13 Best Websites for Job Researching Companies in the USA

13 Best Websites for Job Researching Companies in the USA 172 That is, the 13 best websites that aren't Google or LinkedIn. This is a guest post by Heather Krasna. If you’d also like to guest post here on JobMob, follow these guest post guidelines. I tell people that it never hurts to apply for a job, and when in doubt, go ahead and apply for a position (unless, of course, you meet less than about 75% of the qualifications). In real life, though, people don't have time to apply to each position they see. To prioritize whether to apply, there are certain websites I direct people to help research the companies/organizations they are applying to. Through these sites, you can find out what salaries might be offered, what the culture of the organization is like, and even whether you might like your future boss.eval Besides the most obvious sites like Google and LinkedIn here are some of them: For nonprofit organization job seekers Guidestar.org is a site that houses the 990 tax returns of the great majority of nonprofit organizations (except those that are religious, are private trusts, or are too small to be required to file).eval What can you glean from a 990? For one thing, the salaries of the top executives. I recently downloaded the 990 of the Gates Foundation and saw the exact amounts they spend on contractors, as well as who they're giving grants toâ€" excellent info if you want to work there, or want to know who they're giving to. You can also learn about the financial health of the organization, and much more. The Foundation Center Library is a private library which is open to the public, and which houses data on most philanthropies, foundations, and corporate giving programs. If you want a job in a foundation, or are just doing prospect research, this database is fantastic for gathering information. National Center for Charitable Statistics also has nonprofit 990 tax returns online, but also has the added value that you can do a search by mission area code, state etc., and generate a list of the largest nonprofits in a particular mission area and geographic area, sorted by revenue. For those seeking jobs in government USA.gov is a good resource for finding government agencies, and has links to all 300+ federal agencies so you can learn about their various missions. FedScope is a great resource for finding the largest federal agencies in your state, by employment number. General purpose Glassdoor.com provides free, anonymous reviews of thousands of companies, including salaries, reviews of the company culture, reviews of the top executive, actual interview questions typically asked, etc. It is hands-down my favorite resource for getting the inside scoop on a company. There are many imitators, but I don't know of any that come close in terms of coverage and scope. (I recently helped someone ace an interview after finding all the unusual questions asked by a particular company being listed on Glassdoor.) Hoovers.com is a pay site where you can get company information on most for-profit companies as well as many nonprofits and government agencies. I would also suggest any job seeker to check out their public library for access to this type of resource; and college students should check their university library to see if they can get free access. ReferenceUSA is an excellent site for finding out which organizations are in your zip code, and researching target employers by SIC code. You can easily download data on hundreds of organizations in your field to build a list of target companies and organizations in your area. Lexis-Nexis is a site which provides information on mentions of a particular company or organization in the news media or blogs. For some reason, it is better than Google News as a search site. It's very helpful for finding out what people are saying about an organization. When considering relocation, a number of sites are also good for determining how far your paycheck will go in a new city. Variables like the different tax rates in different states, different costs of living etc., can make a huge difference in whether you’ll be able to afford the move. To calculate what your new paycheck will look like in a new city, plug in all your numbers into paycheckcity.com. To estimate the differences in cost of living, try Best Places, CNNMoney, or Salary.com. Question of the article What are your favorite job search research resources? Tell us in the comments. About the Author Heather Krasna, MS, is a career services professional with over 14 years' experience and the author of Jobs That Matter: Find a Stable, Fulfilling Career in Public Service, the first book to cover meaningful careers in both the nonprofit and government sectors. Join her mailing list for a free download of over 400 public service career resources, or explore the individual and organizational services she provides as Director of Candidate Services for the Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group. This article is part of the Over $4000 in Prizes: The 5th Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest, which was made possible thanks in large part to our sponsors: Marcus Tandler’s JOBlog is Germany’s oldest blog about job search careers. Rabbi Issamar Ginzberg is an internationally acclaimed advisor to successful business owners, known for his small business ideas. WebHostingBuzz is a reliable reseller hosting company based in MA, USA. If you want Heather Krasna to win, share this article with your friends. If you liked this article, you'll also enjoy 7 Company Research Tips Before The Job Interview.