Suggestions on researching companies

[countrigal]

So enquiring minds would like to know...  what are some of the methods that you use for researching a potential employer (company)?  Is there a difference in how you do it if it is a non-public company versus a public company?

Also, we know that the internet is a wonderful tool, but sometimes the amount of information you can find may be overwhelming, especially for any company or business that is technology oriented.  Do you have any specific websites that you use to research them that you find trustworthy?  Are they paid memberships?  Or free sites like basic Hoovers?  This site has a wealth of information in it in the form of all of our members, so it's time we tapped into it and get your real-world experiences and suggestions.

[msmarieh]

It definitely makes a difference if it is public or not, and also how large it is.

I check hoovers.com. It has a lot of good information, even in the free section (the bulk of the good stuff is in the paid section though).

If they are public, I check their stock filings and annual reports as well as yahoo finance for past news articles on them.