Researching Potential Employers

When you're considering a new position, be sure to do your homework on a future boss.I'm sure everyone has known someone who did not get along with a supervisor. Some professionals even take a job without first meeting their direct supervisors. Now, there are numerous online sources that can help you find out how your boss stacks up against the competition in the industry. These resources include forums and chat groups, and you can email people in the forum if you're looking for specific information.

Jobster.com is a job-search site that includes posts from readers explaining the corporate culture and job challenges. Job hunters can also email people and ask them questions about their experiences with the boss.

Another site that is gaining in popularity, especially with young professionals, is Facebook. People can log in with their work email addresses-whereas before they were only allowed to log in with school addresses-and connect with fellow employees of the same company.

One of the biggest dangers of posting questions and answers about supervisors and companies is that the Internet is a very public medium. Employers can easily find out what employees are posting about them. For some sites that require membership, subscribing to a site's service is often very simple.

One caveat to keep in mind, though. Take this information with a grain of salt, since you don't know if someone is being objective with his or her feedback, or if someone has an axe to grind with a particular boss. Be sure to get a balanced view of several employees' feedback of what it's like to work for a particular boss or company.