Find a Company to Work for

Searching for a job can be difficult, and finding the right company can be challenging. Before you start your search, think about what you’re personally looking for in an employer. Some people care more about location, while other people may care more about the salary. Looking for an employer can be a daunting task, but it becomes exponentially easier if you know exactly what you’re looking for. Remember to always research a potential employer online regardless of whether you find a company on a job board or through a close friend’s recommendation. This will not only help you prepare for the interview, but it will also give you a sense of the company’s culture and core values.

Steps

Performing a Job Search

1. Find highly-respected companies in your industry. Hop online and search for the top companies in your specific industry. Perform a few initial searches to get a sense for which companies stand out as great places to work. There are tons of industry-specific and regional lists out there, so poke around to see which companies come up frequently. Either make a list of the companies that stand out or make a mental note of any companies that keep popping up as great places to work.
   • For example, you may search for “top 100 retail chains to work for,” or “best consulting firms in New England.”
   • There are a few ways to go about finding a company to work for. One way is to search for the companies first and then look at the jobs they have available. Another way to do it is to find the job postings first and look the company up afterward to see what people say. Do whichever makes the most sense to you!
2. Search for company-specific listings on a job board site. There are dozens of job board sites out there, but the most popular options are Indeed, Monster, Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, and CareerBuilder. These sites have different interfaces and job listings, but they all work basically the same way. Type each company’s name into the search bar to pull up any openings they have in your area.
   • Job board sites are one of the most popular ways to find openings, but it isn’t the only way. Still, if you’re starting from scratch and you don’t have a big professional network, this is the best way to find companies that are hiring.
3. Figure out which companies are hiring for positions you're qualified for. Scroll through the results that pop up for each company and read their job postings. Keep an eye out for any positions that align with your experience, education, or credentials. Read through each posting thoroughly to see if it sounds like a good fit for you.
   • If you’re new to the job market or you recently graduated, look for postings that include the phrase “entry-level” or “no experience necessary” to give yourself the best shot at landing a job at your preferred company.
4. Enter a job title or keyword with the company’s name to narrow it down. If a company is hiring for a ton of openings, search for specific positions, like “medical equipment sales rep” or “12th grade English teacher” to pull up fewer results. Alternatively, you can enter a keyword, like “database consulting” or “no experience necessary” depending on what your professional interests and requirements are. Enter a company’s name alongside your search to find relevant positions.
   • It’s best to start with hyper-specific search terms if you’re entering a job title so you can find positions that are exactly what you’re looking for. If you just type “sales” or “teacher,” you’re going to get thousands of results that may not be what you’re looking for.
   • On most job boards, you can enter “company:” followed by the name of the business you want to work at to eliminate any results that weren’t published by that specific company.
5. Set aside any postings that fit your criteria to research the company further. For every posting that looks promising, bookmark the URL or pin the tab to your browser. Before you apply to the job, research the company that posted the position to dig deeper into the company’s mission statement, history, and culture.
   • You can repeat this process any number of times. To start, pick at least 5-6 job postings you’re interested in to research.
   • If you have an account on the job board site you’re using, there’s a “save this posting” button on the side of the screen that you can click to bookmark the job posting.
   • You can also set up a job alert through the website you’re on to automatically send you postings similar to the postings you’ve saved or searched for.

Researching a Potential Employer

1. Conduct a basic Internet search on any company you’re interested in. If you’re interested in a job opening, type the company’s name into an online search engine. Poke around news articles, announcements, and forum postings to get a sense of what people are saying about the company. This search will highlight any serious red flags or causes for concern before you move forward with your research.
   • For example, if there’s a news article about how this company has laid off loyal employees, or been sued for having a toxic work environment, it’s a sign that they may not be a great employer.
   • You can look at the company’s website, but businesses typically curate what appears on their company page. This isn’t the best resource if you want an objective third-party perspective on the company.
2. Inspect the company’s website to read their mission statement and vision. A company’s mission statement is key since it illustrates what the company values and cares about. If a mission statement lines up with your personal beliefs, you’re much more likely to enjoy working at the company. Similarly, if a mission statement mentions, “collaboration and an open workspace,” and you’re a big fan of completing your work alone in a private cubicle, you probably won’t like the job.
   • Does the company sound innovative and unique, or do they value traditional family values? Do they mention creativity as a core value, or are they hyper-focused on consistency and following a specific model? These types of questions are typically answered in a mission statement, so read it carefully!
   • Take a glance at the company’s media packet and promotional materials as well. These will often give you a good insight into what the company cares about.
3. Check out Glassdoor reviews to see what their employees say. Glassdoor is a website where past and current employees anonymously review companies so that future employees know what to expect. Find the company you’re interested in on Glassdoor’s website and read through their reviews. If every past employee hated working for the company, the odds are high that you won’t enjoy your time there. If the reviews are glowing, it may be a great company to work for. If the reviews are mixed, at least you know what to watch out for.
   • Glassdoor reviews are often written by people that interviewed at the company but didn’t take the gig. This can be a great resource if you are offered to interview with a company since you can prepare for the process and questions ahead of time.
   • Take the number of reviews into account. Two negative reviews out of a possible three don’t say much about a company since it may just be a few isolated incidents or disgruntled employees posting the negative feedback.
4. Go through the company’s social media accounts to get a sense for their brand. How a company presents itself on social media will give you a great sense of what they value as a brand. If they have a serious, no-frills tone and attitude, and you’re known for being a bit of a jokester, it may not be the right company for you. If you prefer a calm, quiet workplace and they’re cracking jokes with customers online, you may not want to apply if you can’t relax a little at work.
   • This isn’t super helpful if you’re looking at a large company that may have a different company culture from their public brand, but it’s a great way to get some insight into smaller companies and startups.
5. Take a look at customer reviews if the company offers a service. This is less important for consulting firms and retail companies, but customer reviews are really helpful if the company offers a service. If customers seem to generally have positive things to say about the company, it’s probably a pretty productive, pleasant place to work. If the reviews mention the owner being rude, the employees being abrasive, or the service being awful, it may not be the happiest place to work.
   • Again, take the number of reviews into account. A handful of negative reviews may just be a few unreasonable consumers. Hundreds of negative reviews are a dangerous sign, though.

Networking and Getting Referrals

1. Update your social media and make a LinkedIn profile if you don’t have one. Go through your Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts and remove any unprofessional photos or posts. Update your LinkedIn if you have one. If you don’t, sign up for a LinkedIn profile now. LinkedIn is one of the best networking and job hunting sites available, so now is a good time to start building your network.
   • If you have any scandalous material on your social media accounts, either delete the problematic posts or set your profiles to private. Many companies will research potential employees on social media to see what they’re like before hiring them.
2. Follow specific companies online that you’re interested in working for. If you have your heart set working for a specific company, follow their social media accounts to be the first to get updates on job openings. This will also expose you to the company’s culture, voice, and brand, which will be extremely helpful if you ever interview with the company.
   • For example, if you follow a marketing firm and they’re promoting a new shampoo, you can mention that you were a fan of their shampoo campaign in your interview. This will show the hiring manager that you do your research and have a keen eye for what the company does.
3. Ask mentors and close friends for referrals at reputable companies. If you have an ex-manager, mentor, or supervisor that you’re close with, ask them if they know of any companies or openings that would be a good fit for you. You can also ask close friends if they have any contacts looking for employees in your field. This is a great way to find work at a good company since many positions are filled via referrals and personal connections.
   • This is a great option if you don’t have your sights on a specific company per se, but you really want to work at a company with a pleasant work environment.
   • Even if a friend or mentor doesn’t know of anything open now, ask them to keep an eye out for you. You never know when a new opportunity is going to pop up!
4. Contact companies you want to work for directly to see what’s open. If a company you’re interested in doesn’t have any public job postings, call or email them directly to express your interest in working there. You can also reach out to the company’s hiring manager on LinkedIn if you can find them. Ask if there are any openings for someone with your experience. If there aren’t, ask them to keep you in mind if anything should pop up in the future.
   • You may say something like, “Hello, I’m reaching out today to see if you have any openings for someone with sales experience. I’ve been following your company for some time and I admire your mission and reputation in the industry. Is there any way we could set aside some time to talk?”
   • Include a resume and cover letter if you’re emailing the company so that they can glance it over if they’d like to.

References

See also

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