It is a well-known fact (and one of the reasons for Come Recommended’s success) that college teaches you pretty much everything but how to actually land a job. Many entry-level positions are assistants for more experienced co-workers. In this role, there is no room for error because a great deal of your future is at stake. And when left without guidance, this can prove very problematic.

ProAssisting is an online, interactive assistant training community composed of an e-learning module combined with real-time interaction to give assistants at all levels the guidance they need to succeed. The goal of the site is to offer training, tools and resources in order to create a comprehensive assistant training program to help make the most of career opportunities for recent college graduates. ProAssisting also offers HR managers overseeing multiple assistant positions an affordable training program designed to create continuity of knowledge and skill sets across all their assistant positions.

The ProAssisting Training Program comprises a 73-minute training module, private membership forum, downloadable templates, tools and checklists, and online resources to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. The program also offers direct e-mail access to Ethan Bull and Stephanie Rostron Bull, co-founders of ProAssisting with more than 20 years of combined assisting experience, for any private consultations.

Welcome, ProAssisting, to the Come Recommended family!

I’ve been saying it for years but now I’m making it official: I’m writing a book. Although I can’t reveal too many details at this time (at least in this forum), I can say that the book-in addition to being a great career-related read for high school and college students-will be the “student companion” to a top secret course we’re developing with one of Come Recommended’s sponsors.

Right now, I’m collecting advice from hiring managers, recruiters and other career experts to incorporate throughout the book. Would you like your expertise included? Please send an e-mail to book@comerecommended.com with the following information:

• Name
• Credentials (i.e., SPHR, etc.)
• Title and organization
• Contact information
• Web site and/or blog
• Short bio of your expertise

Not only would I like this book to entail advice from the experts, but also “real” stories from young professionals. Are you a recent college graduate who’s landed an entry-level job in your field and willing to share your success story? Please send an e-mail to book@comerecommended.com with the following information:

• Name
• Contact information
• Month and year graduated
• Degree (i.e., B.A.), major and minor
• College/university
• A brief description of your entry-level job, including your title
• Two to four paragraphs about a specific step (or steps) you took in college (be sure to include whether you were a freshman, sophomore, etc. at the time) that you believe helped prepare you for a successful entry-level job search

If you have any questions about this project, please do not hesitate to send those, as well. I can’t wait to work with all of you to finally make this book a reality! Trust me, it’s been a long time coming.

Best,

Heather R. Huhman, Founder & President
Come Recommended

It is with great pleasure Come Recommended is adding the following individuals to our team this fall:

Kristina Allen, public affairs intern

Kristina Allen graduated in May 2009 from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) with a B.A. in public communication and a minor in political science; she is currently enrolled in the communication master’s program. During Kristina’s senior year at FAU she was elected vice president of the American Democracy Project (FAU chapter), a national club sponsored by the NY Times to promote the importance of civic engagement. As a college graduate who had a wonderful, year and a half long internship during her undergraduate years, Kristina understands the value an internship adds to the personal and professional growth of a student. Additionally as a recent college graduate, Kristina understands the hardships faced in trying to obtain a desired, entry-level position in a tight economy.

Sunaina Bhatnagar, corporate relations intern

Sunaina Bhatnagar’s diverse professional background, desire to learn and proven excellence in graduate school make her a perfect fit for the corporate relations internship. She is a proud graduate of George Mason University, where she majored in biology and minored in business. While at Mason, Sunaina served as the PR coordinator for the university’s Indian Students Association.

Her work background includes experience in the financial and health care industries. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in PR/corporate communications from Georgetown University. Her areas of interest include digital communications and social media.

Caroline Jones, media relations intern

Caroline Jones is a May 2009 graduate from The University of Iowa with a bachelor’s in communication studies, certificate in entrepreneurial management, and minors in mass communication and art & art history. Caroline was an active member of Public Relations Student Society of America throughout her tenure at Iowa, holding the positions of secretary her junior year and firm director and social media and web editor her senior year.

Her professional experience includes research, writing, strategic communication, media relations, branding, digital media, consumer and b-to-b marketing and event planning. She is currently exploring health care public relations and corporate communications at a creative, mid-sized advertising agency in West Des Moines, IA. Caroline is enthusiastic to be a part of the Come Recommended team to share resources and knowledge with fellow internship and entry-level job seekers and to expand the media profile for Come Recommended.

Kate Scozzaro, event planning intern

Kate Scozzaro is a senior at the University of Rhode Island. She is majoring in public relations with a minor in leadership studies. She is the president of URI’s student-run public relations firm and a URI student mentor.

Ever since she was little, she loved to organize events with her friends, and as the years went on, she realized she wasn’t half bad at it! Kate lives to see people smiling and having a good time. Her passion for event planning (and perfectionism!) makes Come Recommended’s Event Planning Intern position a perfect match for her.

Sarah Tiambeng, editorial content intern

Sarah Tiambeng is a strategic communications student at the University of Missouri- Columbia. With her combination of reporting and public relations skills, Sarah is well versed in producing online and offline content. She spent two years as a metro section intern for The Dallas Morning News and recently completed a public relations internship at Dallas-based advertising agency, Moroch Partners. At the University of Missouri, Sarah serves as publicity director for the Student Union Programming Board and is a member of the promotional team for the university’s student run publication, The Maneater. As Come Recommended’s editorial content intern she is looking forward to providing an outlet for applicants and employers alike.

There has been some confusion surrounding what sets Come Recommended apart from other professional networking sites, so I’d like to set the record straight. While other sites urge users to seek out recommendations from colleagues as a way to strengthen their profiles, Come Recommended requires both employer and candidate members to receive at least three recommendations before they are accepted into the community.

The recommendation process serves as a way for employers and candidates to gain immediate, objective feedback on each other. Most other Web sites lack any type of screening process for their users. This is very problematic for career-based sites because they become cluttered with false or misleading job ads and the résumés of unqualified candidates.

Recommendation requests are sent out using the site’s technology and ask specific questions about the employer or candidate. These questions ask about an employer or candidate’s strengths and weaknesses, the best reasons to work with the candidate or employer and whether or not the reference would hire or work for the individual or company again. Some examples include:

Candidates:

• Explain the candidate’s responsibilities when he or she worked with you
• Please provide example of a time when the candidate showed initiative or extra responsibility
• Would you describe the candidate as an introvert or extrovert? Would the candidate work well with others or prefer working alone?

Employers:

• What are the best reasons to work for this employer?
• What are some areas in which the employer needs improvement?
• Overall, would you recommend the employer to others seeking internships or entry-level positions, and why?

The fact that both employers and candidates must receive three recommendations before being granted access to the community is something that makes Come Recommended different from any other job networking site. The exclusivity of the site will benefit both candidates and employers because employers have the most qualified, highly recommended candidates at their fingertips and candidates can see what other people in their positions have said about potential employers. This simple process is extremely beneficial to both employers and candidates.

If you have any further questions about Come Recommended’s recommendation process, please do not hesitate to e-mail me at heather@comerecommended.com.

Best,

Heather R. Huhman
Founder & President

Come Recommended is pleased to announce a new and exciting partnership with ResumeEdge. Together, we are offering a wide array of products and services catered to every job seeker’s need.

Through the Candidate Resource Center, job seekers will be able to connect with experts in their fields who can speak the industry’s jargon.

Beneficial and strategic, these services are designed to set entry-level job seekers apart from the rest. The job pool is filled with candidates of similar backgrounds, and sometimes it’s hard to distinguish one candidate from the other based on education and experience (and references!) alone.

Through Come Recommended and ResumeEdge, not only will candidates be given the tools to put their best foot forward, but they also will receive the necessary means to highlight their commitment and strength of character.

A well-crafted résumé and cover letter-unique and sleek-have the ability to impress any hiring manager. It’s not just about getting a foot in the door-it’s about taking a step through the door.

Individually crafted from scratch (or edited from an existing résumé) based on your responses from the ResumeEdge job questionnaire, you will receive an expertly written résumé within 48 to 72 hours, have the opportunity to work with your editor for up to seven days and have an available pair of ears to discuss your job aspirations.

Come prepared, come smart, Come Recommended.

See also ResumeEdge’s Canadian site: www.resumeedge.ca.

The cost of covering applicants’ travel expenses for an interview can add up very quickly for both employers and candidates. Employers have become reluctant to accept résumés from candidates who are not from the area, and candidates are keeping their searches local, as well. Thanks to Come Recommended Visual Connect (courtesy of TokBox), the cost of interviewing potential candidates-or conducting informational interviews-is greatly reduced.

As always, both the candidate and employer must have three recommendations in order to use this feature. Additionally, one user must be an employer and the other user must be a candidate for the webcam interview to work.

On the right side of a candidate’s profile, an employer can select a time to schedule the video chat. Both employer and candidate will receive an e-mail with a secure link to their video chat. The link will be active immediately, regardless of when the meeting is scheduled. The link in the e-mail will also connect the members’ webcams and microphones and give instructions to begin the video chat.

We envision Come Recommended Visual Connect to most often be initiated by employers. However, we also encourage candidates to request informational interviews via this new tool.

While this feature is still in beta testing, video interviewing will be free to use. If a member runs into an issue with the feature, they are encouraged to submit a detailed description of the problem to support@comerecommended.com.

Two weeks ago, during a panel discussion with campus career centers, a participant asked how Come Recommended intended on reaching small businesses throughout the country.

Small businesses are the backbone of this country and our nation’s chamber of commerce and Small Business Administrations (SBAs) are the voices of these small businesses. Most of these businesses have considerably smaller budgets than large companies and are really looking to cut costs and streamline their hiring costs.

Small businesses can really benefit from using Come Recommended as a hiring tool because it is free to join the community and exposes employers to a plethora of very qualified candidates. With the help of Come Recommended, these employers can network with candidates from around the country that may be interested in their small business without ever leaving their office and at a time that is convenient for them.

Although outreach to small businesses was always on the itinerary, thanks to this inquiry, we stepped up our timeline and have been notifying chambers of commerce and SBAs throughout the country about our services–inviting them to take part in free online demos. Space is limited, so sign up today!

• Chambers of commerce demos
• SBA demos

Come Recommended is a community always looking to expand its reach to others who support the cause of helping entry-level and internship candidates find jobs. This led us to join the grassroots coalition 80 Million Strong.

80 Million Strong is a coalition composed of Millenials and organizations that support them in their efforts to find employment during this slow economy. According to the 80 Million Strong Web site, nearly 87 percent of Millenials have a high school diploma and nearly thirty percent have a college degree or higher-and are in tens of thousands of dollars in debt. These young professionals need jobs and are faced with competing against more experienced workers for entry-level positions. We cannot allow the definition of “entry-level” to continue becoming more and more unattainable for recent college graduates.

80 Million Strong plans to convene a summit of young people in Washington, DC, to discuss the problem of unemployment among Millenials and develop federal legislation based on the discussion in order to build a grassroots coalition that empowers the millennial generation.

Come Recommended has added our voice to this coalition, and we encourage our members and supporters to do the same. It’s free and very easy. For more information, visit www.80millionstrong.org or follow them on Twitter at @80MS.

Thank you to the campus career center staff who attended the Introduction to Come Recommended webinar today! Unfortunately, the presentation did not record correctly. So, we’ve embedded a copy of the PowerPoint below. Additionally, I’d be happy to give a personal presentation to anyone who desires one–no matter if you attended the original webinar or not.

Finally, I wanted to address the fantastic questions asked during the presentation in more detail:

Q: How do you differentiate Come Recommended from other job sites such as Monster or CareerBuilder that also allow potential employees to create an online profile to find jobs?

A: I honestly don’t even consider those sites competitors. They have become behemoths, bogged down by fake or misleading job ads and résumés of unqualified candidates. And although I encourage candidates not to leave combing the job boards out of their search plan, that action alone simply isn’t enough anymore.

That said, a few current differentiators:

• Come Recommended is limited to only those seeking internships and entry-level jobs, and employers who want to hire at these levels. Candidate members must have graduated no longer than one year ago. That means no more competing against people who aren’t truly entry-level but are willing to take those positions because they need a job.
• Everyone in the community must have three recommendations before they are allowed to interact with you, and that includes employers. These recommendations are displayed clearly on every profile.
• Once accepted into the community, candidates have the ability to chat directly with hiring managers through the site. They can initiate a conversation with them, and vice versa. So, if candidates visit an employer’s profile and like what they see, they send a chat request and tell them! (Also note that webcam/video interviewing capabilities are coming soon!)

Q: Do you verify recommendations for students, and what happens to this information? What about the recommendations for the employer? Who recommends them?

A: We assure the legitimacy of recommendations in several ways. First, recommendation requests can only be sent to “paid” e-mail domains–not free accounts such as Gmail or Hotmail. Second, because references must provide their phone numbers, Come Recommended staff performs random checks to assure accuracy. Finally, if a user suspects a reference might not be legitimate, he or she is encouraged to contact us immediately, and we will follow-up. If, indeed, the recommendation has been falsified, the user will be permanently banned from Come Recommended.

Candidates may receive recommendations from current or previous employers, industry professionals, professors/teachers and other non-family members. References need not be registered users of Come Recommended. Once the reference answers the questions in our recommendation process and hits “submit,” the reference’s name, title, organization and e-mail address-along with the questions and answers-are automatically transmitted onto the candidate’s profile page.

The process for employers to access our site is exactly the same. Employers may receive recommendations from current or previous interns or entry-level professionals. Again, references need not be registered users of Come Recommended.

Q: You mentioned several large organizations who’ve already registered. What about smaller and mid-sized employers, regional employers, etc.? To what extent are you reaching out to employers outside the Fortune 500?

A: Come Recommended is a fantastic resource for small and mid-sized organizations–perhaps in some ways even more so than large organizations. Our goal on the employer side is to reduce hiring costs and streamline the entire process, with the hope of encouraging more internship and entry-level hiring.

We reach out to employers–of all sizes–in a number of ways:

• Through our already-existing database (monthly e-newsletter, webinars)
• Sponsors and strategic partnerships
• Viral word-of-mouth campaign (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, flickr and YouTube)
• Media relations campaign
• Attendance at key conferences/events

Q: Is there a password we can use to test out the system?

A: No, not the way we have it set up. You’d actually have to register as an employer or a student. However, I have an administrative account, and I’d be happy to arrange a time to walk you through the site virtually.

Q: Is a student’s photo required?

A: A student does not need to upload a photo–it’s only there as an option if they choose. If they do not upload a photo, a generic “avatar” is put in its place. We chose to have photos as an option because we feel it helps both candidates and employers seem more “real” and personal, rather than just another résumé. But again, students do not have to include one, and many of our current students haven’t.

Q: How soon will the new features be added?

A: As soon as possible! We want to grow the site quickly. In order to do this, we are forming strategic partnerships with organizations that already offer the features we’d like to add-but we also need sponsorships to cover our costs and to keep the features low-cost or free to our members.

Q: Would we just go ahead and link to your from our Web site for our students to get started?

A: Yes, that would be fantastic! You might also want to think about including an announcement in your newsletter if you have one and/or sending information to your school’s student newspaper.

Logo choices for your Web site can be found here. Resize them as necessary. Also, the two sentence description of Come Recommended is as follows: Come Recommended is an exclusive online community connecting the best internship and entry-level candidates with the best employers. Unlike other exclusive recruiting networks, Come Recommended requires both candidates and employers receive three recommendations before accessing the community and its features.

Please let us know how else we can help you get the word out to your students.

Best,

Heather R. Huhman, Founder & President
Come Recommended