Finding the Right Industry, Employer, or Organization
When you have narrowed your career interests to one or more career fields, it is time to look for information about specific industries and employers. You want to learn about their products and services, key trends, major companies, career paths and specific job titles with the industry, and become familiar with the industry jargon.
Employer Research in the Career Center Library
There are a number of resources in the Career Center to help you with this task. The Employer Directories section of the career library has a number of books and directories that will help you identify companies and research certain industries. Resources about local employers make up the majority of the collection. Several other titles of special interest are The 150 Best Companies for Liberal Arts Graduates, The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America, and the Ohio Job Bank. Job Choices is an annual publication (free to you) that lists employers who hire new college graduates in business, the sciences, and technology. Ask a Career Center staff member to help you locate the information you seek.
Researching Industries Online
A good place to start is www.wetfeet.com. It is one of the best compilations of research information online. Go to the site and click on the Research Industries link in the left column. Scroll down the middle column and review the list of industries and click on the one that best matches your interests. You will be offered a list of information options. Another good resource for researching industries is NexisLexis, which is available in the main library on campus.
Researching Employers Online
There are three major employment sectors that you will need to research to determine the best fit for you, the private sector (profit-making businesses), public sector (federal, state, and local government), and the non-profit sector (where the bottom line is mission and purpose rather than profit). Understanding the key information about a company or organization will help you determine if it is the type of organization you'd like to work for. You should try to answer these questions:
- To what industry does this company/organization belong?
- What is its product or service?
- What is the overall working environment of the organization?
- How are the company's functions organized?
- What is the typical work environment?
- What is the typical management style and philosophy?
- What are the career paths within the company?
- How stable is the company and what are its long-term prospects?
- How have technology and economic trends affected this company/organization?
- Where are the positions that interest you located with the organization?
- What are your prospects for employment and how could you enter the company?
Finding company web sites is fairly simple. Go to a basic search engine such as Yahoo!, Google or AltaVista. Type in the name of the company in quotes ("Procter & Gamble") or simply type the name of the company between www. and .com. Other sites of interest are:
Find Out More About Companies Through News Articles
The following links will take you to sites where you can access news articles about the companies that interest you.
Publicly Traded Companies
Non-Public Companies
Non-Profit Organizations
|
