Words to live by. It used to be taking a job was a leap of faith, both in your future employers for representing their company culture accurately and in yourself for believing them. That is no longer the case. If you find yourself saying, “I just have a good feeling that this is the right job for me” I suggest you throw some cold water in your face and smack yourself silly. There are no excuses for such foolishness these days. You are surrounded by a wealth of knowledge on any industry, company, and even at times—particular bosses, offices, etc. Forget taking a leap of faith and instead do your research.

With that said, keep in mind not all information is created equal. Therefore we have put together a list of our favorite review sites, research tools, and hidden gems to assist you in your espionage.

Vault.com: Considered an “arsenal of insider information” for any job seeker in any industry. It allows you to search any company by name and read through employee survey feedback, company message boards, as well as stats regarding company stability and future initiatives. Keep in mind there is a charge for membership but if you are serious about finding the right job for you than $45.00 is a worthy investment.

Glassdoor.com: We are loving this site (still in beta). Its spying at its finest. Imagining gathering a bunch of employees, at the job you just interviewed at, over a few cocktails and asking them the really good rquestions about the company, culture, and office. You can gain information into employee salary ranges (which is benchmarked for you against the industry and the city you are applying in) and employee ratings not just on the company and senior leadership but also the day-to-day scene. Glassdoor.com is just getting started though so there is a chance the smaller companies don’t have a presence yet, but we have a strong feeling this site will be seen as a “must-check” resource for job seekers moving forward.

Hoovers.com: Lets take a step back from the voices and move to the numbers. Hoovers.com focuses its attention on not just reviews and ratings but more specifically on the financial stability of companies you may be researching. Although you have to pay for membership, you will have access to comprehensive company records. What we really love about this site is the ability of a user to customize the experience by comparing the companies you choose side to side on a number of components such as- company records, employee feedback, financial history, and future intentions. It’s like thumbing through the company records—uhmmm but its legal.

LinkedIn.com: I know what you are thinking, “I thought this was to help me GET a job, not research one.” Well not anymore. In the past few months LinkedIn has tapped into its armory of information and made it easier for you to isolate out certain companies for investigation purposes. It enables you to see company sizes, associated industries, competitors, and employee names, ranks, job descriptions, etc. It’s great for gaining a sense as to where you and your title would fit into the current layout of the company.

Those are just a few to get started with. There is a plethora of online tools and resources for you to employ when researching your next company. So what are you waiting for?