How to Research a Tech Company Before Applying for a Job in Europe

Europe is home to many amazing companies in the tech industry and thousands of professionals are eager to join their ranks. Every major tech player be it a US heavy hitter like Nvidia or Google, or a large enterprise software or semiconductor company like SAP or ASML has an office in Europe. Who makes it past the first round? It is certainly not the person with the most impressive CV, but the person who turns up prepared.

I’ve been applying to a whole bunch of “tech job openings” at various companies at the same time. It’s just not optimal to apply for a tech job without researching the company slightly beforehand. By doing some research prior to submitting your application the company’s information will likely find its way into your cover letter.

In this article we will go through step by step on how to research any tech company in Europe.

Why Most Applicants Skip This Step

Most of our job search efforts are spent perfecting our CV and writing the perfect covering letter. Little time is however spent researching the company, and practicing your company and job specific interview questions.

Recruiters notice very quickly if you haven't done research on the company, the team structure and recent developments. With the market being as competitive as it is, doing your research makes a huge difference.

While there is always more research you can do for the CVF/2nd round, I don’t think it has to take 3-4 weeks. Realistically, you can form a good opinion of a company and its culture in about 2 hours.

Step 1: Understand What the Company Actually Does

A common oversight on applicants’ part is failing to look beyond the product page of the company’s website to read up on the company as a whole.

• What products or services they currently prioritize and which ones are growing
• Who their main clients or customers are across Europe
• What recent announcements, partnerships, or expansions they have made
• Whether the European office operates independently or as a support function for a global headquarters
• What the company's public position is on topics relevant to your field, whether that is AI, sustainability, cloud infrastructure, or something else

Another thing to consider is how you structure the value prop message in light of the company’s overall brand image shift given the growth of their data center and AI platform businesses over the past few years and their newfound presence in Europe.

Step 2: Research the Team

Most people don't go too far beyond the job description on the company's website. But there is so much more you can find out with some simple research. Look for articles or posts written by real employees, find out about their experience and backgrounds, and even the mix of skills and levels of experience on the team.

When you look at team info for a company like Nvidia, you can see what roles exist across their European operations, what career paths people have followed into their current positions, and what skills and backgrounds appear most frequently among existing employees. This helps you tailor your application to match the profile the company actually hires, not just the profile described in the job posting.

You may also be able to tell who the hiring manager is, which can give you insight into how to write a cover letter, and prepare for an interview.

Step 3: Compare Key Employers Before You Decide Where to Focus

Before spending hours and hours writing applications to various large tech companies while conducting a European tech job search, it can be helpful to have a general understanding of what they look for in a candidate. Here is a very quick rundown of several major tech companies with large European offices.

Use this as a starting point, not a complete picture. Each company has dozens of roles across multiple countries, and hiring needs change frequently.

Step 4: Check Reviews and Culture Signals

You can look up salary, job title, and other publicly available information. But you can’t know everything about a company’s culture until you’re already hired. Review platforms give applicants a chance to hear from current and former employees about things like management style, work-life balance, and how the company supports employees’ desire for internal mobility and career advancement.

I don't want to get too worked up over negative reviews, because every so often, someone will throw out a random complaint about something stupid. But some complaints contain underlying themes that repeat themselves over time and need to be addressed.

Step 5: Prepare Specific Questions

Develop 3-4 thoughtful questions about the company and the position after you have conducted appropriate research. These questions and insights will demonstrate your interest in and understanding of the company. It is best to avoid generic interview questions such as "What is a typical work day like at this company?"

Hard to mess up that question since it is so thoughtful and demonstrates your initiative and genuine interest in the role. You've done a great job answering the typical questions about your experience / skills for this AI role : I noticed the European AI platform team in Munich has grown quite dramatically over the last year and this is a new role. Is this something the team is looking to fill?

Before You Apply

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While doing research on a company many candidates like to show off their knowledge to the interviewer, in the end you want the company to have showed their appreciation for the effort you put in to learn about them and you can show your due diligence for the opportunity they are offering. Knowing a little about the companies applying for an interview with you will help you determine if the company and the opportunity will help you meet your professional goals.

Tech is a massive industry, and that’s true not just in Europe but in most parts of the world. What does that mean for your job search in European tech? It means that the market is competitive. And in competitive markets, what can you control? Your preparation, perhaps most of all. Knowing your strengths is crucial in this environment. Knowing how your skills stack up compared to other applicants will help you apply effectively. Here are some tips on how to do that.