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Career services professional offers tips for researching prospective employers

Career services professional offers tips for researching employers

As a graduate student, do you know what to research when assessing a prospective employer, preparing for an interview, or evaluating a job offer? Did you know that graduate students who take the time to research speakers, conference presenters, prospective employers, and interviewers prior to their conversations are far more likely to achieve their desired goals than those who do not?

Harriette Royer, career services professional at Warner, offers helpful insight on how to research prospective employers before applying for positions.

  1. WHAT to interview often stymies job applicants. The insightful article by Russ Abbatiello, “Pre-Interview Company Research – Stop Memorizing Facts!” lays out specific areas for you to research and explains the rationale. Keep this article on hand when you launch your employer research.
  2. Are you researching a college or university as an employer? Dr. Shai Butler offers specific steps for preparing for your next higher education job during a market downturn
  3. Are you entertaining a variety of prospective career functions with diverse employers? Then information meetings (a.k.a. information interviews) is a strategy for supplementing your online research by talking to individuals in those functions and working in those organizations. This Inside Higher Ed article, “Sounding Smarter = Being Smarter,” provides a solid foundation for your foray into information meetings.
  4. Did you know that research before an interview makes you a more engaging and interesting candidate, according to Charlotte Lin? In “How to Be More Interesting in Interviews,” she lays out specific topics to research before your interview and explains how they enhance your impact and your probable outcome. 

Are you interested in learning more? Contact Harriette Royer in Career Services for a personal consultation or to request additional readings on topics that are pertinent for you.