While many aviation job seekers place great importance on perfecting their resumes or honing their interview skills (and, yes, these are crucial), one component is often neglected from the job search process:

Company Research!

	How to Use It
	Aviation Directory How To

Avjobs recently improved a great tool to use for research, job inquiries and industry networking. The Aviation Directory allows you to view contact information for over 44,000 companies worldwide. Not only does the directory provide you with ways to get in touch with industry professionals, the Aviation Directory streamlines the process of making contact with these companies. Here's a example of an entry in the Aviation Directory:

These icons will be present only if the information is in our system. For example, an entry without a cell phone number or email address will not show the cell phone icon or the @ icon.

We hope that the Aviation Directory can be a valuable tool in your quest for a great job.

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	Why to use It
	Aviation Directory Why to Use it

Before you go in for an interview (or better yet, before you send in a resume), it is crucial to conduct research on the company that you want to join.

To Begin Company Research, Go Home! (to their company home page)

Visiting a company's website is a good way to start your job search. Many corporate home pages reveal tons of facts that could give you an edge over other job seekers, including:

• The company's history.
• The names and bios of top managers.
• Impressive achievements.
• The company's philosophy, goals and outlook for the future.
• Essential information: Where the company is located, how many employees currently work there and the name of a Human Resources contact.

To locate a company's home page, just select the name of the company from the Aviation Directory!.  Once you find the company, click the link to their website and read every piece of information you can find. Browse through the rest of the site, including pages such as "Management," "Press Releases" and "Contact Us."

Looking From the Outside In

While visiting a company home page is a good way to begin researching a potential employer, it will not provide you with all the information you need -- especially if the information is negative. For instance:

• Has the company recently been involved in a scandal?

• Did layoffs recently occur?

• Did the company's stock price recently drop?

• You usually won't find the answers to these questions on a company website.

To supplement the information you gathered from the company's home page, research what outside venues have to say about the company. Visiting a general search engine is a good place to start. Just type in the company's name and read up on what others have to say.

Additionally, if the company is publicly traded, visit a finance website to view the company's stock and financial records -- indicators of the company's financial stability.

Getting to Know You

What's the best way to find out what it's like to work at a company? Ask the people who work there! In other words, ya gotta network.

When conducting research on a particular company, networking can benefit you in two ways:

1. It will give you an "insider's perspective" on what it's like to work at the company; and
    

2. It will give you a chance to make allies with people that can help you land a job. Many companies have employee referral programs, so getting to know current employees may be one way to get in the door.

To be an effective networker, talk to your friends. Ask if anyone knows someone who works (or used to work) for that particular company.

When you find someone, send him/her a friendly email naming the friend that you have in common and mentioning that you are considering applying to the company in question. Ask if they would mind answering some questions about what it's like to work at the company.

If the person doesn't respond to your email or says "no," don't take it personally. Instead, look for someone else who might be able to offer insight.

If the person agrees, consider asking questions such as:

• What's the company culture like?
• Are employees generally happy there?
• What can they tell you about _________ department?
• Could they direct you to anyone else who might provide useful information?

Remember to be professional and polite. Spell-check and grammar-check your email before you send it. Keep it brief and make sure that it won't take an inordinate amount of time to answer.

Know the Competition

A savvy job seeker will research as much as they can about a company they want to work for. But an even savvier job seeker will also research that company's competition, as well as the industry in general.

The reason for researching the competition is twofold:

1. It will provide you with context about how the company performs against its competitors. Many employers want to know why you want to work there instead of a competitor. If you know the competitors, you can answer this question with detail and authority.

2. Perhaps, during your research, you will find that there are other companies that offer better employment opportunities than the one you were originally researching!

Most companies are looking for individuals that will improve their bottom line. If you display knowledge not only about a company but also their competition, you will likely give the impression that you are conscientious, up-to-date, driven and knowledgeable -- qualities that most employers highly value.

If you're not sure who the main competitors are, just try looking the company up in the Yellow Pages -- some of their competitors may be listed in the same section.

If there are other ways you think the Avjobs Aviation Directory may be helpful, please let us know.