Two years ago while applying for jobs, I spent hours worrying about my resume. Is the wording okay? Do I love the design? Thinking about how to improve my resume kept me up at night because I knew that document was my chance to get noticed for an open position.

Recently, as I began my job search for an entry-level position, I saw more and more unique recruitment tools. Last month, I reviewed two applications that asked for links to all of my social media websites and to answer a questionnaire with some pretty unique questions—but did not ask for a resume.

A recent Wall Street Journal article confirmed my thought that more nontraditional means of recruitment might soon become popular.

“Companies are increasingly relying on social networks such as LinkedIn, video profiles and online quizzes to gauge candidates’ suitability for a job. While most still request a resume as part of the application package, some are bypassing the staid requirement altogether.”

Union Square Ventures, a NY venture-capital firm, asked applicants to send links that represent their “web presence” in lieu of a resume. They also have applicants submit short videos demonstrating why they would be the best employee. As a firm that has invested in technology companies including Twitter, Foursquare and Zynga, Union Square Ventures said this helps the firm get candidates that understand what they are looking for.

With technology today, companies are finding that they can learn more about a candidate’s personality and skills by taking a less traditional recruitment route. Many companies are starting to use social media as a recruitment tool. I recently blogged about why it is a great idea to become a “super social” job seeker– because that’s where companies are looking.

Resumes are still the first step of the recruiting process for most companies, but that might not be the case in the near future. Job seekers that may not look as qualified on paper should seek out unique recruiting opportunities– it’s a great way to showcase your strengths and it could lead to a new job. If we’re being honest, I still think about how to improve my resume all the time, but these days there is much more to consider and many different routes that might lead to a great job.

Have you been through a unique recruiting process? What did you think about it?

Article by Dana Schwartz

Dana Schwartz is a senior studying public relations and management at Syracuse University. She has previous internship experience with a small New York City public relations firm, as a communications intern for the Special Olympics in London, and in healthcare marketing. She is looking forward to starting a career in public relations upon her graduation in May.

I was reading an article the other evening over at Huffington Post, Welcome to the Club: What only Moms know (Why was I reading this I hear some of my dude HR guy pros asking themselves? Let’s face it I’m 40ish and woman are still mostly a mystery to me, so I try and find out their secrets! Plus I hate being left in the dark on this parenting thing, so “I need the info” as Dr. Evil would say.)  I don’t want to spoil the article, but suffice to say, either I’m very in touch with the feminine side of parenting, or what they were sharing really wasn’t the “real” secrets Moms know!

The article did get me to thinking about secrets and how in HR we seem to always have a few that we are either ask to keep by others, or just the ones we share in this great fraternity of HR.  Here are some of the HR secrets that I thought of:

1. Who in the organization is on the way out.  (Sometimes many people know of individuals who are on the way out, but usually HR has a good pulse on everyone)

2. Who in the organization is probably on the way up, and not because they deserve it. (Every leader has an attraction to an employee or two, for a number of reasons, and those folks usually find their way into roles that they don’t deserve.)

3. How much money you’ll get on your next raise.  (Oh, yes we do. But keep working hard anyway, we don’t want it to seem like it’s predetermined)

4. The information of why certain departments tend to get more (resources, staff, etc.) than others – but we can’t you – it would cause organizational chaos!  (I hate to tell you this, but it usually has nothing to do with department performance and everything to do with you department leader – or should I say lack there of)

5. What you’re going to get for your annual bonus – usually 6-12 months before you get it. (hey, this stuff has to be budgeted)

6. What changes will happen to your benefits – again – usually 4-8 months before it hits you.

7. Who in your company is most likely to go postal on you.  (But we can’t tell you for HIPAA reasons – sorry – but if you sit next to Ted you might want to invest in a bullet proof vest)

I’m sure there are a number of others, but many aren’t unique to just HR.  I was thinking of putting down: We cook the books on our metrics, but guess what? So does every other department!  Let’s face it, in a political corporate structure that relies on metrics to obtain budgeted resources – the numbers aren’t always going to be clean!  I like HR because we tend to have “big” secrets and are called upon to keep those secrets.  It’s probably the biggest failure I see with new HR pros – they tend to try and create organizational friendships by sharing “the secrets” -and it always ends up blowing up on them.

HR has secrets – you knew it, I confirmed it for you.  Now let’s move on – because I not telling you the specifics! (besides the Ted thing)

Tim Sackett SPHR, is the ultimate Mama’s Boy!  After 15+ years of successfully leading HR and Talent Acquisition departments for Fortune 500s and smaller technical firms, Tim took over running the contingent staffing firm HRU Technical Resources in Lansing, MI. Serving as the Executive Vice President, Tim runs the company his mother started over 30 years ago, and don’t tell Mom, but he thinks he does a better job at it than she did!  Check out his blog at www.timsackett.com. Because he’s got A LOT to say, and FOT just isn’t enough for him.

As an employee, you know how hard you work each day. Only you know the dedication and professionalism you bring to a job. In fact, you may even be thinking about asking your boss for a raise. If you are, then you should know that sometimes are better than others for asking for a raise. You want to increase the chances that your boss will give you the raise, so knowing when to ask is important. The following tips could help you land the raise you need and deserve.

Right After An Excellent Evaluation

The best time to ask for a raise is right after an excellent evaluation. Most bosses have to conduct one or two evaluations per year on each employee. When you go into a closed-door meeting with your boss to discuss your performance on the job, this could be the opportunity you need. Wait until your boss has finished going through the evaluation with you. If you had positive remarks and met your goals, then this is the time to use that information to your advantage. When your boss asks why you deserve a raise, you can list the same points that your boss just told you. Your boss can’t argue with himself.

When Your Boss Gets Praised By His Boss

Another great time to ask for a raise is when your boss looks good in front of his superiors. When your boss feels like he is doing a great job, he is more likely to be in a good mood and want to help you. This works even better if you had a hand in helping your boss look good for his superiors. Try to schedule a time to ask for your raise right after your boss has received congratulations for a job well done or has maybe even received a promotion or raise himself.

When You Take On Extra Work Load

If you have recently taken on more of a work load in your place of employment, then this is a good time to ask about a raise. For example, if another employee left and that person’s work load was shifted to you, then you can use that as a bargaining chip. Be prepared to explain how much more work you are having to do to justify the raise in pay.

After Earning A Degree Or Certification

Have you recently earned a degree, certification, or license? If so, this is the time to show off what you have accomplished and ask for a raise. You deserve professional credit for earning a higher degree or earning a certificate or license. You can show your boss how committed you are to the company and to learning to do the best job possible. Your educational endeavors might just land you the raise you want.

When You Get A Positive Commendation

Be ready to ask for a raise as soon as you get a positive commendation from your employer. Maybe one of your customers called to praise your work, or maybe you reached a major sales goal in your department. Perhaps you found a way to save your company money each quarter. When you can show your boss tangible evidence as to why you deserve a raise, this is the best time to ask.

If you have hopes of getting the raise you ask for, watch for the little clues that show the boss is pleased with you. The best time to ask for a raise is when your boss is happy.

If your boss was asked to describe your work ethic with one word, what do you think he or she would say? If the answer was “decent,” “adequate,” or simply “good,” – you may have a bigger problem at hand.

Being simply there and doing what you’re told at work is no longer sufficient for most workplaces, or for your career growth in general. Seth Godin, marketing expert and founder of Squidoo, says in this article that the time of the average worker is quickly ending with the dwindling of the industrial age. He believes that if you’re an average worker doing what you’re told, someone will replace you at a cheaper cost.

However, Godin states, “If you’re different somehow and have made yourself unique, people will find you and pay you more.”

Positions are becoming more specialized and fluid than they were decades ago, which requires workers to become more involved in their career direction. Making yourself indispensable through your work, will not only keep your job, but also keep you engaged and motivated to go beyond your job description.

So how you can you become above average in your position? Consider these three ways below:

Be organized. Take time to sort your folders and files (in your workspace and in your computer). De-cluttering your space will improve your focus and cut down time when trying to search for a document from last year.

Keep learning. Just because you graduated doesn’t mean you can’t learn new things – in fact, learning a new skill that pertains to your job will hinder any complacency that you may feel after awhile and make you a more valuable employee.

Do more. Create extra time to get started on a new project or to help your coworkers. In doing so, your expertise will grow substantially and be noticed by others.

Do you agree that being average at work is career damaging? How can you become a better worker?

Article by

Katie Lewis is currently a senior at Florida State University and will graduate in May 2012 with a B.A. in Editing, Writing, and Media. Minoring in Communications and attending her first meeting of the Florida Public Relations Association Student Chapter inspired her to pursue a career in public relations.

Years ago there was a very popular Isuzu commercial that poked great fun at our perception of car salesmen. It started with a very slick looking actor who announces, “The Isuzu Impulse- it’s faster than a speeding bullet!” Below him on the screen letters appear spelling out the phrase, “He’s lying!” A few seconds later he catches the bullet in his teeth and says, “You have my word on it.” It was funny because we quickly figured out that Joe Isuzu, as he was called, was a pathological liar. The commercial was brilliant because people knew they could discount his exaggerations while still retaining the truth of his statements.

As I thought about those commercials and their implications it occurred to me that real life wasn’t a great deal different. People lie all the time, and sometimes that’s a good thing. If someone you love says, “Do these pants make my butt look big?” we all lie, and rightfully so. Sometimes we lie to protect the person asking the question or to protect the truth. Most of the time we lie to protect our own interests. Yet I have come to the conclusion that most of the time people know when we are lying. We may as well have letters appear on our foreheads that say, “She’s lying.” I don’t know how we know other are lying, for me, there is small flag in the back of my brain that goes up whenever I hear someone say something I suspect is not the truth.

It can be laughable when you see someone tell a boldfaced lie and you know they are not being honest yet they continue to maintian their innocence. More often it is simply sad and in a job interview, it is tragic. As soon as someone says something in an interview that raises suspicion, the interview is essentially over. While we can all agree that there are times in our lives when we all tell lies, they are simply not appropriate in a job interview, even if you think your prospective employer is doing their own prevaricating.

So what does that mean for you? For starters, don’t claim to have walked on the moon unless you can bring pictures. Even slight exaggerating will be considered untruths without proper verification. Try to anticipate the kinds of questions you may be asked and consider bringing supporting documents. When possible use exact numbers. Saying, “I was able to increase sales by 34%” is far more believable than “I was able to increase sales substantially.” However, even this should be done somewhat sparingly lest you be perceived as some kind of automaton.

Quote credible sources. Claims are often more believable when they come from someone’s lips. But again, this comes with a caveat to A) use this sparingly, and B) be careful to quote correctly. I wish I had a dime for every time I’ve heard someone say, “The Bible says that people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” It doesn’t…in any translation.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, spend some time engineering answers to difficult questions. If you have a gap in employment or have been fired you need to come up with an answer that is credible, honest and rolls off the tongue easily. Care must be taken not to be too slick or to varnish the truth, but to show how you made the most of a bad situation. No one expects you to be perfect, but they do expect you to make the most of the hand you have been dealt. If you have recently lost a job for something you did wrong, say so, but also talk about what it cost you and what lessons you have learned in the process. Most managers know that a lesson learned once at the cost of a job is seldom repeated.

Be careful also about what you say about former employers. You may reveal more than you intend. I used to complain that all of my former bosses were micro-manangers until I realized that I was essential admitting that I frequently needed to have my hand held through certain tasks. Hiring managers will also ask themselves if you are likely to say the same things about them at some point in the future. Chances are you will, so keep your remarks positive even if your former boss was a horses ass. Your mother had it right when she said, “If you can’t say anything good, don’t say anything at all.”

About Lee Reed

If making a lot of mistakes makes you smarter then I must be a genius! I’ve made them all, so you really need to listen to what I’m telling you lest you make the same mistakes.

In the ongoing battle between geek and nerd, one must take sides. But how can this be done without a solid argument for both persona’s? It’s time to lay all the cards on the table to determine which is better and answer the question some fear to know: Are you a geek or a nerd?

Despite LinkedIn, Facebook and other new job hunting forums, at some point in the application process you’ll be asked for a resume or CV (Curriculum Vitae: a summary of your academic and professional history). A good resume can still help you get that all-important interview for an open position. There are many excellent Internet articles and even a For Dummies book on what to include on your resume. But sometimes less is more – and resume writing is no exception. So what should you cut from your first draft? Here are five suggestions for meaningful exclusions.

References Available on Request. Drop this archaic language! All hiring managers know you need solid references at some point in the job hunt. Have your list ready before they ask. Verify your contact information for each reference to be sure it’s up to date – and use that process to let each person know you want to use them as a reference.

Your Photo. The specter of a discrimination lawsuit looms large in the fears of every HR person. If they have a picture and choose not to hire you, it’s possible that you could come back and sue them. According to Careerbuilder.com, “In most cases, they’ll throw your résumé away without looking at it, to avoid the issue altogether.”

Every Job You’ve Had Since You Were 16. This advice comes direct from the publication HR World. Evaluate every position you include in your resume by these two criteria: relevant and recent. If a job doesn’t qualify, leave it out.

Resume Clichés. Investopedia.com warns against boring language in a resume. Phrases like “team player” and “detail-oriented” are no longer effective in selling yourself. Use a thesaurus if you need it – but better yet, really describe what makes you a team player or how you actually used your attention to detail to make a specific project successful.

Unprofessional email address. Id Interns helps students and recent graduates in the arts. They remind job and internship seekers that personalized handles like sweetiepie02@yahoo.com or designfreak82@hotmail.com will not impress a potential employer – and may give out information (like your age) that shouldn’t be included in a resume. Instead, they suggest a simple first name [dot] last name address for all job-related correspondence.

For ideas on what you should include in your resume, start with “The Most Important Part of a Resume” (Working Mother magazine) Search Glassdoor.com blogs for titles including “Is Your Resume Disposable?” and “Top Seven Reasons Your Resume Sucks.” And good luck to you! Editor’s Note: Are you a hiring manager with additional advice for job seekers? Send your tips or stories to newsletter editor Paula Damiano at  pauladamiano@hotmail.com.

Twitter is like a window into the soul of America. It shows us faster and more accurately what is on our collective minds than any other medium currently in use. So it was only a matter of time, in a bad economy and a worse job market, that Twitter would be flooded with both job seekers and job offerers. The way they find each other is through certain key hashtags, the best of which we have laid out for you to help you in your quest for employment. Some of these will give you broad search results and take a while to sift through, but let’s face it — you have lots of free time.

To Find an Employer

These are the tags to plug into Twitter’s search engine to connect you with companies with openings.

1. #hiring: Here it is, your No. 1 word to find a hiring company is … hiring.
2. #tweetmyjobs: It’s a pretty clunky phrase, but #tweetmyjobs has been tagged nearly a million times, so include it in your search.
3. #HR: The folks handling the headhunting for the company will be from human resources, so go straight to the source.
4. #jobopening: Now we’re talking. This tag is almost exclusively used by people offering people work. Easy.
5. #jobposting: “Jobposting” is another efficient tag to search, only it’s used a bit less than #jobopening.
6. #employment: Often listed along with #jobs at the end of a tweet, #employment is a major keyword used by businesses in the market for talent.
7. #opportunity: There will be some quotes and other tweets that don’t help you, but there will be plenty of hookups to employment opportunities.
8. #recruiting: Search this hashtag to find not only employers that are hiring, but inside info on the recruiting techniques they’ll be using.
9. #rtjobs: Many Twitter users are there helping you out by retweeting job openings they come across.
10. #jobangels: The JobAngels are a volunteer group working to help unemployed people find jobs, and they have a strong presence on Twitter.
11. #jobsearch: Sometimes this will be the only hashtag a hiring company will use, so be sure to make it one of your search terms.
12. #joblisting: Attention! I’m a hiring employer and this is my way of telling you that I’ve got a job right here just waiting to be filled.

To Attract an Employer

Strut your stuff and get yourself out there with these hashtags to help employers find you.

13. #hireme: Don’t beat around the bush. #Hireme is short, sweet, and to the point.
14. #MBA: Have an MBA? Shout it out in a hashtag to direct employers to your top-shelf business acumen.
15. #linkedin: If you’re unemployed, you’re no doubt already networking away on LinkedIn, so let them know you have a viewable profile.
16. #profile: While you’re at it, go ahead and tag “profile” too, and couple it with #facebook, #linkedin, #monster, or any other place your details are posted on the internet.
17. #unemployed: It’s what you are, so own it and let employers know you are totally available for engagement.
18. #resume: If you’re tweeting about your resume posted online, be sure to hashtag it.
19. #CV: Curriculum vitae is basically a more fleshed-out résumé, but #resume is nearly twice as popular. Use both to be safe.
20. #needajob: Thousands of the unemployed have tacked this phrase onto the end of their tweets in the hopes an employer will stumble across it in a search.

To Educate Yourself

These tags may not directly land you a job, but they will enlighten you on the latest trends in finding, keeping, and enjoying a job.

21. #jobtips: By far the best search phrase in this category, it will load you up with more good job advice than you could ever read.
22. #career: At half a million tags, searching #career will score you some job listings and tons of helpful guidance for your professional life.
23. #interview: Hiring companies don’t use this word as much, but “interview” and “interviews” are still helpful because they turn up a wealth of advice from fellow tweeters on making your best possible first impression.
24. #benefits: Knowing what to expect in the way of benefits is a good weapon to have heading into an interview.
25. #personalbranding: Do a search for this hashtag to find ideas and tips on selling yourself in the job market.
26. #compensation: If you know the going rate for whatever you do, you are much less likely to be taken advantage of.
27. #training: Searching for “training” is a good way to find great, free job training resources.
28. #jobhunt: A search for this tag brings up mainly advice on job searching, but there will be a healthy smattering of job postings, too.
29. #unemployment: This tag has been used more than 100,000 times by users tweeting about unemployment news, ways to combat unemployment, and jobs to pull you out of unemployment.
30. #employers: They may not be tweeting about themselves, but plenty of employees and commentators are tweeting news and reviews of employers and their practices.
31. #jobless: Curious about what’s going on with others in your predicament? Search for this commonly-used tag and find out.
32. #laidoff: It’s the same idea as #jobless, except it has more of a sad connotation. If you want to commiserate with some other people about searching for that elusive job, this is the tag to search.

To Find a Certain Type of Job

If you don’t want just any old job, try searching these hashtags for that special placement you have in mind.

33. #freelance: This is a hugely popular tag used by job hunters who want to leave the option of part-time, freelance work open.
34. #homebusiness: If you’re eyeing a job being self-employed, try searching this term for entrepreneurship ideas and tips.
35. #greenjobs: Here’s one for the truly unselfish people who put the environment before employment.
36. #dreamjob: If you aren’t sure what you want to do with your life, search this tag and get some ideas of what other people would do if they had their druthers.
37. #hotjobs: Hot jobs call for a hot hashtag.
38. #consulting: Another in the potentially temporary job category, #consulting is a nice tag to widen your net and earn some income.
39. #consultant: It might seem silly to use two tags that say virtually the same thing, but those three letters might make the difference in connecting you with your new employer.

Hottest Tags by Field

If you work in one of these industries, you are in a trending field, which could be good (lots of job listings) or bad (lots of competition).

40. #SEO: “SEO” is another one that has been tagged millions of times by job seekers and tweeters discussing search engine optimization.
41. #webdesign: Clocking in at nearly a million uses all-time, #webdesign is another hot topic on Twitter.
42. #accounting: If you’re an accountant, you are in luck, as job listings in your field pop up regularly on Twitter.
43. #telecom: Telecommunications is another field with a strong showing on Twitter; it’s been used in hashtags more than 81,000 times.
44. #legal: We live in a litigious society, and the need for paralegals and other non-lawyers is increasing. It’s a great career to consider because paralegal certification can be obtained relatively quickly.
45. #lawyer: The number of lawyers in America has surged in the last 10 years, which explains why this tag is such a popular one in the Twitterverse.
46. #industry: Pair this with another tag like #music or #hotel and you’ll find listings and info on your area of expertise.
47. #salesjobs: You don’t have to pound the pavement looking for a sales job; just do a search for this popular tag on Twitter.

To Search When You Have a Couple Hours

You’ll need to free up your morning to adequately search through these tags.

48. #jobs: You’ve probably been wondering when this word would come up. The tag’s been used all of 14 million times all-time, for everything from political discussion to job listings. Your best bet is to search it with another tag from this list.
49. #job: Although it has registered only half the uses as #jobs (7 million), the singular version calls up more listings and won’t take you as long to sort through.
50. #design: Because it’s a generic word, #design has been hashtagged a healthy 2 million times, so if you work in design be sure to supplement tweets with at least one other tag.

Thanks go to topsy.com for the usage stats included in this list.

(MoneyWatch)

The world is full of people trying to tweet, like and link their way to prosperity. Years from now, we’ll all look back at how much time everyone wasted trying to get ahead with social media and think, that was a real “fools rush in” moment.

In case you don’t get the reference, it means this: nobody ever got anywhere by doing what everyone else is doing. Nobody. And that includes you.

Not to burst your bubble, but look at it this way. Everyone who lost their shirts chasing loony valuations when the dot-com bubble burst would have loved to have gotten a heads up before it happened, right? Well, here’s your heads up.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Entrepreneurs, VCs and investment banks did pretty well on LinkedIn’s (LNKD) IPO and they’ll make out like bandits when Facebook goes public, too. That’s because they’ve figured out how to capture your time and monetize your eyeballs. But that does nothing for you and your career.

Yes, I know, social media is easy, fun, and the instant gratification fix is enormous. Well, if business success was a drug, I guess we’d all be rolling in dough and high all the time. Unfortunately, the real world doesn’t work that way. So, while all the fools are rushing in, you can join them and get nowhere or do something that sets you apart.

So, assuming you’re not in venture capital or investment banking, here are five ways to monetize your ambition and make it in a social media world.

Competitive intelligence analysis

The hottest field related to social media and social networks, where companies are actually hiring, is competitive intelligence analysis. A Forrester Research survey showed that 82 percent of 150 companies that monitor social media are primarily searching for competitive intelligence.

A recent McKinsey study confirmed that when it comes to social media, networks and blogs, companies are primarily searching for new ideas and seeing what competitors are up to. This is where most of the new jobs are. For real.

Rebrand and reposition yourself

Companies are running into the same problems you are: struggling to rise above the noise and differentiate themselves in a highly competitive global market.

If you’re into branding, PR, marketing communications, HR, recruiting or customer service, instead of beating your head against the wall along with millions of competitors for the same old job functions, reposition and rebrand yourself focusing on the social media aspect of your field.

For example, in PR, the focus is more and more on media outreach and engagement with influential bloggers and opinion-leading pundits who reach millions of people. In terms of brand management, the focus these days is on real-time customer experience, service and feedback via social media. And advertisers are exploring the brave new world of Facebook and YouTube.

I can go on and on, but it really comes down to repositioning yourself to focus on what’s hot and leaving the rest to the masses.

Steve Tobak

Steve Tobak is a consultant and former high-tech senior executive. He’s managing partner of Invisor Consulting, a management consulting and business strategy firm. Contact Steve, follow him on Facebook, or connect on LinkedIn.