Research Your Target Companies More Deeply
Surface-level company research gets you through an initial application. Deep research prepares you to stand out in an interview, write a more compelling cover letter, and have more meaningful networking conversations. The more you know about a company the more confidently you can speak about why you want to work there.
Surface-level company research gets you through an initial application. Deep research prepares you to stand out in an interview, write a more compelling cover letter, and have more meaningful networking conversations. The more you know about a company the more confidently you can speak about why you want to work there.
Step by Step
Pick your top 5 target companies These are the companies you would be most excited to work for right now.
For each company spend 5 minutes on deep research Find and note:
Their most recent news (funding, product launches, leadership changes, expansions)
Their stated mission and values
What they say about their culture on their website and Glassdoor
Any recent LinkedIn posts from their leadership team
What their current employees say about working there
Write one sentence about why you want to work there This is for your own clarity as much as anything else. "I want to work at [Company] because [specific reason]." Make it real and specific.
Add your notes to your tracker Reference these notes when writing cover letters and outreach messages for these companies.
Tips for success
Set up Google Alerts for your top 5 companies. You will receive an email whenever they are mentioned in the news, which gives you conversation starters and keeps you informed.
Reading a company's blog or founder interviews tells you a lot about their culture and priorities that you will not find on the About page.