Digging up the Dirt on Where You Want to Work

If you can cyber-stalk all of your old exes, friends and frenemies you are perfectly capable of digging up dirt on any company you’re considering. Learning the good, the bad and the ugly truth about the business before your interview will help your chances of getting the job if you even want to take it. Don’t rely on common knowledge, word of mouth, or company produced materials as your sole sources, really dig deep. Even if it takes some time, think of the investigation an investment and the payoff is the position.

Don’t know where to start? Try these tips…

Google, Bing, and beyond – You’ve probably thought to scan your favorite search engine for information but make sure you look past the top 5 results returned. Usually the sponsored link and the first few listed are produced by the company itself so you’re only getting their side of the story. Scroll through a few pages and see what else turns up. Add keywords like “community”, “charity”, “lawsuit”, or the name of the C.E.O. to focus your search.

Socialize yourself – Check out what their social media sites say about them. Read through the comments and also looks for groups that were created to voice a negative opinion of the place you’re considering working. It’s a great way to find out about upcoming events and even intramural activities. If company has a dodge ball team you might want to play up your playground skills when you meet with the manager.

Cold hard facts – Check the Better Business Bureau to find out the company’s rating and read reviews. Fortune is also a good resource for researching financial aspects and corporate stability. If you’re thinking of working for a non-profit Charity, Navigator lists organization facts and statistics.

The horse’s mouth – Find out what people who have worked there have to say at sites like glassdoor.com that lists “company salaries, reviews, and interviews – all posted
anonymously by employees.” If you can’t find info that way try posting a topic on craigslist.org where people love to give their opinion.

Knowing about the place you’re applying to is one of the most important things you can do to prepare for any job interview. Human resources managers across the board will tell you that applicants who haven’t done their homework are hardly ever considered. To set yourself apart from other candidates, know more about the company than just what’s listed on their website. With deeper understanding of the business’ goals and infrastructure you can answer and ask questions that are intelligent and insightful and that will help get you hired.


By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a multimedia developer with experience in web, film, photography and animation as well as traditional fine arts like painting and sculpting. In addition to writing for PhillyJobsBlog.com, she is co-founder of design and promotion company, BlackChip Solutions with fellow Beyond.com blogger, Staci Dennis. Heather’s spare time consists of making puppets, teaching Sunday School, building Legos and doing science experiments with her children.