Brian Johnston at RecruitingBlogs.com shared a tip when looking for candidates - find people who are recognized.  He says to filter out resumes with keywords that who someone has been recognized such as:

“Speaker, Laude, 100%, Scholarship, Whitepaper, Author, Publications, Published, Commission, GPA, Award, Patent, Top, Dean, Eagle, Society, Presentation, Club, Fellow, Promoted, Chair, Volunteer, Charity, etc etc.”

Obviously, any recognition needs to be put in perspective but things brings up a very important point.  When you interview make sure to point out when you were recognized for what you did - when you stood out from everyone else.  Adding a few keywords in either your resume, cover letter, or application video can grab the employer’s interest and bring you a little closer to getting hired.

1. Julie Erickson shares the “must have list”:

This is a list of 5-6 aspects of a job or work that you MUST have. This is not “want to have.” This list is of the things that you must have in order for you to be satisfied and content in your work, the things that will make it possible for you to be excited to start the day when you wake up every morning.

So what’s the list?

1. Work you will do
2. Role you will play
3. Impact of your efforts
4. Physical environment
5. Colleagues, culture, emotional environment
6. Compensation

Check out her blog for the full explanations.

2. Keepie Careers says video resumes – more popular, but use with caution:

As candidates attempt to “stand out” in a tight job market, more and more applicants are turning to video. However, there are many concerns that are important to consider before directing “Resume You.”

• Recruiters and hiring managers don’t have time to review videos. You only get 8-10 seconds for a resume!
• Most companies use computer software to scan resumes and are not equipped to review video resumes.
• The obvious emphasis on the candidate’s appearance could lead to racial discrimination.
• The video could actually hurt a candidate who is not attractive.
• A non-professionally produced video could highlight negative qualities.

3. Andy Robinson at CareeRealism has advice on the rule of three (how to be unforgettable):

Research has shown that there is a rational behind the use of “three” in our societal story-telling — our brains tend to naturally think in threes.  Add one more element and the memory pattern tends to slip.  Why not take advantage of this human tendency when interacting with others?

Only thing to remember is that you can be unforgettable for a good reason or a bad one - so make sure you know what message you’re looking to get across.

• How to Make a Video Resume
• How to Interview The Company: Part 1 (Flip that Shit)
• 7 steps to finding a job online
• Use Marketing Tools For Job Search
• 9 ways to research a job via Jobradio.fm
• One the of Best Interview Tools: Your Personal Brand
• How to Apply for Out-of-State Jobs

• 10 Fake Degree Disasters
• Your Online Reputation: Three Things You Need To Remember
• Ten ways for a job seeker to REALLY upset an interviewer!
• Build your cover letter around employer’s WIIFM (what’s in it for me)
• Quick Tip #14: Informational Interviews
• 5 tips for nailing a video interview
• Handling Rejection - “Rejection is hard to swallow, but you can’t let it eat you alive.”

It’s 4:18 am… and you’re tried.  You’ve been looking for jobs, working on your resume, research what it is you even want to do with your life.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Invest in some good headphones (if you haven’t already done so)
• Blast the song that makes you happy
• See a funny movie
• Learn something cool (maybe via TED or Ignite?)
• Read an interesting article about something you’ve always dreamed of
• Browse The Big Picture and realize how small all your problems are

Take a deep breath.

Go back and annihilate what you were doing.