Job Search:
Researching Jobs & Employers

Before going on a job interview, it is important to thoroughly research both the job and the employer. Some of the most important information about a company can be found through researching: products and services, financials, structure and subsidiaries, mission, competition, recent articles, history, and analyst reports. There are several databases and resources that can be accessed to gain this information. Listed below are the most commonly used online resources that are available to you through the Pardee Library in the School of Management. They are also available from home.

ABI Inform (The Wall Street Journal, business and trade magazines, scholarly journals)
Datamonitor Company Profiles (in Business Source Premier—SWOT analysis and competition, history, products and services)
FACTIVA (current news from newspapers, business and trade journals)
Hoover's Reports (in LexisNexis—corporate structure and subsidiaries, management team, history, strategy, financials, competition, products)
Mergent Online (history, financials, annual reports and 10-K reports, competition, management, products, strategy, structure) 10K reports are also available from http://sec.gov/, under "Search for Company Filings," click on "Companies & Other Filers"
Also see company website for company mission

To access these databases:
go to MiTRAC and click on "Career Resources: Pardee Library."
http://www.bu.edu/library/guides/pml/career/index.html
Click on No. 4, "Find Business Articles and Data: Career—Pre-Interview Research."

ABI Inform

1. Click "ABI Inform"
2. Enter company name
3. Click "Search"
4. Select relevant gray source tab
* Result: Articles from numerous sources

Datamonitor Reports (in Business Source Premier)

1. Enter company name in "Browse for"
2. Click "Browse"
3. For abstract information click on company name or for detailed information, click on "Datamonitor Report"
* Result: Extensive company information, including SWOT analysis (for larger companies)

FACTIVA

1. Type name of company in Free Text box
2. Adjust date and run search
3. Sort by relevance
Optional: Click on +Source and choose "Top Sources" or "Publications by Industry" from Select Source drop-down menu.
* Result: The most up-to-date company news from a diverse range of sources.

Hoover's Company Profiles (in LexisNexis)

1. Enter company name or ticker
2. Click "Search"
* Result: In-depth company information, including corporate structure, management team, and history

Investext Plus

1. Click on "Investext Plus"
2. Enter company name in Company Search
3. Click "Search"
4. Click on full page PDF
* Result: Industry and analyst reports

Mergent Online

1. Click "Mergent Online"
2. On the left click "enter mergent online"
3. In Identifier, enter company name
4. Click "Search"
5. Then click on the company name
7. Click "Annual Reports" or "EDGAR" tab
* Result: Company's annual and 10-K reports

You can also access the Pardee Library resources from home at: http://www.bu.edu/library/management/eres/connecting.html

Researching the Job

You will also need to make sure you understand the position itself before you write the cover letter, and, definitely, before you interview. For example, if you are interviewing for a position as a financial analyst, know what a financial analyst does. We often hear recruiters comment that students do not put effort into understanding what they will be doing on the job, so this is an important detail to tackle. You can get this information by going over the job description carefully, looking on the company website, and checking out the resources below. The U.S. Department of Labor website is a good resource for this information. You can access this through the Pardee Library.

Go to the Pardee Library at: www.bu.edu/library/management
1. Under Career Guides, click "Career: General Business"
2. Click "Industry Career Guides" tab
3. Click "Occupational Outlook Handbook"
4. In upper right hand corner, click "OOH Search/A-Z Index"
5. Under Search OOH, type in the occupation or industry

Another good resource is the Vault Online Career Library, which provides you with industry guides, career guides and employer profiles. Vault can be accessed through the MiTRAC home page.
For books on job search and interviewing, see the Career Resources Collection on the third floor of the Pardee Library: www.bu.edu/library/management/ref/career.html

Job Search: Researching Jobs & Employers