Most people are terrible researchers.

They Google the company name, skim the About page, glance at a LinkedIn profile, and call it a day.

They don’t realize: research is the secret sauce that lands you job.

And now you can do deep, AI-assisted reconnaissance work that makes you look like Lizbeth Salander—in minutes.

I’ll break the research this into three levels:

1. Research for informational interviews

2. Research for applications

3. Research for interviews

And include the exact prompts you should use.

We’ll jump into all of that below.

🧭 1/ Research for informational interviews

Goal: Sound like someone who already understands the business, so your outreach stands out.

Most people’s outreach is vague:

“Hey, I’m interested in [Company] and your work there…”

Instead, yours might say:

“I saw [Company] is investing in X. I’m curious how that’s changing your team’s roadmap.”

Here’s how to use AI to get there:

✅ Perplexity Prompt (basic recon):

“What are [Company]’s most recent strategic priorities, product launches, funding rounds, or hiring trends?”

🔍 Counterintuitive Use: Ask AI to compare company against a competitor:

“How does [Company]’s go-to-market or product approach differ from [Main Competitor]?”

Why this works: It makes you sound like a strategist, not just a fan.

🧠 Extra prompt to generate outreach angles:

“I’m applying for a [Role] at [Company]. What are 3 trends or challenges I can mention in a cold email to show I’ve done my research?”

📝 2/ Research for applications

Goal: Write a resume, cover letter, or short message that shows you get it. That you’re not just “a qualified candidate” — you’re already operating in their world.

This is where most job seekers spray and pray. But let’s use AI to:

⚙️ Reverse engineer what they value

👉 Use this ChatGPT prompt:

“Based on this job description, what are the actual problems this company is trying to solve with this hire? Write 3–5 bullet points that reflect their top priorities.”

Copy and paste the JD into the prompt.

Why this works: AI filters through the fluff and gets to the meat. No more guessing what “strong communication skills” means.

📊 Summarize how the team talks

👉 Use Perplexity to analyze their blog or press releases:

“What key language or messaging does [Company] use in its press releases or blog? Summarize how they talk about their customers, products, and company culture.”

Then mirror some of those words in your resume or project write-up. This is subtle, but it makes your writing resonate more deeply.

🧰 Use Teal or Jobright to improve the ATS score

“Here’s a job description. Here’s my current resume. Which bullets align and which ones don’t? Suggest 3 revised bullets to better align with the role.”

(You can even ask it to use keywords from their website, press releases, or investor deck.)

💼 3/ Research for interviews

Goal: Show that you understand the business better than 90% of candidates by referencing current initiatives, strategy shifts, or challenges.

🎤 Use AI to summarize CEO interviews, then generate objections

Perplexity prompt:

“Summarize what [CEO Name] from [Company] said in their most recent interview or podcast. What’s their current vision or focus?”

Follow up with:

“Based on this interview, what are 3 likely objections or risks the CEO might be managing right now? Write them like a PM or GTM strategist would.”

Why this works: You can use this info to tailor your interview questions or to propose a project idea that directly supports one of their goals.

💫 Bottom line

The goal isn’t just to research the company.

It’s to sound like someone who’s already solving problems inside the company.

And AI-assisted research will get you there in minutes, not hours.