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Most IT headhunters will advise their IT contractors to research a company before they go to interviews for IT jobs.  And for most IT contractors, it’s certainly not the first time they’ve heard that advice.  What IT professionals don’t often think about before interviews is how to research an information technology company.  IT managers aren’t simply impressed if IT consultants can throw out a few random facts.  There are a few things that should guide the research one does before interviewing with a company.

1. Focus on the big picture. Get a bigger sense of the company.  Consider looking at it from the 5 questions a journalist uses: Who, what where, why, how.  Who does the company serve, who are the big players there?  What are the company’s core values, future goals, etc.  Where are the major locations for a company: its headquarters, its clients, markets it hopes to grow into.  Why does the company do what it does?  How does the company achieve its goals? And so on.

2. Ignore the stuff that’s too personal.  Social media, Glassdoor, etc all make it far too easy to learn the gossip and scandals of a company’s employees.  Pay attention to things that will affect you as an employee but forget the rest.  It won’t help you to know it and it will probably hurt you.

3. Check the company’s presence online.  In the news, on their website, in the press room of their website, and with a general Google search.  Being able to give the company back some of the image they’ve created for themselves will definitely earn you some brownie points. Focus on the positive, of course.