Did you know you can research any company via their sitemap? Watch this video to discover one of my favorite ways to prep for that big interview.
I’ve been helping people find jobs for 20 years. In that time, a lot of things have changed. Back when I first started out, it could be challenging to find detailed information about a company when you were applying for a job. Nowadays, it’s incredibly easy, so long as you know where to look.
Let’s say that you have a big job interview coming up that you need to prepare for. You know that you need to find as much information about the company as possible, but the job listing and a Google search isn’t providing it. No problem at all because much of the information you’re looking for is on the company website, it’s just challenging to find. Let’s take a look at the Bank of America website as an example.
Start by going to the homepage. It will be full of big, beautiful photos and images, but very little useful information. There probably aren’t many valuable links for your job search in the navbar either. Where you want to go is to the very bottom of the page. There you will likely find the sitemap. This is simply a “map” of how the website is organized. Every single page that is a part of the site can be linked to from here. Trust me, it’s a goldmine of information.
On the sitemap, you will likely see links about credit cards, refinancing options, and loans. That’s great for customers, but you want information about the company that you can use to improve your job chances. Click on the “About Bank of America” section. Here, you will find a ton of information specifically about the company.
On the Bank of America website, you will see that they have a sizable social media presence. This can be a very useful resource, so be sure to explore each of their social media pages to look for recent posts or news announcements. On the site itself, there are several pages you may want to visit. You will want to check out pages about Investor Relations to get information about the financial health of the company. The Corporate Social Responsibility section is also chock-full of interesting info. For example, the Bank of America has invested over $300 billion into environmental initiatives, and plan on spending much more in the future. That could be a great thing to mention when asked the dreaded question, “Why do you want to work at this company.” On this page, you will also see all of the partners and organizations that they are working with towards their environmental goals. Do you recognize any of these companies? Maybe you ever worked at one! If so, be sure to mention that on your resume and in the interview itself.
So, what have we learned? We’ve seen all of their customer-focused pages, found their social media channels, learned about the health of the company through their investor relations pages, and discovered their environmental ethos. And where was all of this information? It was all on the sitemap!
Now, I’m not saying that this method is super easy. It can take time to sort through the massive amount of information on the sitemap to find the pages that are useful to you. But once you’ve seen them, it’s like striking job search gold. And if you’re still having trouble finding the information you need, you can always come to me. As a professional job search coach, I know exactly what to look for on these sites. I can guide you to the pages that will give you the edge you need to land the job of your dreams!