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If you want that job offer, learn about the company

How much you know about prospective employers plays a crucial role, a new survey confirms. A survey by Accountemps revealed that 47 percent of executives polled said having little or no knowledge of the company is the most common mistake job seekers make during interviews. Accountemps offers the following tips for researching potential employers:

Find information at your fingertips. By visiting the company’s Web site, you can locate a wealth of information, such as the firm’s mission and values, what products and services it provides, recent press releases and more. If it’s a publicly traded company, call the investor relations department to request an annual report.

Research the industry. In addition to learning about the company, research the industry in which it competes to gain a better understanding of the market and specific issues and trends that may affect the organization.

Check your network. Ask your colleagues, friends and others for information about your prospective employer. Your contacts may have worked with the organization and could provide insight that may prove valuable during a job interview.

A recent survey of corporate executives revealed a major irritant: Too few job applicants know enough about the company where they want to work.

Forty-seven percent of executives polled said having little or no knowledge of the company is the most common mistake job seekers make during interviews, according to survey results released by Accountemps, a specialty staffing company.

“Imagine trying to market a product without understanding the needs of your audience,” says Louise Fletcher, president of Blue Sky Resumes in Bronxville, N.Y.

Armed with some knowledge about the company, job seekers are in a better position to sell their talents and usefulness, she says.

Candidates can better grasp the culture of a company, its track record and get a sense of whether they even want to work there, Fletcher says.

“Let’s say Joe wants to work at XYZ Company,” she says. “He does some research and finds out that it’s a very fast-paced, entrepreneurial company. Now he can plan stories to tell in his interview that will show he’s good in those kinds of environments. He will also be able to anticipate the kind of questions he might get.”

The Internet, of course, is a great resource for finding all manner of information related to a company, starting with the company’s own Web site. There, job seekers can find not only background on the business, but also recent news releases that provide insight into the company’s latest initiatives or challenges.

Portal sites, such as news.yahoo.com or news.google.com, allow users to search through hundreds of daily news sites for more information.

Fletcher also likes Web sites such as Linkedin.com and jobster.com, both of which can help job seekers interested in working for certain companies to reach people already employed there.

If, after all that, candidates are still asked a question about the company they don’t know the answer to, “I’d be surprised,” Fletcher says.

But if it happens, honesty is the best policy, she says. “The candidate should say, “I did a lot of reading about XYZ and talked to some contacts who work here, but I didn’t come across anything about that. Could you tell me more?’ ”

Think you’re ready to start job hunting? Here’s a checklist:

Do research so that you know the five W’s — who, what, when, where and why — of the company. This research will give you useful responses when you’re asked if you have any questions. If that happens, don’t ask about benefits or vacation.

Practice interviewing with your family and friends. There is no substitute for preparation, especially if you get thrown a curveball question.

Get a portfolio ready that has at least three copies of your resume, cover letter, references, letters of recommendation, education certificates and licenses.

Follow up. Send a thank-you letter within a day of every interview. It’s also a great time to share those things you wished you would have said during the interview.

Don’t rely solely on the Internet for your job leads. Fifty percent of your opportunities should come from networking, 25 percent from recruiters and 25 percent from the Internet.