The Importance of Researching Employers

Tahira MajothiCareers consultantwww.careers.salford.ac.uk

Aims

• Understand the importance of researching employers, as part of the job search and recruitment process

• Strategies to aid employer research, beyond Google searches

• Support available via the Careers and Employability Service

The importance of employer research

Opportunity awareness…

Can lead to ‘Career light bulb moments’

The return on investment for you

• Will help you to gauge your interest, commitment and enthusiasm for the company/role

• Suitability – are you right for them? Are they right for you?

• Find out about ‘hidden’ opportunities• Allow you to ‘talk the talk’ – develop your relevant

knowledge and personal branding to aid your applications

• Discover connections in common e.g. via LinkedIn, may help to circumvent traditional recruitment practices

http://executivecareerbrand.com/executive-job-search-research-your-target-employers/

How to start your employer research

Visit company websites:

• What can you learn about their history/values/products & services/social corporate responsibility/CPD/diversity etc.

• What tips do their careers pages offer?• Have they won awards, launched new products or

services, expanded or contracted, mentioned future aspirations etc.?

• What social media platforms do they use?

http://www.careers.salford.ac.uk/page/research_company

Knock knock…who’s there?

• Personally visiting companies e.g. within the retail, hospitality sectors, SMEs or construction sites, may demonstrate initiative and give you a sense of what a company does day-to-day, BUT do it at a convenient time, either at the beginning or at the end of day!

• Have a game plan: Dress smartly, have a copy of your CV, research company beforehand and ask for email or contact details, to follow up!

Hello, is it me you’re looking for?How can you help yourself stand out?

• Network with employers at Industry Insight talks / smaller employer events, Careers fairs. More scope for 1-2-1 conversations

• Let people in your network know what kind of opportunities you are seeking

• Attend lectures by guest speakers from industry

• Look for part-time work, take up a placement, volunteer, take part in enterprise activities or

Student Union societies. Co-curricular activities are a must!

• Connect with peers and professional contacts on LinkedIn, you may never know when they could come in handy or visa versa!

Manchester Graduate Recruitment Fair2014

Manchester Graduate Fair (inc. PhD Zone, 11th &

12th June 2014)http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/students/events/graduaterecruitmentfair/

Google Alerts straight to your email

• Companies you would like to work for

• Key members of staff or board of directors

• Products and services• Industry or sector as a

whole – using key words or technical terms

• Follow competitors

Professional Associations

• Provide details of members you could contact for informational interviews

• List useful careers and job resources• Arrange networking opportunities and conferences• Sometimes offer bursaries or training allowances• Give an insight into current labour market trends• Produce publications and journals which may be

available online or in the Library• Offer cheaper membership fees to students

http://www.ukecc-services.net/ukpbata.cfm and http://www.totalprofessions.com/profession-finder

Speculative approaches

• Target cover letters and applications to an individual• If you have been recommended to make contact,

mention the connection in common• Do your research – make clear why you have

contacted them and what you have to offer• Be flexible in terms of location and size of company

you are targeting• Follow up – connect on LinkedIn or email/phone a

week later to check on progress of your application

http://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/applications-and-cvs/271429-making-speculative-applications-for-graduate-jobs

Social Media• Facebook and Twitter can be useful to follow conversations and

Q&As run by companies• LinkedIn can be useful to connect with individuals once you have

established a connection from a placement, live project, guest talk, careers fair discussion etc.

• Sites such as https://about.me/ allow you to set up a personalised ‘web presence’

• Glassdoor – inside look at jobs and companies http://www.glassdoor.co.uk/index.htm

Careers Workshop: How social media and LinkedIn can aid your career and job search. Monday 24th March.

http://www.careers.salford.ac.uk/page/jobsandcareers

http://www.careerplayer.com/tips-and-advice/general-advice/social-media-and-job-hunting

Effective Networking Tips:

Have a game plan :

What’s the networking opportunity? Who would you like to talk to, and why? Why should they give you five minutes of their time? Manage expectations and invest in growing your network Networks take time to come to fruition, be prepared to

persevere and see it as mutual. Follow-up by connecting via social media and use

business cards if helpful

Possible Questions to ask:

• Could you describe a day in the life of someone working in this role?

• What sort of work experience would make me a good candidate for this role?

• Which key skills are you looking for in a candidate?• What makes an application stand out?• What do you feel are the challenges or opportunities for

your organisation?• Tell me a little about your background and how you came to

work for …• If you were graduating now, what 3 tips would you have, to

help you navigate the jobs market successfully?

http://qmjobsblog.wordpress.com/tag/networking/

Personalise connections – tweet useful links to individuals, introduce people on social media, comment on blogs, join relevant discussions on LinkedIn, follow and comment on industry trends etc.

Showcase your expertise and social “media” capital

Use social media to research industries, key staff via LinkedIn etc to demonstrate your employer research

Observe social media etiquette – be respectful to others in order to gain respect in return

How to network effectively online

The more connections you have – the bigger your potential network – aim for a minimum of 50

Fill your specialties and skills sections with key words – anticipate that these are what may allow a recruiter to find you

Build to a full strength profile – this increases your searchability, inc. Professional photo, personalise URL.

Don’t just use the default message when inviting to connect (especially to people you don’t know well)

Do treat endorsements with caution. Recommendations more substantial – try to reciprocate for both endorsements and recommendations

Do share with others – via groups and updates – aim for one update/share a week

http://prezi.com/3gwumaexbdmg/how-to-make-effective-use-of-linkedin/ - Fiona Christie, How to make effective use of LinkedIn

Top tips for building your LinkedIn profile

Careers and Employability Service

• Jobs online via Advantage• Directories of graduate recruiters to take away• Careers guides and labour market information on

local, national companies, international companies• Help with CVs, applications, interviews and

assessment centres• Resources if you are considering working abroad

http://www.careers.salford.ac.uk/page/international-work

http://www.careers.salford.ac.uk/

“You had me at Hello” – How to impress employers

Know the ins and outs of the organisation and industry (using the tips in this presentation)

Know why you chose to apply to them Know why they should take you on –

transferable and relevant knowledge, experience and skills

Personalise cover letters and submit targeted CVs and applications

Images – Flickr Creative Commons• Light bulb on beach

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jixxer/12417478795/sizes/l/• Crowd

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ausnahmezustand/4752989186/sizes/l/• Hello

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mlebemle/3511330328/sizes/o/