In most cases, the only way to get valuable career information about the company you will be interviewing with is to do this research. The following tips are designed to get you started researching careers thoroughly.
Look Up the Company
The absolute least you should do while searching for career information on a particular company is look up their website. All large companies will have some type of internet presence today, and most will have multiple pages piled with information. Smaller companies may be harder to find, but even local car mechanics are now putting up websites so you should never rule this step out before trying.
If you can find job postings or announcements on the site pay attention to how this employer describes positions you may be interested in and pick up on keywords that describe what they are looking for in candidates. Also, browse the entire site with an eye for words that seem to stand out, especially when they are in reference to their company values. Write those keywords down and try to use them in reference to yourself in the interview. Sprinkle those words throughout your resume as well!
Background on the company is also useful as it will help you form impressive answers to questions such as "why do you want to work for our company?" or "why would you be a good fit for us?"
Internet Search
Next do a general search for the company online, looking for newspaper clippings, social networking sites for current or previous employees, and annual reports for the company to determine if they are stable. Practically anything you can find about this company and the current employees could help you in the interview process.
Locating Employees
If you know someone who works for this company or used to work for them, they could be an invaluable source of career information. Ask lots of questions and try to get an idea for the personality and expectations of the person who will likely be doing your interview.
Look on social networking sites to locate current employees if you don't know anyone personally. They may have posted their resume or work history, which can give you an idea of what qualifications this company may value. Use LinkedIn to locate employees and make an introduction, especially if you can make contact with people higher up in the company.
Job Ad Sites
Search through Monster and smaller job search sites that allow employers to post ads for open positions. Look at what positions this company has open right now, what qualifications they are searching for, and again locate keywords that describe what they are looking for and what they value.
Once you go through this process you will have a much better idea of what this employer may be looking for, which will take some of the pressure off guessing at interview answers.
