Believe it or not, the job application process is a two-way street. It’s not just about selling yourself in your best light, it’s also about working out if the firm you are applying to is the right fit for you.
In this article, we outline what do you need to know about a firm before making a job application and how to find the information we believe is worth its weight in gold when researching and applying for a job.
Naturally this tends to be the first point of call for most candidates when applying for a job. Read the firm’s ‘About Us’ page and note down information such as:
If the company you are applying to is a Featured Company on the BTS Careers Zone, you can also find information about them by checking out their Featured Company’s Profile page.
Writing down notes is a great way to help remember these details and, if you get through to a face-to-face interview, you can keep these notes to hand so you can refer to them on the big day before the interview.
Following on from the company’s website, have a look at the company’s social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.
Facebook and Instagram can give you an overview of the company’s presence, popularity, style, and culture.
LinkedIn can help you gauge their professional reputation and often includes information like work history, insights, and latest news.
You can also search for colleagues (and even your interviewer!) to find out more about the team and career development.
Keep relevant and up to date with the company’s goals, trajectory for the future, recent news, events, and projects.
Making a note of these shows you have done your homework and will help you gauge if the company fits with your vision for the future.
If you know anyone that works in the industry or in a similar role, it’s a good idea to drop them a message and ask for an insight into the process they went through to get their job. People are often very willing to share their own experiences to support others. You won’t know unless you ask!
If you don’t know anyone in the industry, our Day in the Life of a… articles on Careers Zone help show a real life, personal perspective on some of the key financial services roles. Check out A Day in the Life of a…:
Building a set of key notes will help you build rapport, familiarity and develop your own confidence when making a job application. You will probably find it helps you to generate a list of questions you would like to ask the interviewer too. Afterall, an interview is a two-way street!
As always, please feel free to drop us a line if you would like any further assistance with connecting to any of our Featured Companies: enquiries@bespoketrainingsolutions.com
To find out more about what its like to work in financial planning check out our “Day in the Life of…” series of articles written by people doing the real-life role.
You can also connect with any of our Featured Companies by editing your profile and updating your connect with featured companies preferences.
