Research Potential Employers

Part of preparing for your interview is knowing something about the company you'll be meeting with. It's much easier to find information about publicly-held companies than it is about private or local businesses.

Libraries subscribe to business databases that have company profiles on public corporations:

• Business Source Complete - Tri-C [on-campus | off-campus]
• Mergent Online - Tri-C [on-campus | off-campus]
• Business & Company Resource Center - CCPL, CPL
• Disclosure Corporate Snapshots - CPL
• View all of CPL's and CCPL's business databases.

Because private companies are not required by law to make disclosures, it can be more difficult to find information about them. Local companies can also be difficult to find information on because they are usually private or may not be large enough to catch the notice of large newspapers or magazines.

For private and local companies, your best bet is directory information from a database like ReferenceUSA or searching for articles about the company in a database like Regional Business News.

Directories:

• Reference USA - CCPL, CPL
• D&B the Million Dollar Database - CCPL, CPL

Articles:

• Business Source Complete - Tri-C [on-campus | off-campus]
• Regional Business News - Tri-C [on-campus | off-campus]
• Cleveland Plain Dealer - Tri-C
• NewsBank - Tri-C

Also try the company's website. Most have a link on their home page to History or About Us.