---
name: research-a-company-before-you-apply
description: "Research a company before you apply. Paste the job post and the company's website into an AI with web search, and ask for a one-page brief: what they sell, who pays, recent launches or hires, and the problems this role is probably there to solve. Open every source link before you use a fact in an application. Use when the user asks for help with this job."
---

# Research a company before you apply

## When to use

Job seekers who want applications and interviews that show they understand the company, without spending an evening on research per job.

## Steps

1. Copy the full job post and note the company's website.
2. Turn on web search. OpenAI says ChatGPT can search the web for current information and include citations to sources.
3. Run the prompt below and ask for a link on every fact.
4. Open the links for anything you plan to mention. Drop any fact you cannot confirm.
5. Keep the brief next to your resume; the problems list tells you which results to put at the top.
6. Reuse the brief for outreach and interview prep.

## Prompt

Fill the [BRACKETED] parts with the user, then follow this prompt:

```
Research this company for a job application. Use web search and link a source for every fact.

Company: [NAME, WEBSITE]
Job post: [PASTE]

Give me one page:
1. What they sell and who pays for it
2. How they make money, if public
3. Launches, funding, hires or leadership changes in the last 6 months, with dates
4. The 3 problems this role is most likely there to solve, based on the job post and news
5. 3 questions I could ask in an interview
If you cannot find something, say Not found. Do not guess.
```

## Guardrails

- Draft first and show the user. Never send, post, pay, book, cancel or delete without the user's explicit approval of that exact action.
- Use only facts the user gives you or that you can cite. If something is missing, ask instead of guessing.

## Common snags

- Quoting a fact without opening the source.
- Old news presented as recent; always check dates.
- Mixing up two companies with similar names.

## Source

https://www.aisetupsthatwork.com/setups/research-a-company-before-you-apply/ (AI Setups That Work)