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Beware – Bogus Job and Career Websites may be an Identity Theft Trap

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With the U.S. unemployment rate approaching double digits, it is not surprising that many Americans are prepared to do whatever it takes to gain employment. In fact, data security experts at Kroll Fraud Solutions have seen some consumers resort to a “desperate times call for desperate measures” approach, loosening their data security practices by divulging personal information to recruiters, businesses, and job search sites alike in the hopes of increasing their chances of securing a job.
The bad news is that identity thieves are well aware of this increased vulnerability among job seekers and use it to their advantage. The good news is that understanding the risks before you begin your job search can not only help you avoid identity theft, it can make your job search more productive, too. According to the Federal Trade Commission’s 2006 Identity Theft Survey Report, 10% of all respondents who said they were victims of identity theft spent 55 hours or more resolving the problem. That’s time that could be better spent on your job search!
Below, Jeremy Miller, director of operations at Kroll Fraud Solutions, outlines some of the key factors job seekers should keep in mind to protect their personal information during the job search process. At Kroll, Miller oversees a highly skilled team of veteran Licensed Investigators who support identity theft victims by restoring their identities to pre-theft status.

1. Remember: your resume is a hot commodity.
Resumes are an essential tool for someone looking for a job. After all, they say a lot about you and your professional background – information which is very important to potential employers. Still, there are some items that should never be disclosed, particularly if you intend to post your resume on career Web sites like Monster and USAJobs. Social Security Number (SSN), driver’s license number, and date of birth should never appear on a resume. The same goes for job applications: you might consider writing “prefer to provide this information during the interview” in the fields where these pieces of personal information are requested.

2. Proceed cautiously with career Web sites.
Not all job posting Web sites are created equal. Make sure you review the privacy policy and user terms and agreements before you post your resume on a career Web site. You may also want to do some online research to ensure that the site you are working with is credible When in doubt check with online resources such The World Privacy Forum’s Consumer’s Guide to Online Job Sites. That said, it’s important to remember that no matter how credible the site or how well it safeguards the data it keeps, no one can guarantee what happens to your resume after it has been downloaded by a recruiter or potential employer. For that reason, you may want to inquire if the site allows you to mask your name and contact information, thus giving you the ability to choose who can and cannot contact you.

3. Know how to spot bogus job ads.
Job-related identity theft scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Despite the best screening efforts used by career sites, scammers always find a way in. You might be looking at a fake job ad if it:
o Offers considerable pay with few to no duties
o Promises payment of wages in cash
o Contains no physical address or contact person
o Requires you to open a new bank account or accept company checks to “test” a wire transfer service
Most employment sites offer information on known scams, and should be notified immediately if you suspect that a posted job isn’t legitimate. You can also conduct an internet search on the company or check with the Better Business Bureau to determine if the potential employer has a bad reputation.

4. Keep a record of your job search activity.
Maintaining good records will not only help you track the progress of your search, but it will also provide a “paper trail” in the event you become a victim of identity theft. Record where and when you distribute your resume, maintain lists of contact information for businesses and recruiters/representatives you come in contact with, and keep track of any additional information (e.g., applications, etc.) you provide to prospective employers.

5. Carry good data security practices with you offline.
Keeping personal information off a resume is only the first step—other vulnerable situations include phone interviews, job fairs, and e-mail and phone conversations with recruiters. Scammers know that as long as someone thinks an offer is genuine, they are more likely to provide sensitive information. Make sure that you know who you’re talking to and never divulge any personal information if you have doubts about their credibility. It is important to remember that virtually all legitimate businesses or recruiters will not ask for your SSN or other information until after you have begun a formal interview process.

6. Think before your post!
Social networking sites (e.g., LinkedIn and Facebook) and are a great way of communicating your talent and expertise with a larger community of individuals. But sometimes staying connected comes at a cost. What many do not realize is that the more information you reveal online, the greater your chances of having that information accessed by the wrong person. Carefully consider what information you include on your profile page. For example, is it really necessary to share your date of birth and address with potential employers? When in doubt, remember this: if you wouldn’t give this information to a stranger on the street – you probably don’t want to put it online for the world to see.

About Kroll
Kroll’s Fraud Solutions is the world’s leading risk consulting company, providing a range of investigative, intelligence, financial, security and technology services to help clients reduce risks, solve problems and capitalize on opportunities. Its clients include Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations and government entities dealing with healthcare, financial services, insurance, consumer service and any activity involving the collection and use of personal information, Visit www.krollfraudsolutions.com to learn more.


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5 Ways to find out if Entrepreneurship is for you

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If the answer to these is yes, then entrepreneurship can be for you:

  1. You are brimming with numerous innovative (or at least a couple) ideas and you can visualize how to translate your dreams into practical ideas and above all you are passionate and persistent to work towards making your dreams see the daylight.
  2. You can take control of managing your time and do not need anyone else to monitor your tasks and goals. You are self-directed and motivated when working solo.
  3. You understand and are hands on the basic financial management – preferably mid-level if not expert. You understand what cash-flow and marketing plans mean to the survival of a business.
  4. You may be an introvert or an extrovert but will not shy away from self-promotion and learning cutting edge marketing and sales pitch.
  5. Are not easily discouraged by failures and know how to bounce back from set-backs.

If you scored a yes on all 5, then go ahead and plan more on how to be an entrepreneur.


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What do you want to be when you grow up?

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Where do you see yourself in your present job say 6 years from now?

Where are you at present in regards to your career aspirations?

If you are planning a career change what would you rather do – Join another company in similar field but with different responsibilities – either to earn more than you do at present or for power position opportunity?
Or
Just do what inspires you and was a cherished dream somewhere back down the lane when making a dough pile was not the incentive to work?

What did you want to be when you were young and what do you want to be when you grow up?

 

People have always asked us when we were growing up what we want to be when we grow up – right now the questions should more be what all do you want be when you grow up? And perhaps even add another element of truth – just keep growing and keeping being something or the other - learning and evolving is a continuous process not in a search for an end but in search for fulfillment. And as a lot of older workers find new career curves ahead – the process to evolve continues in present times.

 

Layoffs are forcing many of us in entrepreneurship and personal ventures for which we never had time before. A recent AARP study provides new evidence that suggests career changes work out well for the overwhelming majority of older workers because of reduced stress and flexible work schedules.

According to an article titled “Older workers embrace career change, less stress” in USAToday:

Mal Krinn made the switch when he had the chance to turn a hobby into a second profession.
Not many people would willingly leave the security of an established doctor’s practice for a job in a kitchen.
Krinn did that at age 62, going to work for his son, a chef and restaurateur. Seven years later, he has no regrets about having given up doctor’s dough to create and knead bread dough, which he does at Jonathan’s chic restaurant Inox in Tysons Corner, Va.

“One day I was in the office and the next day I was a full-time breadmaker,” he said.
Krinn had enjoyed cooking and baking bread for his family for decades. If his son hadn’t gone into business, he figures he’d still be doing that, along with practicing ophthalmology.
But like the study subjects, a change for a new occupation presented itself and he embraced it. Now his transition may serve to inspire older workers who are looking for a new career with different challenges.

“If you pursue things that interest you when you’re younger, who knows where it can lead to?” he said. “You find out that you could actually go into what you got a kick out of all those years.”

 

David Perry of BalanceQuest describes himself as someone who at midlife has decided to get out of the corporate life style and use his accumulated knowledge, wisdom and friendships to build a better life for themselves. It’s time to nourish your Body, Mind and Spirit.

 

And of course there are many others who are quitting the rat-race to breathe in what they believe in even if the money they make is much lesser than their previous jobs.

 

Often we have to give some to get some and it is also the other way round, to get more we give away of something precious as well – to earn more money we have to (usually) spend more time at work and that results in less time for personal interests pursuits and less family time. When you are ready to give up on the larger dough you make; there is a higher probability that you might get time to enjoy more – the time you have with your loved ones and also perhaps just watching time pass by instead of always in a rush to catch the handful of time you get every day that seems to always slip between the fingers like a handful of sand.

 
Now what do you want to be when you grow up?

 

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Layoff Back off! You can’t get me Down

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Layoffs often strike a detrimental blow on self-esteem and depresses the soul initially. Although you must do all to get over the negative feelings first – there’s one more essential revitalization required up-front, the strong affirmation that your mind need to know NOW – Layoff YOU can’t get me down!  Call upon the fighter spirit from deep within and time to rise above the storms.
Here are some quick tips that might help you get geared up for the adventure you’re about to begin:
- Get your emotions together – focus on the positives
- Schedule your time
- Prioritize tasks
- Take time to de-stress – workout, walk, laugh
- Organize your workspace and job search plan
- Attend relevant and motivational seminars, network – meet people
- Acquire new skills, gain knowledge
- Seek help from experts
- Seek answer to this question – How will I emerge better from this experience?

During a layoff it is tough to act tough but that is what you have to do. A very inspirational reading here that I would like to share with you today from Sri Sri Ravishankar (a spiritual and humanitarian leader, he is the founder of the international Art of Living Foundation):

Be With the Storms
by Sri Sri Ravishankar

How to free yourself from the grip of storms? This is the only basic problem in this universe. The first thing is to become aware of it and stop regretting it. Like waves come and go storms in your life too will subside. No one storm can be there for ever. One storm comes and subsides, another comes and subsides and it goes on. As the storm subsides, you experience that inner cool, soft, delicate aspect of yourself. In that space of calm, all the anxiety, fear, feverishness lose their grip on you and you become yourself again. Love dawns.

 

When you stop resisting the storms of life and start accepting them with open arms, they will subside on their own. That is the purpose of all spiritual practices, or sadhana, and meditation. When you realize that somebody really cares for you, you feel at rest and all fears and insecurities drop off.

You keep running away from small things — your feelings, sensations, desires — and this leads to more feverishness. Realize that like the ocean cannot be there without the waves, storms are inevitable in your life. Every storm touches you somewhere and makes you grow stronger. A storm pulls you out of your likes and dislikes and purifies you. So accept all that comes with both arms open. [...] Even when the storms come, you are still the same ocean, as deep as ever.

This realization is the culmination of knowledge. When this knowledge dawns, you rise above events; you grow out of them. Everybody in the world goes through crises, insecurities, confusions. It’s like drowning in the ocean of life. But the person with the life jacket can survive even the worst turmoil. So keep your life jacket of knowledge handy.

[...] Do not be in a hurry to get rid of the storms, be with them. Looking for perfection creates imperfection inside you. If you are peaceful, everything around you becomes peaceful. You are the center of this universe. Wherever you go, you carry your own mind, and wherever you go, you will create your own storms. It may appear to be calm and quiet for sometime but the storm will surface sooner or later. Unless you realize this, nothing will hold. There is no other permanent solution. Don’t resist the storms, instead see them as an amazing play of your personality.

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