FreeManta.com

The internet is a virtual goldmine of free tools and websites that can help you successfully research your potential employer. Sites like Manta provide in-depth and detailed reports for free (only a quick registration is required). In addition, they provide premium reports (for a fee) for the truly information-hungry. Search engines can also be a great tool — especially if you’re having trouble finding a particular company’s website. You can also try a “blog search” (like Google’s) to see what others have to say about the company in question.

You’ll have a better chance of landing the job of your dreams if you can find a way to show the employer specifically how you can help them achieve their goals. Of course, in order to do this you need to go beyond just knowing a company’s general statistics – you need to know their strengths, and perhaps more importantly, their weaknesses. Delving into a company website can usually give you an indication on where they feel their strengths lie, and referring to a site like Manta can give you the detailed information that the employer’s website may not. Ideally, however, the best information about the needs of the company comes from someone who already works there. If you don’t already know an employee, brush up on those networking skills and find one!