Bad Credit Causing More Unemployment

Bad Credit Causing More Unemployment

How to Reinvent Your Career by Dr. Diane Hamilton
Think about the person who is trying very hard to find that new job.  They may have missed a few payments due to being out of work.  This has caused their credit to be less than stellar.  If they should find that perfect job, the future employer will run their credit.  If the credit score comes back as low, their chances for getting the job are damaged.  It is a vicious cycle.

Here’s how particular events could affect a person with a 780 credit score and someone with a 680 credit score:

Initial score 780 680
Maxed credit card 735-755 650-670
30-day delinquency 670-690 600-620
Settled a credit card for less than what’s owed 655-675 615-635
Foreclosure 620-640 575-595
Bankruptcy 540-560 530-550

Source: MyFICO.com

The Arizona Republic reported today that The Society of Human Resources Management showed: 60% of employers conducted credit checks on job applicants in 2010.  Of this figure, 47% have done so only for candidates for select jobs and 13% have done so for all job candidates. 

What can you do to avoid having your credit score drop?   Jahna Berry stated the following in today’s Arizona Republic:  “If you’re headed for financial problems, carefully consider how missed mortgage payments, overdue bills or a bankruptcy filing could affect your credit report and your future job prospects, several employment experts said. Seek out help and look for options that will protect your credit.”

Employers Using Skype for Interviews

If you are looking for a job right now, you may be surprised to find out that your interview could occur through video-related software such as Skype.  In order to reduce costs, many employers are doing more and more through the use of video.  It works out well for both parties.  The prospective employee may actually be able to do their job interviews from home. 

If you are going to be interviewed in this manner, be sure you are prepared.   For a great article on how to prepare for your interview on Skype, check out the following by e.how.com:

Succeeding in a Skype interview takes as much preparation, if not more, than a regular interview.
Skype.com
User-Submitted Article

With companies slashing expenses in every which way these days, many are now preferring to interview job candidates online using applications such as Skype. With face to face interaction still intact, hiring managers can eliminate the costs associated with flying out candidates while maintaining the considerable benefits of having a face-to-face conversation.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

  • A computer equipped with a webcam, microphone, and Skype
  • Appropriate interview attire
  • As isolated room with adequate lighting, lacking any distractions
  1. First, remember this is a REAL interview! Do not be tricked into thinking that preparation is not required since the interview will be done online. Though there are some tricks to Skype interviews listed below that are not available in an on-site interview, hiring managers will still be choosing individuals that they perceive as most qualified for the job. Thus, PREPARE for the interview in advance. Call the company or asking the hiring manager what would be the appropriate dress for the interview for you to best fit in with the company’s culture (if you do not know already).
  2. If possible, test out your computer set-up days before the interview is set to take place. If possible, use an ethernet cable to access the web; relying on Wi-Fi during an interview is a risk that should be avoided at all costs. Also, make sure there is plenty of lighting in the room, so that the hiring manager can clearly see your face. Free the room of any unnecessary distractions (for instance, a red umbrella or green coat hanging in the background), but it is okay for there to leave non-distracting objects up (such as a clock, a table, etc.). Test the call with another friend to make sure no minor details need to be adjusted (such as the distance between you and the screen).
  3. Try to get the computer’s webcam high enough so that it is eye-level with you. Some laptops naturally require the user to look down at the camera, and that look is typically not as flattering for an interview as the eye-level approach. This can be achieved by a variety of creative means, but if you have some sort of laptop or computer stand, that would be best.
  4. Get there early! Log onto Skype approximately 15 minutes before the interview start time. If the hiring manager is already online, they will be impressed that you have shown up for this virtual interview early. If not, they will still notice you were already online when they got on.
  5. Be professional, but be yourself! Don’t get nervous; demonstrating confidence can sometimes be one of the deciding factors to who the company chooses for the job. Try not to refer to notes (see tip below), however, feel free to write down anything the interviewer might say. Also, it is appropriate to look at the video feed of the interviewer while they are talking, however, it is imperative that you speak to them by looking at the webcam. This will give the impression of eye contact, which is a major selling point in any interview.
via ehow.com

If You Aren’t Using Video to Promote You or Your Product, You Need To Read This

Image via seeklogo.com

Cisco recently stated that 40% of all Internet traffic will be video in nature by the end of 2010. They increased that forecast to 91% by the end of 2014.  Are you using video?  I recommend checking out the forecasts that Cisco has made for visual networking by clicking here.  

Videos can be an effective way to capture your prospective customer’s attention.  I wrote about the importance of self-promotion in my book, How to Reinvent Your Career.  A big part of self-promotion is using video.  In a recent radio interview, I discussed some tactics to using video to promote your products and services.  Click here, to listen to the broadcast. 

Compukol.com recommended the following tips to help you with your video marketing:

  • Short videos: Make sure that your videos (whether you post them on your own website or a website like YouTube) are no more than 5 or 6 minutes long. If you have a video topic that you feel needs to be expanded way beyond the 5 or 6 minutes, it is a good idea to do a series of videos to cover the entire topic. People will be more inclined to watch and will really get a lot out of your videos if you feed them to your audience in small doses.
  • Sales pages: It is sensible to post your videos on your sales pages and to take that opportunity to discuss your products and their benefits or some business opportunity that you are offering to others. The video is helpful in making your potential customers comfortable and the points that you make in your video about your products are reinforced about your sales letter.
  • Key words: Search engines pay a great deal of attention to videos. When the search engines are looking at content and figuring out how to rank the various websites and their content, it is essential to do everything possible to make sure that your website appears as high as possible in the search engine rankings. You should do research to make sure that the keywords that you use in your content is optimum. You should choose keywords that will attract the kinds of leads and traffic that you want to pay attention to you and your business. Try to find out what your target audience is interested in and what they are looking for. Make sure that you include your keywords in headings, tags and resource boxes.
  • Clear structure and purpose: By using the appropriate keywords, you are ensuring that your video will be targeted properly. You need to make sure that your video answers the questions that your audience is thinking about when they start searching for answers. You need to make your communication and your content as clear as possible at all times.

I think you can even make your videos shorter than 5 to 6 minutes.  I have found that people prefer less than 3 to 4 minute videos.  I also think it is extremely important to include a landing page website address on your video.  You must be able to draw your customers to your site.  If you have a landing page where they can sign up for a free newsletter, that is one really effective way to build a customer base.

If you want more tips about how to make an effective video, click on the rest of the Compukol.com article by clicking here. 

In my conversation in yesterday’s interview, we discussed how simple and inexpensive it can be to create a video.  If you have a flip camera or video camera, you are well on your way.  A video does not have to be elaborately produced to be effective. 

Check out instructions from Youtube about how to make as well as optimize your video by clicking here.  For more general information about lighting, sound, etc. click here.

Changing Careers: Get The Help You Need

With the recent release of my latest book, How to Reinvent Your Career, I’ve had a lot of people writing and asking me questions about how to make some career changes.  According to an article in the Independent.co, this is a big time for career changers. In that article, author Russ Thorne stated, “If you’re thinking about changing careers, you’re not alone: according to some recruiters, this is the busiest time of year for job changes, prompted by months of summer reflection. However, a total career change demands more than planning a valedictory leaving do: research, networking and training or voluntary work experience will boost your chances of standing on the other side checking out the color of the grass.”

I discussed a many of these ideas in a recent radio interview with Anna Banks.  It is very important to have a plan.  Probably one of the biggest mistakes I see people make is to not have goals written down with clearly measurable ways of attaining those goals.

One of the chapters in my book is titled “The Product Is You”.  I often write and speak about how you must see yourself as the product and market your skills.  Part of preparing to do that is to do a personal SWOT analysis.  For those of you who have not taken many business courses, SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.  Companies analyze these things on a regular basis.  I think individuals need to do the same thing. 

After self-analysis, you must also be sure to find ways to stand out in the crowd.  There is a lot of competition out there for the few coveted jobs.  I recommend reading some of the following articles to help you with social networking to get noticed and find your dream job:

Related Articles
  • Time for a New Career? Change the Daily Grind to the Job of Your Dreams (prweb.com)

6 Steps to Using Linkedin to Get That Job

I often write and speak to groups about how to use social networking to find a job and market one’s skills.  In my book:  How to Reinvent Your Career, I often write and speak about using social networking to find employment. In the marketing courses I teach, we discuss how to get that job you after graduation.  A very big part of obtaining that goal is to have a plan.  How can the recent college graduate, or anyone else, for that matter, utilize social media to find a job? 

I personally think LinkedIn is one of the best ways to get noticed.  Check out their latest series of videos at students to give them step by step guidance to learn how to set up their profile, build their network and find that job they love.

  1. Why should you join Linkedin 
  2. How to build your professional brand 
  3. Find your career passion 
  4. Build your network  
  5. Turn Relationships into Opportunities
  6. Nail the Interview

To find out more about finding a job and marketing yourself, check out: How to Reinvent Your Career: Make Money Doing What You Love.  

To find out more about online education and creating goals, check out:  The Online Student’s User Manual: Everything You Need to Know to be a Successful Online College Student.