The importance of researching company websites

Are you applying for jobs?  If so, it is highly likely that you are using job websites such as Total, Monster, Indeed and many more and also you may be using ads in newspapers. While these are likely to be your initial roots to considering applying for a job, you should also check out the company website for the job you are applying for.

Unless very small, and even many of those that are, most businesses these days have a website, especially as getting an online presence is much cheaper than it used to be.

Business websites have almost become a necessity.  Even locally owned and operated businesses have started using online websites to their advantage.  Although we often think of business websites from a customer standpoint, they can also be of use to you as a job seeker.

You can use online job posting websites and newspaper employment sections to help you find jobs in or around your area.  However, you may find the information that they contain to be limited.  This is most common with newspaper employment advertisements, as they are often limited on space.  Of course, you can still go ahead and submit your resume or a job application for a position that you do not know much about, but you may end up wasting your time.  If you are serious about finding a job, this wasted time is something that you may not have. This is especially so if you have serious financial concerns and or you are registered for benefits at the job Centre and must give evidence that you are applying for jobs, or lose your benefits, or indeed you have already been sanctioned.

If you can get the name of the company that is posting a job listing ether online or in print, you can use that company name for an internet search. This should lead you to websites where that company is mentioned and this website, should you be able to come across it, can be a wealth of information. When examining the online website of a company that you would like to apply to, you may well first want to search the situations vacant section.  This section, if there is one, may provide you with more information on the position that you are applying for.

In addition to this, you will also want to examine the website in general.  If you are looking for a career in retail, examine the company’s website to see where they may have retail locations, which type of products they sell, as well as which type of customers they target. This may help make deciding if you should apply for the job advertised online or in your local newspaper easier.  For instance, you may find that the company you found a job opening for specializes in selling adult entertainment items.  If that the case and if you feel uncomfortable working in that environment, you can simply move on, without having to take any other action.

In addition to helping you decide whether the company in question is a company that you would like to work for, you can also use a company website to your advantage later.  If you are ever contacted for a job interview, the information that you retained from the company website may be able to better assist you.  It can give you an idea of your intended job duties or the type of employees the company is looking to hire.

As outlined above, there are many benefits to taking the time to examine a company website before officially submitting your resume or job application.  This process is one that should not take too much time; therefore, it is an action that you can only benefit from.

Also , think about your connections to the company to which you are applying . Do you know someone who works there or has done so and can tell you more about the company culture ? Check out your Linkedin and other social media contacts and see if they may be connected to the company .