Employer Research
Researching employers is a good skill to have to feel empowered in discovering companies and organizations of interest. It can also give you a better understanding of employers in your geographic area or areas of interest, and help you prepare for interviews by learning about the company, what they do, and potential competitors. As you research, write everything down so you can refer to it later. Employer research for fine artists may include locating galleries, museums, studios, cultural institutions, and art organizations. For freelancers and entrepreneurs, it’s just as important to know who your competition is and how you set yourself apart.
Think about and write down employers and organizations you’ve already heard about. Think about and write down the industries that are interesting to you and where you could potentially apply your skills. Search for and write down other companies/organizations that are similar. A Google search can help you find companies that match certain keywords in your geographic area and talking to people in your network can help you add to your list as well. (Download a tracking spreadsheet.)
Review content on the company’s website, in the news, or through sites such as LinkedIn – following a company will put their updates into your feed. Look for job/opportunity postings on the company’s website – which they may refer to as jobs, employment, or careers. Fine artists may be looking for a call for artists or exhibition or residency applications. Make note of any company’s career pages so you can go back to them later to apply for jobs or opportunities.
Remember to write down any jobs/opportunities you’ve applied to: date, company, job title, and any notes about them. Keep your application and a copy of the job description to access later. Follow up on applications after a week or more if you haven’t heard anything back. Persistence to let a company know you’re interested in them and learning what their hiring timeline is can help set you apart as well as manage expectations.
Continue your search by researching and writing down companies/organizations that are different from what you’ve been looking at previously. Explore a different industry. Explore different roles. Explore companies of different sizes. Explore companies that students/alumni from your major have worked at before.
Combine your employer research with networking to meet people from these companies of interest so you can learn more about working for that company, or other similar career opportunities.
You may also find opportunities to interact with employers through conferences, professional organizations, job fairs, and info sessions. Some larger companies host info sessions that they’ll post on their website. Others will host info sessions through colleges. Otis aims to bring a variety of employers onto campus throughout the year, including for our annual Internship & Recruitment Day. View past employer info sessions in Handshake's career resources.