Starting Points
Business Periodical Databases
Other Periodical Databases
Financial Databases
Other Databases
Search Engines
Other Suggested Websites

Job seekers can improve their cover letters and job interviews if they are better informed about their target company or industry.  Our UMD Library has a variety of proprietary databases that can help you in your job search.  Some of the databases listed below provide up-to-date information about a particular company, corporation or non-profit, and some databases can give you insights into the current situations of industries and the professions. This information can improve your awareness and confidence as you conduct your job search.

Significantly more information is available on the larger public corporations than on private companies.  The three sources in the "Financial Databases" section (below) can provide substantial numbers and narratives on the public corporations. If your target company is public corporation, be sure to find one or more of their recent annual reports.  These reports can be found in our Mergent Online database, listed below, or you can find them via Google, in the Investors Relations sections of most corporate websites.

If your target employer is a private company, information about it will be more difficult to find.  Use a Google search to find the company's website. Study it and any social media attached to it. Use Google to find any other references to your private company.  Look up the private company in ReferenceUSA.  And use the Proquest News database to find any newspaper articles about that company.

Your target employer is embedded in a particular industry or profession.  If you are more knowledgeable about this industry or profession, you will have an advantage in your job search.   Our IBIS World database, listed below, contains information on over 1,300 U.S. industries and professions.  It contains both "Industry" reports and "i-Expert" reports.  Be sure to retrieve and study both of these reports. They can be very helpful for cover letters and job interviews.

Starting Points

IBIS World Industry Reports

IBIS reports can provide insight on most U.S. Industries and professions. This information can be especially useful during the job interview process.  IBIS provides Industry market research reports on over 1,300 U.S. industries, plus Canada Industries, China Industries, and Global Industries, Each IBISWorld report includes:

• An overview of the industry structure
• The current industry performance and key external drivers
• The industry outlook and lifecycle
• Products and markets, including the supply chain, major markets and international trade
• Competitive landscape and market share
• Major companies
• Key statistics and data.

IBIS 
iExpert Summary Reports

This is vital job search information.

Reference USA

is a directory of U.S. businesses. Lists size of company, year established, type of business, credit rating, top personnel, yearly sales and more. Data can be searched by name of company, name of officers, geographic area, SIC, size, revenue or any combination. ReferenceUSA can provide some information on even the smallest businesses or workplaces. This is a vital source for company/workplace background information. As a job seeker, you can learn about the lines of business in your target employer, key contacts, competitors, number of employees, and other related data. Also, notice the Indeed "U.S. Jobs and Internships" search option as you enter the Reference USA database. Thousands of updated openings are offered here.

ReferenceUSA FAQ and Tutorials

Business Periodical Databases

Proquest News
Contains the full text of newspaper articles from over 350 titles going back over 30 years.  Proquest News provides our only source of electronic access to the Wall Street Journal.  This is a key source of newspaper information.  Use it to find industry and company information for both public and private companies.

 Other Periodical Databases

Duluth News Tribune
A searchable archive of the Duluth News-Tribune, with complete full-text content of local and regional news, including community events, schools, politics, government policies, cultural activities, local businesses, business people, state industries, and economic issues.   Covers 11/1995 - present.  If you target employer is in the Duluth area, articles may have been written about them.  This could provide useful information.

 Financial Databases

Mergent Online
Provides business and financial information for 23,000 U.S. and international companies. Financials for 15 years, balance sheets, income statements "as reported" and can be downloaded to spreadsheet. Includes company overviews, histories financial ratios, and much more. Mergent Online IS OUR BEST SOURCE FOR COMPANY ANNUAL REPORTS.

NetAdvantage
Contains large Industry Surveys (and overviews of markets) for leading companies in 52 industries. Search by company or industry. Standard & Poor’s stock analysis is available for public companies.

Other Databases

Wikipedia
Wikipedia includes information more often associated with almanacs, gazetteers, and specialist magazines, as well as coverage of current events. It has over 5.9 million entries, and is constantly growing. Many articles are long, detailed, with sources and related links. Wikipedia has been controversial because of its open collaborative nature, however it has received good marks in recent scholarly journals. This may be a good place to get an overview of business or job related definitions, topics or issues. Also, look up articles on industries, professions, and specific (larger) public companies.

The Wikipedia can help you to find and understand the “keywords” you will need to search our library’s many databases . You may not want to cite the Wikipedia as a source, but it may lead you to sources you can cite. Learn how to make the best use of this wonderful resource.

 Search Engines