Before pursuing a position with a particular company, a wise candidate will obtain information about the company, its culture and competitors. This research will help candidates develop an intelligent list of questions to ask during the interview.
Find the information needed by networking with other industry executives, consulting state associations, talking with current and former employees, and checking the company website. For publicly held companies, a stockbroker and the company’s annual report can provide vital business data. But a word of caution: annual reports usually present the image the company wants to portray to its stockholders and may not reveal much about the actual corporate climate.