“I can always tell when an applicant hasn’t done their research on us.” — every recruiter & hiring manager ever.
The problem we see with many candidates, is they think they don’t need to do any in-depth research on a company before they apply. Many think this is something reserved for when preparing for an interview.
But that’s a mistake.
Employers are always viewing your application with a lens of “why do you want to work for us?”
So it’s important you know the answer to this, before applying.
The way you approach this question in your application tells recruiters A LOT. They can determine how serious you are about the role, whether you’re going to be the right fit for the company, and how you compare to other candidates.
How do you ensure you answer this question effectively?
By doing your research.
Researching as much as you can about a role and company before applying will give you the best shot at nailing your application.
You’ll discover the type of culture the company has, what success in the role looks like, their vision and values.
Once you know all of this, you can tailor your application to include everything you’ve learnt, helping you land that interview.
Here’s how to do your research 👇
😎 Breakdown the Job Description
The Job Description is like a little window into the role — it may be a foggy one depending on how well it’s written, but — there’s a lot of important info you can gain from a JD. You just need to know how to dissect it.
- The type of language used: is it emotive, or clinical? Do they speak in a casual tone or is it very formal? This can give an insight into the type of culture and outward presence they choose to adopt. You want to make sure your application mirrors this.
- Look out for keywords and phrases: These are usually the top skills or qualities they’re looking for. Identify these and then use them in your application.
🕵️ Understanding Requirements
Knowing what responsibilities and and skills they’re looking for will allow you to target these directly in your application.
Here’s an activity 👉 Look through the skills listed in the Job Description and categorise them by area. You can keep these area’s broad. From there, make dot points underneath with the specific skills and details they’re after.
Next to each specific skill, detail how you have achieved success in that skill. Then, copy these into your CV, resume or cover letter.
This is going to take all of the stress out when it comes to writing your application.
Phew! 😅
🏹 Company Values
Recruiters and Hiring Managers want to know you have the same passion and drive for the company as they do. Researching the company’s values and highlighting how you align with them is one of the best ways to show this.
The company website is a great place to start. You can see how they choose to represent themselves and what they claim to stand for. It’s good to get specific by looking up their leadership team. This will also give you insight into how they choose to manage employees, and what their culture might be like.
⛸ Researching Recruiters
Just as recruiters learn about you, you can learn about them. The best place to look for them will typically be a LinkedIn profile, available under the People tab on the company’s page. This will have lots of information such as how long they have been at the company and what experience they had before getting their role. You can use this to figure out which experiences of yours will be most relevant to them.
👌Take The Pressure Off — Go With Your Gut
Spend the time to carefully choose which roles you’re applying to. You may feel by applying to less roles you’re reducing your chances of getting a job, but it will leave more time to spend on your application for the roles you’re really interested in. Tune into your gut feeling, you know what’s right for you.
If you found this useful, you’ll love our Job Search Secrets course. Check it out here 👉 https://useverb.com/courses/jobsearchsecretscourse
