Getting Background Information on a Prospective Employer

There are several ways to get background information on a

prospective employer. The quickest and easiest way is to perform a search on Google or Yahoo! for the employer, which will hopefully give you the prospective employer's Web site and a list of other sites, including articles and other references to the prospective employer.

Another way to get background information on a prospective employer is to use one of the many online companies that provide information on businesses. Some of these companies include:

• Hoover's Online calls itself "the business information authority." At this Web site, you can find business information about 12 million public and private companies worldwide. This information includes company profiles, in-depth financials, contact names, competitors, and more. With a paid subscription, users can look up business information under the following categories: Company Name, by Ticker, Stock Quote, IPO Companies, Industry Keyword, Executive Name, the news, or Report Search.
  
• Dun & Bradstreet gathers business information in 214 countries around the world, in 95 languages or dialects, covering 181 currencies. Its products and services are drawn from a global database of 83 million companies. The Comprehensive Report is Dun & Bradstreet's premium small business report and provides summary information on profitability, debts, assets, and corporate relationships, in addition to a comprehensive overview of a company's operational history.
  
• At KnowX.com, you can search Dun & Bradstreet Business reports in order to research the operational and financial background of a company. A fee is required for obtaining the full information from your search.
  
• The Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) provides financial and business information about publicly held companies.
  
• EDGAR is the SEC's Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval System. All companies, foreign and domestic, are required to file registration statements, periodic reports, and other forms electronically through EDGAR. Anyone can access and download this information for free.
  
• One easy method to locate publicly filed SEC information on companies is at SECInfo.com.
  
• LexisNexis provides authoritative legal news, public records, and business information with legal, tax, and regulatory publications. LexisNexis is a fee-based service with several different payment options.