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Industry Research
Search Engines
Industry information can be found through search engines as
well. Just type the name of the industry or any keyword that describes
your industry-specific search criteria. Good search engines to start
your search could include
google.com,
yahoo.com,
and msn.com,
among others.
Know NAICS
and SIC codes for your industry
Industries are generally classified on the basis of
North American Industry Classification System
and
Standard Industrial Classification System.
Knowing your industry's code can be extremely helpful in the research
process.
Associations
Almost every industry would have some form of organized
association. The association could be
a great resource for finding information about the overall industry,
trends, key people, important companies, etc. Some associations may
even provide links to member companies.
Watch for the news
Newspapers, specially business
publications, feature a lot of industry-specific stories and reports. A lot of the
material is archived, allowing you to search through stories, reports,
and key numbers -- a great source of
information for understanding your industry.
Finance sites
Sites providing investment services and financial resources often
provide detailed industry and company reports.
Yahoo!Finance, for example, provides detailed industry
information.
Watch for press
releases, reports, and published resources
Sites catering to
press releases,
PR Newswire for example, can be a
great resource for finding industry-specific information. The
following sites can help with industry research:
IndustryWeek is another great resource for finding
industry-specific information
YahooNewsDirectory
Reuters
and
Reuters Industry Profile for PR
information and news
Financial Times has a great
collection of industry surveys.
Fuld & Company's Intelligence Index provides links to
several Industry-Internet resources.
Google's business directory
The government
The government regularly compiles and publishes information about industries.
America's CareerInfoNet, for example,
features an industry reports section. The
Bureau of Labor
Statistics and
DOL's career guide to industries also provide industry-specific information.
PAID RESOURCES:
ZapData
Gives a free summary report (industry); registration is free
but there may be a charge for purchasing reports.
http://www.zapdata.com
Hoovers
Hoovers is
a great resource. Basic information might be free but there is a
charge for more detailed reports.
http://www.hoovers.com/free/
Don't forget your
local librarian. Your local librarian may be able to point you to
wonderful directories and industry-specific resources that might be
just a shelf away.
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Do visit the
following sections:
Job Search
Networking
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