-tier firms, smaller local businesses or companies based overseas. It is impossible for the Careers Service at your university to maintain a comprehensive and current list for every occupational group, so here are 10 steps to guide you in how to research this information for your particular field of study and according to your occupational and career goals. For many of you, this research will be straightforward. You may have a fairly clear vocational area in mind and seek a work role that is directly related to your degree. For others, you may need to think laterally when you undertake your research about potential organisations. Perhaps you will explore options that extend beyond the traditional view of your qualification. Other career planning factors may direct you along alternate pathways according to your range of interests, values, skills and experience. Perhaps you are studying in one of the broader fields, such as Arts, Humanities, Communications or Social Science and your career options are open to a range of occupational possibilities within any number of industries. All you need is a starting point – and here are 10 of them! Before you dive in, review what you already know. Think about organisations that have been mentioned in lectures or in the news. Begin making a list of those organisations and government departments (federal, state and local) which employ people with the knowledge and skills you have gained at university. Do some networking – talk to your lecturers, family, friends and colleagues to begin building your list of potential employers. Think about the location and the size of the organisations – multinational, large, medium, small as well as the broad industry areas (eg. manufacturing, education, resources, telecommunications, finance, transport, health, services, etc.) and determine which appeals to you. Step One: Read Graduate Opportunities Graduate Opportunities is usually available from March each year and is highly recommended for final year students interested in planning for graduate recruitment programs. The book lists many of the large companies and government organisations that regularly recruit graduates. It has organisation and industry profiles as well as a listing of organisations by discipline/degree and occupation. Some organisations which offer vacation work and work experience are also listed. Worth checking out but remember that only organisations which subscribe to the publication through Graduate Careers Australia are identified and therefore it is not an exhaustive list. Ask for a hard copy at the Careers Service, collect one at the university Careers Fair or go to the website: www.graduateopportunities.com
Step Two: Review Occupational Information Your university Careers Service may have hardcopy information on relevant occupational areas in the Resource Room. Also check your Careers Service website for links to the occupational information available on the internet. Try the following sites:
Step Three: Use Graduate Destination Information
Each year, a survey of graduates is conducted across Australia gathering information such as current employment and salary information. The Careers Service will have historical information for your university, and it may also be available on their website. This information is useful for identifying the employers of graduates of your degree and the types of jobs those graduates perform. Keep in mind that the degree is not the only pathway into a particular job or industry – successful recruitment also depends on interests, career-related values, abilities, experience and the state of the broader job market at the time. You can check graduate destination information, including industry sectors and salaries on a national and state basis at the GradsOnline website:
Step Four: Consult Databases The Careers Service may have a database of information about employers, according to occupational groups. This information is generally gathered from job vacancy notices, invitations to attend the university Careers Fairs and information distributed by companies and other organisations. Researching Potential Employers - Steps Five to Eight
Step Five: Look for Advertised Vacancies Spend some time each week looking through relevant newspapers for job vacancies in your field. Have both a long term perspective (jobs that may appeal to you over the next three-10 years) as well as jobs for which you could apply right now or at the completion of your studies. Keep copies of these advertised vacancies and track which companies are employing, what they call the positions that interest you, the salary, the location, the skill requirements and the employment conditions of the position. If you see a job that interests you, research other companies which provide similar products or services and may also offer work. Regular research of the job market will give you a fair idea of the types of positions that appeal to you as well as potential employers. It may also be worth your while to register with some Internet Job Boards and receive email alerts for jobs and news within your field of study or area of interest. There are many of these Job Boards; the following are just a few examples:
Step Six: Make Enquiries with Professional and Industry Associations
Step Seven: Search Recruitment Agency Websites
Step Eight: Check Company Directories Company directories will also provide invaluable information. Some of these, such as Encore and B & T directories, may be available in hardcopy in the Careers Service Resource Room or the university library. However, you may find it quicker and easier to access those available via the internet. Use your favourite search engine to find the websites relevant to your discipline or check the links from your Careers Service. Type the following in your search field:
The telephone book should also be an important resource in your research. Check out the White Pages, the Yellow Pages, local directories and web-based directories. Following is a sample list of just a few of the online directories:
Researching Potential Employers - Steps Nine and TenStep Nine: Look at Company Websites Go direct to the websites of the companies, government departments and other organisations you have identified and check them out in more detail. Find out about graduate recruitment programs, vacation programs, internships, cooperative programs and work experience opportunities. You can also do a search on the internet to identify additional organisations. Type the following in you search field: [your occupational group/discipline] employment Australia [your occupational group/discipline] work Australia [your occupational group/discipline] job/s Australia Step Ten: Research Industry Information and Publications Business publications and professional journals are a terrific source of information about organisations, key people, current issues, innovations and professional development. They may be published by professional associations, industry organisations and some newspapers. The Financial Review and Business Review Weekly are two general business publications. Find out from your networks which publications are specific to your field. There are also industry-related websites which can be a useful source of information for industry news, potential employers, actual jobs and ideas for areas of industry to approach or research about work. For example:
Once you have identified a list of relevant organisations and selected the ones you wish to target, your research will need to become more refined. Here are some additional steps to focus on specific information about potential employers, so that you can tailor a job application to the requirements of the organisation and be better prepared for an interview. You will find these tips are useful even if the organisation has not advertised a vacancy and you are approaching them directly for information or for possible employment. Where available, gather information about the organisation from:
Research specific information about the organisation, such as:
Possible questions to ask the contact person in the organisation:
Authors: Barbara Mackie, Careers and Employment Adviser, University of Western Sydney & Karen Cavanaugh, Careers Adviser/Information Officer, University of Technology The authors would like to acknowledge the input and advice from the Careers staff at both UTS and UWS in the final version of this guide. Special thanks to Seymour Maddison and Malcolm McKenzie from UTS and Jackie Simpson, Elizabeth Ross, Leigh Mabin and Ron Kelly from UWS. Information on researching the organisation and the position has been prepared by Barbara Mackie, University of Western Sydney and is based on the excellent book by Dr. Ann D. Villiers, How to Address Selection Criteria – Improving Your Chances of Being Shortlisted For a Job. 3rd Edition (2000), d.m. Press, Canberra, Australia. http://www.gradlink.edu.au/content/view/print/3138 |