Researching a Company

Introduction

Imagine applying for your dream job, landing the interview, and being hired only to discover after a week on the job that the company dumps toxins into Lake Ontario thereby irreparably damaging the environment. If your values guide you into respecting natural resources, then you will not be happy working for this company, and you will soon have to look for another job. That is why doing thorough company research is an essential factor in finding a job that is right for you.

What is Company Research?

Company research involves finding out as much information as you can to determine if it is a place you would like to work. Company research consists of

• reading the company's Website, press kit, annual report, and other literature,
• talking to people who have worked there,
• finding out what its competitors and clients say about it,
• conducting an information interview, and
• reading any materials published in the media, including newspapers, trade publications, business indexes, and the Internet.

Why Do Company Research?

Do company research to determine if the company is really a place where you would want to work. Be sure that the company's mission and values match your own. Also, find out about the corporate culture:

• Are interactions between employees formal or informal?
• What is the dress code?
• How does it approach human rights issues?
• What are its standards?

You should also do company research when applying for a job. Use some key points to demonstrate your knowledge of the company and to show how you can be an asset there. Then use the information during an interview to further demonstrate your interest in working for that company.

What You Need to Know about a Company

Seek out information that will help you determine your fit into the organization, possibilities for advancement, and company stability. Here are some more questions you may want answered before applying for a job:

• What qualities does the company seek in an employee? For example, does it seek creativity, initiative, perseverance, accuracy, and punctuality?
• What kind of an atmosphere does the company have? For example, is it tensed or relaxed, formal or informal, dynamic or static?
• What are the company's hiring procedures and policies? For example, does it hire frequently; does it hire only through referrals?
• What developments or changes is the company planning? This information can help you identify a growing need in the company and company stability. For example, if the company is planning to develop online business services, it will need people with Internet skills.

Be sure to itemize the information that YOU need to help determine whether or not a company is right for you. Then, consult various sources to get the information. By consulting various sources, you will be able to find information that goes beyond the publicity information typically published by companies in their Annual Report and on their Websites.

When Applying for a Job

When applying for a job, find out what kind of information the employer requires. For example, does he or she prefer a résumé or a curriculum vitae? Do you have to fill out an application form or submit a résumé and cover letter?

Get the name of the person who is responsible for hiring so that you can address the documents to that person. Obtaining the name indicates that you have enough interest in the job to do a bit of extra research. Make sure that you are aware of the skills and qualifications the company is seeking for the job you want. In addition, highlight those skills in all your application documents. Finally, find out the kinds of questions the employer will ask in the interview, as well as the appropriate clothing to wear to the interview.

When Deciding to Accept a Job

Reassess whether this company fits with the personal needs and preferences that you identified in your self-assessment. Take some time to think about all that you have learned about yourself and the company to make sure that there is a good "fit."

Writing job application letters

The job application letter's sole purpose is to get the recipient to read your CV. It should be clear, concise and straight to the point. Here you are simply telling the employer that you are worth having a look at.

The application letter should be brief, no more than one page in length. It should be easy to read and flow through. It should include only the absolute necessary information. Like most other things, there is a formula that works extremely well for preparing job application letters. Following we discuss each paragraph and give you some guidelines.

Addressing job application letters:

The style you choose is not important, there are many different styles of job applications and professional letters, this comes down to personal preference. However somewhere on the top, whether it is on the right or left hand sides, there should be your address and the date. Following this, on the left hand side you should address it. Ensure you include the name of the person, their title, company name, address and any position reference number. This is probably obvious, but ensure that you spell their name correctly, nothing worse than receiving a letter incorrectly addressed or misspelled. It gives a poor first impression.

The Introductory Paragraph:

The first paragraph should simply state why you are writing to them. If it is an advertised position, mention the position title and where it was advertised. If you are "cold calling" a company then you should specify that you are applying for any current or future employment opportunities.

An easy way to start this paragraph is with the following statement: " Please find enclosed my CV, which I am forwarding to you as an application for the position of......."

The main body of job application letters:

The main body of the letter should be two to three paragraphs at the most. Here is where you tell them what you have to offer and why they should read your CV. This is a good time to read the job advertisement again. In one paragraph (two at the most) you need to summarise your experience and skills, at the same time, you need to respond to the position requirements as per the advertisement.

Analyse your career and summarise it in a few sentences, highlight what you specialise in, or how many years in the industry you might have, or even the level that you have reached. This paragraph should direct the reader to your CV and should sell you on some unique points that you might have.

A good way to start this paragraph is with a statement like this: "You will see from my enclosed CV...." then go ahead and tell them something about your career which will immediately get their interest.

The next part of the body of the letter should be a brief description of your personal skills. Again read the advertisement and respond to their needs. If they are asking for someone with good co-ordination skills, then ensure you mention something to that effect. If it is communication or perhaps leadership skills they value, then tell them that you have these. Use adjectives like "demonstrated ability", "well developed", "strong".

Job Application Letters Closing Paragraph:

The closing paragraph should ask for some action from the recipient. This is where you ask for an interview. It should also state where and how they can reach you, and it should thank the recipient for giving you the opportunity to apply. You can include things like "should you require further information....." .

Finish the letter by adding a closing remark, either "yours sincerely", "yours faithfully' or whatever you feel comfortable with and obeying general letter writing etiquette. Leave a few spaces for your signature and then place your full name.

Before you mail the application letter, read it over again, making sure that it is perfect. Special attention should be placed to ensure the letter:

• It is not too long.

• There are no grammar or spelling errors.

• That you have answered the job requirements.

• The application letter flows and is easy to read.

You might have to type and edit the letter many times before you are happy with it, but just remember that the job application letter is just as important as the CV itself. The letter should invite the recipient to read the resume, in turn the resume should raise enough interest for them to want to interview you. The Interview is where you will demonstrate your skills and abilities.

Resume Dos and Don’ts

Talking from a point of view business Schools, a well written resume reflects that you have taken the application process seriously and that you have an ability to put your accomplishments in a decent format. Continuing from the post "Why Do Resumes Get Rejected?", today we will have a look at a few dos and don’ts that one should keep in mind while writing an effective resume.

Format- Divide the resume into five broad categories:
Profile
Educational Qualifications
Work Experience
Achievements/ Awards
Additional Information – Interest, Hobbies, GMAT/ TOEFL/IELTS’, Known languages etc.

Add your accomplishments in reverse chronological order. Recommendations are optional, add them only when asked to.

Tasks and Accomplishments- Do not talk about the tasks that you performed during your tenure in an organization rather talk about what you accomplished during that tenure.Eg.

Before:
Experience Includes
Responsibilities included writing mails, compiling track sheets of the number of queries both via phone as well as walk ins , handling marketing campaigns , performing various other duties as assigned.

After:
Experience includes:

• Wrote product overview mails and developed power point presentations for the chief clientele group that contributed to an increase in sales by 20%
• Compiled and maintained query and mailing list of 8000—Kotak Mahindra Banks’ largest-ever list in a single day.
• Handled marketing campaigns of the new products at Delhi and NCR region for corporate clients such as Nokia and Genpact.
• Worked intensively with Rs 10 Cr and above clients to tailor corporate finance products.

Sweet and Short- It is best to keep a resume to as short as one page but if your have gained a lot of experience and have a lot of accomplishments to talk about, you can extend the resume to the maximum length of two pages. One should always keep in mind that an employer is willing to spend just a few seconds before finally deciding to give you an interview call so, simple and sweet works best.

Neat and Correct- Keep your resume sans grammatical and typographical errors. Leave atleast one inch side margins and do not use different colours, a simple white background, and black ink works.

Fonts and Bullets- Use only round bullets, don’t go for character or picture bullets. As far as fonts go, Arial, Verdana and Georgia always work. Arial – 10, Georgia -10 and Verdana – 9 for the normal text and increase the font by 2 or 3 for headings. Comic Sans MS and Papyrus fonts are a strict no.

Concise and Quantitative- Do not use long sentences and heavy accented words but don’t be repetitive in the usage of words. For example replace ‘worked as…’ with ‘collaborated…’Use numbers to show your accomplishments and answer the question ‘how much?’. A specific resume is always better than a general rounded one. For example: Designed marketing campaign that resulted in $50K in pre-launch orders for Kotak Mahindra Banks’ gold coins line. If you performed a specific task at more than one job, list it in one place only. The employer is only interested in knowing your capabilities so, do not make the resume unnecessary lengthy by adding repetitive information.

Action Verbs and Pronouns- Use action verbs to demonstrate your accomplishments such as accelerated, delivered, established, initiated , directed etc. Do not use personal pronouns such as I, me, myself etc.

Revise and Review- Edit and proofread your resume atleast twice and get it read by someone from the same industry. While editing, keep deleting all the unnecessary text because every word counts.

Think and Implement- Think from employer’s point of view and answer a simple question.

Is your resume good enough to hold employer’s attention for atleast 30 seconds?

Many a time the resumes either have too little information or too much information that within a first few seconds a large number of resumes get a trash bin treatment. So, always know your target audience to whom you would be presenting your resume. For example, B Schools stress a lot on work experience section because your work experience reflects your credibility and your capabilities. This work experience is a reliable factor that would help you in getting jobs post MBA as well.

Be Honest – Do not make up degrees, accomplishments, personal or professional facts. Your resume can always be cross checked and if caught, you would be shown the door without any hesitation. For example if you have been a part of team, reflect your accomplishments as a part of teamwork and not as a leadership quality.

A Strict Nos- Don’t add a picture of yourself, salary information, height, weight, religion, failures,the title ‘Resume’, nicknames, and reasons for leaving the previous job. In case of unisexual names, add a courtesy title before your name e.g. “Ms. Michael Scott” or “Mr. Jeriome Thomas”

Time and Effort- Writing an effective resume is a tedious task and it requires time and effort. Spend a good number of hours for writing your resume because a good resume may actually take you a step ahead in changing your destiny. In essence you have to tell your employer what you are looking for and what capabilities you have that makes you a deserving candidate.

Keep these points in mind while writing your resume and if there are any questions or queries that you would like to ask, you can ask them in the comment box; I’d be glad to clear your doubts.

Good Luck!

Why Do Résumés Get Rejected?

I am one of those few people who have not faced any rejection whenever they have applied for a job. I think my personality and articulateness have worked in my favour and I have always been so confident of these two qualities that I never give much heed to my résumé; Looking back, I think I was lucky that I got a job with my silly résumé a few years back. Although I started as a greenhorn in my jobs, my hard-working nature made me survive them. But not many people are that lucky and get such chances in their lives. Today, having reached a level where I can employ good number of people myself, I form the first impression about a potential employee solely through his/her résumé. Also, my industry is such that I may end up selecting a person by short-listing his/her résumé followed by a telephonic interview. In such cases, a good personality or an articulate person would barely make a difference to me since I am not meeting him/her face-to-face. Today, I am aware of the impact a good resume has on me and I am actually ashamed of my résumé that I made a few years back; If I was reading my résumé I am certain I would not have employed myself. Ha! Last year when some students sent me their résumés to edit, I had no other option but to do a thorough research and help them achieve their dreams in whatever little way I could. For days I researched on the topic and, even after I had sent the edited résumés, I didn’t stop researching and making many notes on the reasons the resumes were rejected. I am going to mention a few dos and don’ts one must follow but, before everything else, let’s look at the root of the problem.

According to Wikipedia Curriculum vitae is Latin meaning “course of life” and résumé is French meaning “summary”. In the business world, the word résumé (also spelled resume and résumé) is used especially in the United States and in English Canada. Curriculum vitae and “CV” are used in the United Kingdom in all contexts, with résumé having very little currency. A résumé, commonly written “resume,” is a document that contains a summary or listing of relevant job experience and education. It is closely related to a similar document, a curriculum vitae (CV), which focuses more on education, publications, and other accomplishments. Both are typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an interview, when seeking employment. The résumé or CV is typically the first item that a potential employer encounters regarding the job seeker.
The first and the foremost thing that an applicant to a B School must keep in his/her mind is that the recruiter or ad com does not know anything about you, and your résumé is the first window that would leave an impression about you. I am sure everyone must be aware of the phrase called ’short listing of résumé’; let’s see why some résumés are selected and some rejected in the very first go. An applicant should keep the following basic point in mind before writing a résumé.

A resume should have enough concise material that the recruiter should be able to spend at least 30 seconds before taking any decision.

Coming to the topics of the post:

Why do résumés get rejected?

First Imprints: If you believe that your first impression doesn’t count but only your achievements and accomplishments that do, you are living in a delusion. If your résumé is not able to interest an employer or ad com within first few seconds of screening, it is very likely that you would not be called for the second round. An employer should have a reason to call you for the next round. If your résumé has way ward fonts, bad margins, typographical errors, and multi colours it would definitely leave a bad taste in the very first place itself.

Length: An Applicant should understand that when he is applying for a job or to a B School there are some thousands of résumés that adcom has to review. Neither too little information nor an unending information about you works well. Keep it concise and balanced. The best way is to write a single page résumé by diving it into five sections:
Profile
Educational Qualifications
Work Experience
Achievements/ Awards
Additional Information – Interest, Hobbies, GMAT/ TOEFL/IELTS’, Known languages etc.

Shakespeare’s Language- An employer/ adcom is not interested in knowing whether you have learnt the entire Oxford Dictionary or not, they are interested in knowing your qualities and what you can contribute to school or organization. Use a simple language without any flashy words to describe yourself. It’s same as meeting someone at party and that someone introduces himself as ‘ Hi! I am Sam and I am the most handsome man around,.’ You would obviously feel odd and would think, “this is something that I should be deciding”. A lot of people think that if they use exaggerated business-like language, they would be able to impress an employer; it is a wrong assertion. Who writes like this?, ‘Highly impactful professional adorning outstanding communication and management skills’ I’d say- ‘Dude! Calm down. Let me decide that, and also if you do possess these qualities, you should be using them in the very document that you are writing.’

Generalized Résumés: Sometimes applicants write generalized résumés without dividing the document into sections or without providing any stats, these things do not hold enough attention of the recruiter. If you are applying to a B School, the work experience section should be crisp enough to show your reliability in your past organization. Start the description in reverse chronological order and don’t be too loud about the positions that you held rather tell about what you accomplished while doing your previous jobs. Your responsibilities, implementation, how you managed and how much did you generate for the company should be written clearly and concisely. “Generated monthly sales analysis reports for Regional Head” Yawn!! Rather write ” Over 3 years of experience in stock exchange with high expertise in portfolio management, and sales analysis. Consistently among top 15% rated employees and top ranker in University.’

Reviews- Applicants generally don’t get their résumés reviewed from anyone. Always take an opinion from at least two people from the same industry you are applying to but don’t just go on getting it reviewed from every second person, it will only lead you to confusion. People whom you get your résumés reviewed should have basic knowledge about grammar and spellings.

So, these are the reasons why a résumé could get rejected. I’d spend some time on dos and don’ts for writing an effective résumé and add them in my forthcoming posts.