It happens. Microsoft recently commissioned a survey of 1,200 hiring managers and recruiters. The result: “…79 percent of United States hiring managers and job recruiters surveyed reviewed online information about job applicants. Most of those surveyed consider what they find online to impact their selection criteria. In fact, 70 percent of United States hiring managers in the study say they have rejected candidates based on what they found.”

So Microsoft, Facebook, Yelp, and others create the online world and encourage its proliferation. Then they monitor it to make hiring decisions.

Additional highlights from the study include:

“The recruiters and HR professionals surveyed are not only checking online sources to learn about potential candidates, but they also report that their companies have made online screening a formal requirement of the hiring process.

“Of U.S. recruiters and HR professionals surveyed, 70% say they have rejected candidates based on information they found online. Though not as frequently, respondents from the U.K. and Germany report the same trend.

“Recruiters and HR professionals surveyed report being very or somewhat concerned about the authenticity of the content they find.

In all countries, recruiters and HR professionals say they believe the use of online reputational information will significantly increase over the next five years.

“Positive online reputations matter. Among U.S. recruiters and HR professionals surveyed, 85% say that positive online reputation influences their hiring decisions…

Consumers surveyed have mixed opinions about the appropriateness of recruiters and HR professionals examining some types of online content. Most find it reasonable that recruiters and HR professionals check information on professional sites. There is greater concern, however, about recruiter scrutiny of photos, videos, and other personal content including blogs, personal social network pages, organizations they are affiliated with, financial information, and the like.

“Consumers surveyed use a variety of methods to monitor and manage the information posted about them online. Most notably, they use multiple personas, search for information about themselves, adjust privacy settings, and refrain from posting content that they believe could damage their reputation.

“Though most consumers surveyed do manage their reputation at least to some extent, there are a significant percentage of respondents (between 30% and 35% depending on nationality) who don’t feel their online reputation affects either their personal or professional life. Consequently, they are not taking steps to manage their reputations.

“As job seekers struggle to find work today, understanding how information posted online can affect their chances for employment is even more critical than in strong economic times.

“Fewer than 15% of consumers surveyed believe that information found online would have an impact on their getting a job. Those consumers surveyed in the United States and U.K. significantly underestimate the level of data mining that recruiters and HR professionals conduct and the impact it can have on hiring.”

Artists may feel lost in the job search during tough times. What to do?

- Get active in professional organizations; form contacts to keep in touch with people and employment opportunities. Develop relationships in each organization and follow up.

- Attend conferences that may be vaguely related to your field: network and make contacts, and maintain them. It’s about people!

An artist who was creative in his career development

Just like Leonardo, keep your portfolio up to date to demonstrate your versatility.

(Note to blog readers: I am issuing the following press realease immediately.)

President of Shimmering Resumes Offers Professional Resume To Bush Speechwriter, David Frum

SAN MATEO, CA — “If a Conservative Think Tank can terminate George Bush’s speechwriter, then I will write a resume to help him in his reputation battle,” says Paul Freiberger, president of Shimmering Resumes, a nationwide resume writing and career counseling firm, based in San Mateo, California.

Frum was fired today from his job at the right-wing American Enterprise Institute after criticizing the Republican Party’s lack of willingness to take any action to reform our health care system.

“I will write a professional resume that does everything possible to present the virtues of a Republican willing to recognize the ineptitude of his party,” said Freiberger.

“In the coming weeks, the results of the healthcare reform will begin to take effect, resulting in curbs on insurance companies denying coverage for pre-existing conditions, and an expansion of prescription drug coverage for the elderly,” said Freiberger.

It’s usually not a good idea to criticize a former employer, added Freiberger. “But in this case, Frum will look smarter each day and every time he points his finger at the failings of the Republican strategy.

“David Frum spoke his mind and lost his job. When I write his executive resume I will point out that he can help others speak their minds, without causing them to lose their jobs,” said Freiberger.

“This is a resume challenge of the first order,” Freiberger says, “and not just because it must demonstrate the speechwriting talent of a Bush speechwriter. “It’s the chance to right a wrong, and I look forward to it.”

About Shimmering Resumes

Shimmering Resumes is a nationwide resume writing,, career counseling, and outplacement business, with its website at www.ShimmeringResumes.com. Paul Freiberger, President of Shimmering Resumes, is an award-winning author, business writer, and communications specialist.

Contact:

Paul Freiberger

President, Shimmering Resumes

1-877-796-9737

Paul@ShimmeringResumes.com

Anyone starting a company or trying to raise money has had to develop an “elevator pitch.” It’s the short but highly informative description of the reasons you should get what you are seeking.

The entrepreneur is seeking money for a startup, along with expertise to develop a business plan and contacts to implement it.

The career changer or job seeker also needs an elevator pitch. It should not be the same story you told to get your last job. If it is, something is wrong. You have surely had new experiences that have become part of your story.

Have your pitch ready.

So what are the requirements of preparing the elevator pitch?

1.     Identify your value proposition.

If you are a cook, that’s not enough. If you are an expert at preparing delicious food that is also healthy, then you are on to something. You could say: “I’m making the world safe for fat-free food.”

2.     It is short and aligned with your personal brand.

Long is wrong. You will lose the listener’s interest.

3.     It is focused on your goal. Explain that the evidence you are providing qualifies you for a specific job you are seeking.

4.     Practice.

These 30 seconds to one-minute are crucial and could change your life. Surely you should prepare.

An elevator pitch is not a substitute for an entrepreneur’s business plan and it doesn’t replace the job seeker’s resume. It is the answer to many interviewers’ first question: “Can you tell me about yourself.”

The right answer is not only useful in job interviews but also at networking events, as the basis for a resume cover letter, and as the voice mail message you leave a recruiter.

The elevator pitch should take a minute to deliver and it should summarize your key professional strengths. Don’t get personal, just stay on message. You don’t want to memorize this presentation but you should be comfortable delivering it so it helps to practice.

Don’t use a template. There actually are some on the internet, of course. You’ve got to come up with this yourself or with some professional support. You need to answer the questions: 1) Who are you? 2) What do you do? 3) What proof do you have that you do it well?

Prepare and practice and you will succeed. Don’t memorize a list; try to tell a story. The pitch says enough to describe yourself as qualified and accomplished but the listener will want to know more. It can help you get the job. Here’s an example:

“I am a professional writer. I’ve written thousands of articles over the years and I’ve won the Los Angeles Times book award. I say this because writing is essential in a good resume. Many people will tell you they can help you with your resume, believing that writing a good resume is easy because it’s a relatively short document. But it’s also the only document that can improve your career. It needs to be well written. I can do that for you at ShimmeringResumes.com.”

Develop a pitch you are comfortable with. Try it out on friends. Then practice it over and over again. You can do it.