Do your research when applying for jobs

Whether you’re drafting an application, CV or cover letter, employers want to hear what you know about them and why you’ve picked them. Researching the company you’re applying to will help you draw on the information in your application; an essential step in attracting the employer to want to know more about you. It can also showcase and evidence the time and effort you have taken to research the company and sector.

Learn about the company culture and ethos

You may not have all the necessary information from the job advert and you may want to learn more about the company you're applying to.

Learn about the culture, ethos, values and future direction on company websites. You can usually find out:

• when the organisation was founded
• what services they offer
• their mission statement
• company values
• latest news.

Use search engines for news and information about the company. This can sometimes yield interesting results from industry news stories, comments on internet forums, reports on (or by) competitors and also staff appointment announcements.

Look at the company’s social media channels. Most have a presence on the business networking site LinkedIn, but more and more organisations are utilising other channels, such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.

Learn about the sector and industry

Research the sector to build a picture of the role and wider company direction. You can draw attention to your knowledge of the whole sector in your application or interview.

Have a look at our article on Researching the labour market to learn about other uses of Labour Market Information (LMI) and where to find it.