I still remember the first time I spent an afternoon trying to learn everything I could about a tiny social enterprise before an interview — and came away more confident because I had a plan. You don’t need an afternoon. With a structured 30‑minute research sprint you can learn enough about a small employer to tailor your CV, cover letter and interview talking points so they sound informed and relevant.
Why 30 minutes is enough (and what to aim for)
Small organisations often don’t have elaborate public profiles. That’s an advantage: they’re easier to understand quickly. In half an hour you can find their mission, the services or products they offer, who their clients are, recent activity or news, and a clear sense of culture. Your goal in 30 minutes is to gather:
One‑line summary of what they do (what you’d say if asked “what does this company do?”)Two business priorities for the next 12 months (growth, funding, products, compliance, recruitment)One or two hiring triggers that explain why they’re recruiting nowTwo examples of how your experience matches what they needSet up: the 30‑minute sprint
Open a blank document or a note app and set a timer for 30 minutes. Break the time into four short stages:
0–5 minutes: quick scan — get the basics5–15 minutes: deeper look — people, product, customers15–25 minutes: evidence collection — recent news, social proof25–30 minutes: craft 3 tailored lines for your CV and cover letter0–5 minutes: quick scan sources
Start wide, then narrow. Use these fast checks to build your one‑line summary.
Google: search the company name + town and scan the top results. Look for the company website, a LinkedIn page and any press mentions.Company website: read the ‘About’, ‘Services’ or ‘What we do’ paragraphs. Copy one sentence that explains their purpose.LinkedIn: the company page shows size, recent posts and sometimes job postings. For small employers this often reveals the founders and a snapshot of activity.Google Maps / Yelp: useful for local shops, cafes, charities — check opening hours, customer photos and star ratings.5–15 minutes: people, product and customers
This is where you get context. Small employers hire based on fit: who you’ll work with and the problems you can fix.
Leadership and team: click through founders and managers on LinkedIn. Note titles and their backgrounds — do they come from consultancy, public sector or tech? That gives clues about ways of working.Products and services: on the website or social channels, identify the main product/service. Is it bespoke client work, a subscription product, or events? That shapes the skills they’ll value.Customers and partners: look for client logos, testimonials or case studies. If they work with schools, SMEs or councils, mention that in your application to show sector understanding.Sector language: pick up two to three phrases they use repeatedly — ‘impact‑led’, ‘agile delivery’, ‘compliant with GDPR’. Mirror that language in your CV and cover letter where it’s accurate.15–25 minutes: recent activity and social proof
Now look for signals that show what’s important to them right now. Small organisations often communicate via social media, community newsletters or local press.
Social media: check the last 6–12 posts on LinkedIn, Twitter (X) and Facebook. Are they fundraising, launching a service, hiring, or celebrating a new client?News and blogs: search site:news site or the company domain with Google for press releases or local articles.Reviews and Glassdoor: for very small firms Glassdoor may be quiet, but customer reviews and Trustpilot entries can reveal strengths and pain points.Companies House (UK): for micro and small companies you can check basic filings — dates of incorporation, small financials and status. This helps when you need to be realistic about scale and resources.25–30 minutes: craft three tailored lines
Use the evidence you’ve gathered to write three short, targeted lines you can put into a cover letter opener or as bullets on your CV. Keep them specific and outcome‑focused.
Line 1: show you understand them. Example: “I was impressed by your recent pilot with X community group to deliver free digital skills workshops — I share your focus on practical, measurable outcomes.”Line 2: show relevance. Example: “At my last role I increased workshop attendance by 40% through targeted outreach and simple evaluation tools — a skill I’d bring to scaling your workshops.”Line 3: show fit and next step. Example: “I’m excited by the chance to support your expansion into local schools and would welcome a conversation about how my project coordination experience could help.”How to adapt the CV in 10 minutes
With your three lines ready, make quick edits to your CV that highlight the match.
Profile / summary: add one sentence echoing the company’s mission and one key achievement that maps to their priority.Key bullet points: reorder or add 1–2 bullets in the most relevant role to demonstrate the exact skills they need (e.g., “designed and delivered GDPR‑compliant onboarding for 200 clients”).Keywords: sprinkle the specific phrases you noted from their site or job ad — ATS for small employers is rarely strict, but matching language helps human readers.Cover letter opener — two templates you can adapt
Keep it short and specific. Here are two easy templates to personalize in under 5 minutes.
Problem‑solving opener: “I’m applying for [role] because your focus on [issue] aligns with my experience delivering [solution] for [client/sector], which led to [measurable result].”Mission alignment opener: “I was drawn to [Company] after reading about your work with [group/client]. As someone who has [relevant action], I’d welcome the opportunity to bring that experience to your team.”Red flags to watch for in quick research
Even small organisations can have warning signs. Spotting them early saves time and helps you tailor questions if you get an interview.
No online presence: no website or social channels might be fine for micro‑operations, but ask about structure and expectations in an interview.Inconsistent messaging: if their purpose is unclear or different pages contradict each other, be cautious — it can indicate internal change or weak leadership.Negative reviews about pay or culture: multiple employee complaints (Glassdoor, social posts) are a sign to explore salary, hours and line management during interview.Extra tools that speed this up
When I’m doing multiple applications in a week I rely on a few tools to make the sprint faster:
LinkedIn company and people pages — quick team insights and recent postsGoogle Alerts or Feedly — for monitoring news if you’re applying to the same sector regularlyCompanies House — quick reality check on size and filingsCanva or a notes app — to store tailored lines and reuse them when appropriateThirty minutes isn’t a deep dive — it’s a focused, evidence‑led sprint that gives you the practical detail employers notice: that you did your homework, that you understand their needs, and that you can communicate clearly how you’ll help. Do this for each application and you’ll be surprised how quickly your responses stop looking generic and start getting replies.
