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From the OWL resource Cover Letters 2: Preparing to Write a Cover Letter
How do I research corporate websites?
One way to learn about a company (or non-prof/educational institutions) and their values (in their employees and their work results) is to read the company's website. Here are some tips on how and what to research:
- Use a search engine (like google.com) if you do not know a company's web address
- Type the name of the company into the search bar, and it should take you to the site
- Look for key words describing the company and its employees (progressive, innovative, caring, conservative)
- Remember that repeated words reveal particularly strong values (you might want to talk about these values in your cover letter)
Once you find examples of the skills and qualifications the company values, you know what skills to describe in your cover letter. As with the job ads, a corporate website only gives you the key words. You now have to supply your cover letter with proof that you possess some of these "key words" by describing a few experiences.