MyLifeMyCareer.com

That's the answer to the question "Why am I supposed to research companies to the nth degree before I even apply with them? We live in the age where corporate scandal is more common than Hollywood break-ups, which also involve d-bags. Fortunately, our generation is just starting out and can start over if something goes sour. Unfortunately, our parents and their friends may have their life savings invested in their 401k and stock options that can disappear when one or a group of CEO's get greedy. Also fortunately for us, we live in the age of the internet where information flows freely. You can hop on any publicly traded company's web site, go to the investor relations section, and there you can access annual reports, conference calls, and other press releases. Numbers and spreadsheets may bore you, but listen to the conference calls and shareholder meetings just to get a feel for the upper echelon of mega management at whatever large company it is may be applying for. If you've learned anything throughout your college years, it's how to read people. Smell the bad ones out or the ones that rub you the wrong way, and pull yourself away from applying and interviewing any further if you sense something is off. This is an especially useful and valuable practice when applying with large corporations, so take advantage of this new knowledge. I like.