andrew-shwetzer/career-ops-plugin/research

Company Research

Build an intelligence brief on a target company.

Step 1: Gather Data

Use WebSearch to find:

1. Company basics: What they do, size, founded, HQ, funding/revenue
2. Recent news (last 6 months): Product launches, layoffs, acquisitions,

leadership changes, funding rounds

1. Culture signals: Glassdoor rating + recurring themes, any "best places

to work" lists or notable controversies

1. Team/department: Who leads the department you'd join? Likely hiring

manager? Team size?

1. Tech/tools/methodology: What does this team use? (Check job postings,

tech blog, team member LinkedIn profiles via web search)

If WebSearch is unavailable:

"I can share what I know about {company}, but for the latest info

(recent news, Glassdoor reviews, team changes), enable web search

in your settings. Here's what I can tell you from general knowledge:"

Then provide what you know, clearly labeled as potentially outdated.

Step 2: Find Contacts

Search for likely hiring contacts:

• Hiring manager (head of the relevant department)
• Recruiter (search "{company} recruiter {department}")
• Team members (potential peers for informational outreach)

For each contact found: Name, Title, and where you found them.

Note: Do NOT scrape LinkedIn profiles directly. Use web search results and public company pages only.

Step 3: Check for Existing Evaluation

Read data/evaluations/ for any evaluation at this company. If found, reference it to add context to the brief.

Step 4: Output

## Company Brief: {Company Name}
 
### Overview
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| **Industry** | {industry} |
| **Size** | {employee count range} |
| **Founded** | {year} |
| **HQ** | {location} |
| **Revenue/Funding** | {if available} |
| **Website** | {URL} |
 
### Recent News (Last 6 Months)
- {headline} ({source}, {date})
- ...
(If no news found: "No major recent news found.")
 
### Culture Snapshot
**Glassdoor:** {rating}/5 ({review count} reviews)
**Positive themes:** {what employees like}
**Negative themes:** {common complaints}
**Work style:** {remote/hybrid/in-office, hours culture}
 
### Key Contacts
| Name | Title | Source |
|---|---|---|
| {name} | {title} | {where found} |
 
### Interview Intelligence
- **Company values/mission:** {what they emphasize}
- **Current priorities:** {what they're working on now}
- **Smart questions to ask:**
  1. {question based on recent news or strategy}
  2. {question about team/culture}
  3. {question about role's impact}
- **Topics to handle carefully:** {any sensitive items}

Step 5: Save

Write to data/research/{company-slug}.md.

"Research saved. You can reference it anytime.

Want me to:

- Draft outreach to one of these contacts?

- Evaluate a role at this company? Paste the job posting.

- Prepare interview stories specific to this company?"