INTRODUCTION:
In the present era of high competition and conflicts, doing your own research will make you stand out regarding a job interview or any other purpose. Pointing a company without knowing or having much enough or appropriate knowledge about it is just the same as appearing in an exam without enough and appropriate preparation. Knowing what a company does and what does it want in a candidate gives you confidence while you walk in for an interview. Meanwhile, you can effectively elaborate on how you can fit into a company. On the other hand, having less or no information about the company at all would mean that you will settle for a very less or will just fail
In other words, while setting up for a company, either UK or non-UK, proper research and information is a must. This will boost your confidence in the context of the right questions to be asked and make you stand out from other candidates as well as help to grab the most favorable opportunities while ending up getting fairly handsome opportunities.
Do your own research – It is a phrase used to avoid second-hand or misleading information and to get real-time and accurate information about the topic of research.
Doing your own research on a company helps you point out the most relevant and most accurate spots to pay attention to. Otherwise, you may end up getting inaccurate and misleading second-hand information that may lift you down or you will end up focusing on irrelevant spots in a piece of company information.
HOW TO DYOR ON A UK COMPANY?
DYOR on a UK company might seem quite difficult for beginners or for those who do not belong to this particular field. But here are the most common yet easiest methods and tools to research a UK company and get the most accurate information.
Methods to DYOR on a UK company:
- Company website: Approximately all the UK companies upload the advisories, press releases, reports, financial documents, and some other publications of their information on their websites. Another way of getting information about a company through its website is the “store locators” option. Here you can trace the retail outlets of a competitor meanwhile keeping in mind that many companies sometimes show things in a better vision for branding though they try to maintain clarity with the statistics and announcements in the reports.
- Business and local economic journals/newspapers/ magazines: Magazines and journals are among the conventional methods to find information about a company. Sometimes, it is difficult to find accurate and relevant information about a company on the web. In such cases, magazines, journals, and newspapers help to get information about a company.
- Yellow pages and directories: On the website of a company, the filter option is available which can help to search the companies according to ZIP code. Since many companies nowadays are linked with GMaps, you can find the company information including contact details, email address, address, etc. through directories.
What to look for?
- Look for a company that shares your values: A company that has clear goals and that resonates with your passion and interests. Read the reviews of the present as well as past employees about the salary, job advancement, company culture, and work/life balance.
- Employee benefits: many companies often offer healthcare benefits along with other perks that include flexible work schedules, stock options, or specific onsite facilities including catered cafeterias or gyms to attract potential employees. While DYOR on a UK company, research for employee benefits and perks the company offers.
- Business operations of the company: find the information regarding the ways the company makes money, the potential buyers of their services and products and if they are highly rated or not. Research about how long the company has been in a business and how it has grown over that period. Look for the industry in which that company is.
After getting this information, draw an idea of how stable is the business and what might be their immediate concerns as well as how could you play a role in their success.
- The leadership of the company: Once a company grabs your interest, get to know about the ones who are leading its way. In other words, find information about the employees who are holding higher positions. Get to know about them through the employee bios from the “About Us” section of the company’s website. Also, search out and assess the social media profiles of the department directors and executives.
- Recent events and news: though the company blog, social media, and website are great sources of information, but still do opt for an external perspective. Look for specific industry publications and general news coverage for recent updates and events about the company as well as their competitors
- Scan the news headlines: Scan the news headlines for major company changes during the recent past. Note the significant events including corporate buyouts or mergers, widespread layoffs, a new CEO, etc. but be cautious as such changes may bring opportunities as well as can also result in low morale of the employee.
- Review related forums, business journals, and local news stories: If you find difficulty in tracking the information about a company online, opt for other media sources including local and national news, business journals, trade publications, blogs, and forums that provide product reviews and articles. Also, search for the company information from the Chamber of Commerce in your locality.
CONCLUSION:
In the context of Do Your Own Research on a UK company, some points and strategies are shared in this article. DYOR is, however, a better option while walking into a job interview or for other purposes. It helps you avoid the inappropriate and second-hand information about a company. Almost all UK companies share their reports, progress, and statistics on their websites. However, if some companies do not upload their information, there are other ways to find out including directories, chambers of commerce, etc.
After getting all the information about a specific UK company, be sure to strategically showcase your skills, knowledge, and experience in a way that impresses the employers. Connect your skills, knowledge about the company, and your experience to the job description vision for the company, and goals for the specific department.