As recruiters we think we hear every excuse under the sun. apparently we were wrong. Follow the link below to see for yourself:

Fortune has just published their list of top 100 companies to work for. Is your employer on there? Guess what…they are all hiring.

These are great indicators as to how an interview is going:

We’ve all been taught it’s not nice to brag about ourselves. But sometimes, you have to toot your own horn a little.

In the world of sales, job candidates have adopted a useful tool for spotlighting their accomplishments. It’s called a “brag book.”

But you don’t have to be looking for a sales job to have one. In fact, the brag book is a great way to tell your story and prove you’re the right person for the job no matter what industry you’re in.

HOW TO BUILD A BRAG BOOK

1. Study Your Resume (A brag book is meant to substantiate the information you’ve included in your resume.)

2. Gathering the Missing Pieces

3. Putting It All Together

4. Practice Using Your Brag Book

To begin building your brag book, take a look at your resume. Note each accomplishment and gather documentation that supports it.

For example, if your resume states that you earned the “Gold Cup Award” in your present job, include a copy of the award certificate in your brag book.

Here are some other items you may want to include, assuming they tell a positive story:

Letters of recommendation

A copy of your college transcript

A copy of your background check and credit history

MOST IMPORTANT!!

Awards and achievements!!! Include what the quota was, how you achieved it, and what rankings you had within the company. If there were no rankings, show a growth pattern; how much the territory has grown because of your sales, how quickly you were promoted, etc.

Include:

• Computer graphics to support your statements and numbers

• Stack Rankings from previous employers

• Pictures of trophies or awards

• Training certificates, rings, pins or letters from customers/employers

• Letters of Recommendations or Evaluations

It’s best to work from the present backward so that your most recent accomplishments are in the front of your brag book.

Gathering the Missing Pieces If you haven’t been building your brag book all along, you may have to contact past employers, coworkers and mentors to request items to include.

Contact previous employers for references or letters of recommendation. Call your college or university and request a copy of your transcript. And many Web sites offer credit reports, some of them for free.

Consider conducting a background check on yourself. You’ll be able to review the results and correct any mistakes. Plus, including a background check (assuming it’s clean) can impress an employer with your honesty.

Putting It All Together Now that you’ve gathered your materials, it’s time to physically assemble your brag book.

1. Get a nice binder or report holder from an office supply store. Be sure to buy something that looks professional (no bright colors or patterns    unless the job you’re going for demands creativity).

2. If your binder does not feature clear sleeves in which you can place your documents, buy some. These allow you to store duplicate copies behind display copies, avoid punching holes in your documents and prevent stains.

3. Put your resume in the front of the folder. Place extra copies behind the first page.

4. Include documentation related to your current or most recent employer on the next page.

5. Keep working in reverse chronological order using your resume as a guide.

Practice Using Your Brag Book Being able to professionally use your brag book is almost as important as the book’s contents.

Practice using the book by role-playing. Have a friend or family member ask you interview questions and refer to your book as you answer.

In a real interview, always take your cues from the interviewer.

At the start of your interview, tell the interviewer you have prepared a book to illustrate your past successes.

Ask if she/he wants you to use the book during the interview. If she/he says no, put the book away and offer the book for review at the interview’s conclusion.

A good brag book will not only help you feel more comfortable during a job interview, it should also make it easier for the recruiter and hiring manager to see how well prepared, hardworking and successful you are.

I just came across this editorial from the CEO of Career builder. I will admit that I don’t believe anyone knows exactly what 2012 will hold for the US, World, geopolitical landscape or for that matter the domestic job market, but the fact is that there are great jobs out there  and the trick is aligning your job seeking strategy with the current and anticipated hiring trends of your regiona and industry.

While no one knows for sure I cant believe that Matt Fergusson is too far off. Take a look at his article after the break.

Searching for a job can easily be a full time job (especially if you are looking for a good one). Follow the link after the break for some tips for would be job seeker.

Hiring is often the most important task a manager has on his/her todo list but dont let necesity rush you into making a sub par decision. the talent pool is flooded right now and its never been more difficult to seperate the wheat from the chaff. Follow the link below for some indepth insight from the Dean of the MBA program at the University of North Carolina.

Need to cultivate a new culture in 2012… here are some tips to help you out! (follow link)

The questions keep getting weirder and like it or not you have to be ready to have a powerful answer off the cuff so take a look at these crazy questions that could very well be asked at your next interview. Follow the link for the article:

It took me a few minutes to understand how this could work…not sure if the average american is ready for it, but an interesting concept none the less. Article after the break:

http://news.yahoo.com/tech-firm-implements-employee-zero-email-policy-165311050.html