Employers work hard to find candidates who are the “right fit” for their companies, but what does that really mean? The definition of a good fit is often determined by those conducting the interview, and it is basically a mixture of both personality and skills. It means you demonstrate emotional intelligence skills, and have the ability to adapt to the situation at hand. Have you ever asked yourself if the companies that you are applying to are a “good fit” for you? Job seekers should know how to research the company they are applying to and understand how to evaluate if the company is going to be a good match for their skills, education and career goals.

Start by visiting your target company’s page on LinkedIn to find out basic information about the company. Here you can find out about an organization’s mission, values and culture. Company culture speaks to the personality of a company, and defines what a company, from an employee perspective, is like to work for. Understanding a company’s culture is key to determining whether that company is a place a person like yourself might want to work for.

Visiting LinkedIn can also be used to find people who work in the company and see what qualifications and skills the employees who work there have. Google can be used to find out what the company’s competition thinks about it. Glassdoor.ca  is another site where current and former employees can anonymously provide information about a company’s salary ranges, interview process and their general impressions of what it is like to work for the company. Doing research can be a time-consuming task, but in the long run it is definitely worth the effort. The more information you find out about the company the more likely you are to choose a company that is a good fit for you, and where you can build a future.