Careers
Auburn University Career Services
- The CDS website has a ton of information about researching careers, creating a resume, preparing for an interview, and researching companies. Be sure to check out their web resources link to find a lot of really great recommended sites.
Researching Careers
- Occupational Outlook Handbook
- This U.S. government guide provides information on hundreds of careers, including the training and education needed; earnings; expected job prospects; what workers do on the job; and working conditions.
- AUBIECat Library Catalog
- Search the Library Catalog to find books in the library on careers and job hunting. Try searches for "vocational guidance" or "occupations". You can also browse some of our career books on the 3rd floor of the library in the HF 5381-5386 call number ranges.
Job Postings on the Internet
Creating a List of Potential Employers
Not all jobs are posted on the Internet. These sources can help you identify and target companies in a particular industry or geographic location that you may want to send your resume:
- Hoover's Online(AU Libraries Database)-
- Provides detailed information on more than 50,000 of the largest or fastest growing public and private U.S. companies. Includes company address, number of employees, key people, history, financial data, news items and selected links to company web sites, SEC filings, and current stock prices.
- ReferenceUSA(AU Libraries Database)
- Search for businesses and get brief company information. Includes more small, private companies than Hoover's Online. (More info)
- www.fortune.com – Look under the rankings tab for these lists and others
- -100 Best Companies to Work For
- -America's 20 Most Admired Companies
- -20 Greatest Companies for New Grads
- Almanac of American Employers- (book)
- Call Number: HF 5382.75 .U6 A45 2007
- Reference Shelves, 2nd Floor Library
Basic Company Information
Keep in mind that the company type may determine how much information you will be able to find. Public companies, like Wal-Mart, Ford and Coca-Cola, are those that sell stock to investors, so they typically have the most information available to researchers. Private companies, which do not sell stock to investors, are not required to provide information about their companies. As a result, they can be more difficult to research. The Hoover's Online or Reference USA databases should indicate whether a company is public or private.
- Hoover's Online(AU Libraries Database)-
- Provides detailed information on more than 50,000 of the largest or fastest growing public and private U.S. companies. Includes company address, number of employees, key people, history, financial data, news items and selected links to company web sites, SEC filings, and current stock prices.
- ReferenceUSA(AU Libraries Database)
- Search for businesses and get brief company information. Includes more small, private companies than Hoover's Online. (More info)
Company Websites
You'll want to take a look at the company's website. This is the company's main communication tool with the world. Here, you'll find out about the company's products or services and what the company wants it's customers and investors to know about it. However, keep in mind that the website may not tell the entire story about what's going on with a company. You'll also want to look for news, articles and reports available in the AU Library business databases to verify what you find on a website.
Annual Report
For a public company, look for an Annual Report. Produced by the company each year for their stockholders, the annual report will describe the company’s operations, financial situation, and future plans. Try these sites to locate a copy of the annual report:
- Company website- recent years are usually under links called Investor Relations, About Us, etc.
- Annual Report Gallery- www.reportgallery.com
Search Business Publications
Look for articles that discuss the company’s history, operations, trends, etc. Try including some of those terms as keywords in your searches. Also, if you know the name of the top executives, try a search with their names to see if they've given interviews. If you can't find articles about your company, look for articles about the industry in which they operate.
- Business Source Premier (AU Libraries Database)-
- Includes business magazines, journals and trade publications. Also has Company Profile reports from Datamonitor that give detailed information about a company.
- www.BizJournals.com
- Great source to find articles on private companies or for local information on public companies.
- LexisNexis Academic
- Provides access to various databases, including current news, business information, company directories, federal and state laws, regulations, legal cases, etc.
Other Possible Sources:
History of the Organization
- Business & Company Resource Center (AU Libraries Database)-
- Includes in-depth company histories from the International Directory of Company Histories.
For Non-Profit Organizations
- GuideStar
- Provides access to IRS Form 990, which most non-profits must file. This form has info on revenue, expenses, salaries of directors and top employees.
Industry Reports
An industry report is a great way to find out what's important to a company in a particular industry. What are the forces that are impacting that industry? What opportunities or challenges does the company face in that industry? Finding out what's going on in the industry provides you with "talking points" during an interview. How would your skills help the employer in that industry?
- ABI/Inform Complete (AU Libraries Database)
- Includes great Industry Reports from FirstResearch. Once in the ABI/Inform database, click on the Browse tab at the top, then follow the link for FirstResearch. Industry overview, Challenges, Trends & Opportunities, call prep questions.
- IBISWorld Industry Reports
- Provides access to market research reports on over 700 U.S. industries. The reports cover key industry statistics, market segmentation, current industry conditions and future outlook. We also have access to the China industry reports.
Contact
If you have any questions about researching a company or using any of the resources, please contact the Reference Desk at 844-1737, or e-mail askalibrarian@auburn.edu . We have other library resources that might be able to answer your questions.
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