Visual Connect, Come Recommended’s affordable option for interviewing out-of-town applicants, will now be offered for $25 to members making interview requests. The cost of covering applicants’ traveling expenses can add up, and Come Recommended is committed to providing easy access for both employers and candidates to extend their reach beyond their local areas.

Using Visual Connect, employers or candidates can schedule an interview and receive a secured link to their video chat that automatically syncs the members’ webcams and microphones and gives instructions for beginning the video chat.

While Visual Connect is most often be initiated by employers, we also encourage candidates to request informational interviews via this new tool.

In conjunction, Logitech, a world leader in Internet communications, is proud to offer registered members of Come Recommended an exclusive 15 percent discount on some their best webcam equipment.

As a special thanks for taking advantage of Come Recommended’s services, employers and candidates can save a little change and boost their online experience with Logitech’s Pro9000, C600, and C500 webcams until June 2010.

Starting today, Come Recommended will also be giving away Logitech webcams to the first two employers and two candidates who sign-up for Visual Connect. Additionally, Come Recommended will randomly select one candidate and one employer who join and leave a message on our Facebook fan page detailing how they plan to use the webcam in their job search or hiring process.

When you told us the profile pages were getting too long with all of the content, we heard you loud and clear. We’re happy to announce all profiles are now tabbed for easier reading!

Do you have ideas for improving the way future intern and entry-level job candidates are hired? Do you also know how to build Ruby on Rails applications like nobody else? If so, you will want to check out Come Recommended’s contest for innovative and tech-savvy individuals to implement their ideas as original features within the organization’s exclusive online community.

Individuals are encouraged to bring forth imaginative and valuable ideas that would complement the mission of Come Recommended–connecting the best internship and entry-level job candidates with the best employers.

The top winner will receive a grand prize of $1,000, the runner-up $500 and third place $250. All three winners will have their features recognized by and implemented on Come Recommended’s premiere online community.

All feature suggestions will be voted on within the IdeaScale network, located at http://comerecommended.ideascale.com. Team submissions are encouraged. Come Recommended will contact the three users whose ideas received the most votes, asking them to then build their applications. Participants need not be current members of Come Recommended; voters need not be able to execute ideas suggested within the network. Suggestions and voting end on November 30, 2009.

Good luck!

Come Recommended is answering the challenge of capitalizing on new media for small businesses with the launch of CR|PR, a public relations and social media consulting arm of Come Recommended dedicated to helping your bottom-line. Organizations and individuals who are sponsors or strategic partners of Come Recommended can widen their online reach with the leadership of public relations and social media veteran, Heather R. Huhman, and assistance from her team of young professionals who specialize in reaching their own generation.

A few highlights of CR|PR’s services:

• Strategic planning and research: focusing on which services will best fit your needs, setting goals and researching which avenues will provide you with the best SM/PR tools
• Newsletters: write, edit, design, and distribute your company’s online or print newsletter
• Metrics and analytics: demonstrate the results of our efforts through the best and latest tools
• Traditional and new media relations: secure coverage for you and/or your business in various media outlets
• Building and maintaining your choice of any or all social media tools including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and blog visibility

Come Recommended is committed to being an innovative resource for our members and sponsors. We proudly extend this new service, and invite you to seize this opportunity to leverage your business’ potential.