Smart use of technology is key: Fifty percent say e-mail thank-you note is
preferred, 86 percent say online indiscretions negatively affect hiring
decisions
NEW YORK--(Business Wire)--
Cosmopolitan magazine, the best-selling young women`s magazine, and the Society
for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the world`s largest human resource
management organization, have teamed up on a new survey about what it takes to
land a job in today`s challenging environment. For the study, Cosmopolitan
anonymously polled 500 SHRM members to discover what makes or breaks a job
applicant`s chances. Select survey results are below:
Those Pictures on Facebook
Respondents repeatedly indicated that smart use of technology was a key factor
in landing a position. An 86 percent majority said that evidence of
unprofessional behavior-such as drunken party photos, sexually suggestive
content, and indiscreet comments about a former employer-on sites like Facebook
and MySpace would make them less likely to hire a candidate. However,
organizations are not always using technology themselves: Seventy percent
reported their companies do not use Google or social-networking sites to
research candidates before an interview.
E-mail Versus Snail Mail
Technology can also help get the interview in the first place. A 61 percent
majority said that submitting a cover letter and résumé via an organization`s
career Website was the best way to apply for an open position; 20 percent said
e-mailing a cover letter and résumé was preferred. Half of those polled also
said that e-mail was the preferred way to receive a thank-you note after an
interview.
Interview Deal Breakers
Dressing too provocatively was respondents` number one deal breaker, with 67
percent calling it a major problem. Other interview behaviors considered deal
breakers included being late for an interview (57 percent), talking negatively
about a previous boss (48 percent), and having a cell phone ring during an
interview (40 percent).
Standing Out From the Crowd
According to the survey, internships are key: Seventy percent of those polled
said that an unpaid internship in the candidate`s field would make them stand
out, versus 30 percent who would give preference to a candidate with a paid job
outside the career field. Fifty-six percent of respondents selected skills
directly applicable to the job as the factor that would make a person stand out
most positively during the interview process. Chemistry is also an important
component: More than half said it accounted for 50 percent or more of their
final decision to hire once qualifications like education and experience were
taken into account. One way not to stand out? Telling interviewers that the
position is your dream job. When asked what common interview phrase they would
tell candidates not to use in a job interview, 65 percent of respondents chose
this phrase. Thirty percent recommended against saying "I think outside the
box."
Methodology
Society for Human Resource Management survey division-The survey fielded
September 15 to September 23. The number of respondents is 499. Response rate is
499/2302 = 22%
Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan (www.cosmopolitan.com)is the best-selling young women's magazine in
the U.S., a bible for fun, fearless females that reaches more than 18 million
readers a month, and one of Advertising Age`s A-List Top Ten magazines of 2009.
Cosmopolitan delivers the latest news on men and love, fashion and beauty,
women's health and self-improvement, and entertainment. Readers can also
interact with the brand on the digital front, with Cosmopolitan mobile
(m.cosmopolitan.com). In addition to its U.S. flagship, Cosmopolitan publishes
58 editions around the world. Hearst Magazines is a unit of Hearst Corporation
(www.hearst.com) and one of the world`s largest publishers of monthly magazines,
with nearly 200 editions around the world, including 15 U.S. titles and 19
magazines in the United Kingdom, published through its wholly owned subsidiary,
The National Magazine Company Limited. Hearst reaches more adults than any other
publisher of monthly magazines (75.6 million total adults, according to MRI,
Spring 2008).
For interviews on this survey or full survey results:
Hearst Magazines
Marisa Ollins, mollins@hearst.com
or
Andrea Faville, afaville@hearst.com
212-649-2165
Copyright Business Wire 2009
