Company Research

When You Should Research a Company

Before writing a CV and covering letter in response to a job advert
Before participating in a job interview
Before cold calling companies for potential job opportunities
Before attending a networking event

Researching a Company

Because of wide range of information sources available, there is no one best way to conduct company research. The approach you take and the resources you use will depend on the information that you have to start with, as well as the information that you wish to end up with.

It is useful to compile a list of questions or characteristics of the employer that are of interest to you.

Some aspects you may question include:

Is it a public or private company?
Is the company a subsidiary or division of a larger organisation?
Is the company an international or multinational organisation?
What is the nature of the organisation?
Who is their competition?
What is the company mission/values statement?
What are the future goals or vision of the company?
What is the history of the company?
Has the organisation been in the news recently?
Where could you fit in the organisation?

The following resources may be useful in obtaining information about a potential employer:

Internet - Many employers have a website that details the functions of their business
Careers and Employment Centre - The careers centre may have a limited number of resources and information on local small and medium sized enterprises
Contact the employer - A phone call or an email to a potential employer could provide you with valuable brochures about business functions and/or the employer’s annual report
Public Library

Useful resources on the web

There is a lot of information available on the internet and when researching a business. These resources may provide some further assistance when research a company and its respective industry:

KiwiCareers: http://www.kiwicareers.govt.nz/
Wetfeet: http://www.wetfeet.com/research/companies.asp
Vault: http://www.vault.com/hubs/industrylist.jsp
NZ Herald (for recent events involving organisations): http://www.nzherald.co.nz/

You can also copy and paste the below template into a Word document and use it to gather information on companies that you are researching.

Company Research Datasheet

Organisation name:

Trading as / also know as:

Organisation Website:

Is it a public or private company?

Is the company a subsidiary or division of a larger organisation?

Is the company an international or multinational organisation?

What is the nature of the organisation? (i.e. product/service, import/export)

Who are their clients?

Who is their competition?

What is the company mission/values statement?

What are the future goals or vision of the company?

Have they been in the news lately?

Where could you fit?

Additional Information: