Application Stage
You have decided the organization looks like a place where you wish to work. Now you begin to edit and craft your application, resume, cover letter, and more to submit for employment interest.
Saint Louis County Library has multiple resources on how to best write and create these needed documents, but you may wish to use some of your research to make these stick out to any hiring entities that review them.
Popular Search Engines
Simply do a search for a company. You'll likely find their website quickly. This will give you a sense of how the company sees themselves and wants to project themselves to the world. Try to find their "Mission" or "Vision" statements and other kinds of outward positioning statements. What do they think of themselves? What language are they using to describe themselves?
Also review a company's social media site, what are they saying about themselves?
Double check that the good vibes you got from the Job Search Stage remain for this employer - any red flags you may have missed. Use these to look at employee and former employee reviews on the company, maybe even look at customer and business partner reviews of the company. Look at how employees say they enjoy (or don't enjoy) their work with a company - as with any voluntarily submitted reviews try to be wary of any outlier reviews.
Beyond directly addressing your capabilities and goals and hitting the requirements in the job posting, you can express some direct knowledge of how your skills might directly apply to your future with the company. Use First Research to see some of the challenges and Executive Insights listed in the quarterly industrial reports.
Look up industry reports.
Search for the company and see if there might be D&B supplied SWOT analysis. Make this knowledge your own. Are there work related business challenges that you've overcome in your past work experience that relate to any of the information here? See if something can work it's way into your cover letter for highlighting.
It may not be best to directly address current business issues in a cover letter, but you might have experience with an initiative the company has made the news for.
Search for locally based companies in the local news, any changes happening? Use the lists to see how the company stands amongst other regional peers. Anybody in the company making certain lists?
Use the following SLCL LibGuides to learn more about crafting the appropriate documents.