Why is that so?
Modern research is intertwined with the use of OSINT. As the world rapidly moves towards digitization, the global volume of digital data is increasing at a fast pace.
Along with an exponential increase in data, there is also a growing demand in the market for workforce. But not everybody finds it easy to land a job, and not everyone knows how important leveraging OSINT is to find new jobs.
How does use of OSINT help you?
OSINT is the process of gathering information on a person, company or business from information that is publicly available. However, its use is not limited to that. OSINT can very well be used in daily life and especially in searching for a job.The more relevant information you can find about a company, the better it is to make informed decisions.
Firstly, hunting for the right roles is crucial. Google commands can help greatly to find hiring posts. List down the key words of your areas of interests, and search specifically in google search bar, for jobs relating to those key words.
Additionally, searching for websites that have databases of job offers is another way to look for titles that suit you. Such websites include Naukri, LinkedIn, Indeed, IIMjobs, etc.
To begin looking for further information, social media platforms are a great way to gather details about a company or its members. Individuals often share personal and professional details—sometimes unintentionally—that can reveal affiliations, activities, or attitudes.Such details, be it small or big, can be useful at any point.
But if social media accounts do not have much information, Google is your only resort. Google searches can bring up a lot of public records, news articles or even information from Universities that the person studied at. Google Booleans and connectors are a great tool to unravel information that does not come up in a normal text search.
Researching your interviewers on platforms like LinkedIn or through search engineslike Google can offer valuable insights into their professional lives, career paths, and areas of expertise. Apart from work, it also reveals their personal interests, career journey, experiences, etc. These details can give you a better understanding of the person, which can have a positive impact, help in engaging conversations—giving your interview a strategic edge.
When you know what they are looking for a candidate, that’s when you can present yourself as a suitable one.
Gathering even small details can be of major use in conversations. People like to hire individuals with the same mindset as them. And engaging in topics that are similar to their line of work, attitude, likes and interests show them that you can be a potential individual to fit into their culture.
The website of a company is another openly available source to know more about the company. The values and principles of a company can be found out in their Vision and Mission statements. If the website does not have such a section, Google the name of the Company with the key words“mission” or “vision” statements, and you will be able to find relevant information.
A further step is to find out who the key players of the company are. Recognizing individuals in dominant roles such as Directors, Presidents, Vice Presidents and CEO gives a good idea of the company’s management.
Research on these individuals, learning what they have been doing in their career path, and how they have been contributing to the industry could be beneficial information.
Additionally, third party websites can offer information from an outsider perspective. Details on contributions that the company has made, products they have created, relationships they have built, and projects they have worked on, can give relevant information to talk about in the interview or shows that you have done your homework about the company.
Research online also gives a good picture on where the company stands. Are they leading in the industry or are they falling behind? Who are their competitors? How are they competing against other players in the industry? Answers to such questions can also lead you to find more opportunities in more companies.
Lastly, getting information from employees is a key aspect. Reviews written on Glassdoor and Indeed can give great knowledge of the Company, thereby helpingyou make informed decisions.