Student Financial Education Service – Helping Students Achieve Personal Financial Well-being

“The best time to learn to manage your money is when you don’t have any to manage.” – James Stevenson

College students have long been known for racking up large credit card balances and taking on large amounts of debt. What few realize, however, is that debt isn’t free money; it needs to be paid back and managed effectively, or the consequences could be severe. Many are unaware of the ramifications that these free-spending habits have on their credit scores, and ultimately, their futures.

The goal of the Student Financial Education Service office (SFES) is to increase awareness of credit scores and to provide advice and answers to any personal finance questions that students may have. Most students seeking the advice of SFES are looking for answers regarding credit report management, loans, checking/savings accounts, budgeting, and how to save after college. This service (including the credit report and score) is sponsored by the Clemson University Alumni Center and Bank of America, and is 100% free to students. Students are able to schedule appointments or simply drop-in during office hours at their own convenience.

Graduate student Beth Robertson (Master of Accounting) and Senior Thomas Cleveland (Financial Management) are eager to help students in any way that they can. The SFES office is located at 805 University Union and can be reached via email sfes1@clemson.edu or by phone at 864-656-7337.

Resume Mistakes

Hello again! I had some time one Friday to browse one of my favorite job blogs. I enjoy reading what CareerBuilder.com publishes on its job blog, The Work Buzz. I thought this article on resume mistakes was good and wanted to share it with you.

Enjoy!

Dave Sargent
Michelin Career Center

10 Résumé Missteps that Hurt Your Job Search
Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder.com writer

Job hunting is a process that has always evolved with the times. Over the last decade we’ve seen it change radically as job seekers took their hunts online. As a result, many of the rules have been tweaked for this digital age.

Still, one component of the process that hasn’t gone anywhere is the résumé. That one document can still be the make-or-break for your new job. Some of the same pitfalls that existed 50 years ago exist today; others are a little different. To help you land that coveted position, here are 10 missteps to avoid when you’re writing your résumé.

1. Your contact information is MIA
Teachers, even at the graduate level, tell their students, “Don’t forget to write your name at the top of the page.” It’s an embarrassingly remedial instruction that you’d hope no one needs to hear past the first grade. Yet, time after time, teachers are forced to play detective as they come across a completed exam with no name on it. Students are so panicky about getting out all the knowledge they crammed into their heads that they forget to do the basic part first.

More résumés than you think follow this trend. An eager candidate with impressive skills will send in a résumé that has a name, but no e-mail address or phone number, making it impossible for the hiring manager to contact you. A big difference between the teacher and the hiring manager is that the latter won’t spend the time trying to track you down.

2. Typos
Imagine you’re on a first date with someone and he or she is sitting across the table from you, talking about his or her job, education, family and anything else. Now, what if you spot a dribble of salad dressing on the chin? Chances are you won’t hear what’s being said because you’re wondering whether or not to say, “Excuse me, but you’ve got a blob of ranch on your face.”

Typos in a résumé are like that dressing: distracting. Misspellings in a résumé can be a lot of things — a sign that you can’t consult a dictionary, that you don’t know proper business etiquette or that you don’t care enough about your presentation to take a few minutes for a proofread. Ultimately, all that matters is that typos distract a hiring manager from the content of the résumé because they’re too busy making their own assumptions about you, thereby harming your chances of getting a job.

3. Too much information
Because your résumé is one of dozens (or even hundreds) that a hiring manager will review, don’t bury the pertinent information. Don’t list jobs that you held 10 years ago if they have nothing to do with your current career goals, especially if you’re short on space.

4. Not enough information
Of course, the opposite approach is just as problematic. If you veer too far into minimalist territory, your résumé won’t be overstuffed, but it will leave too many questions unanswered. Don’t expect an interview if you list job titles with no mention of your responsibilities or if you don’t have a section highlighting your skills. Hiring managers will assume you just don’t have much experience to talk about and won’t take you that seriously.

5. Extreme formatting
When most job hunting was done in person or via snail mail, applicants were told not to use bright-colored paper and cutesy borders like balloons or ivy. That’s still true, even in the digital era, but you also have to watch out for electronic pitfalls like elaborate fonts and indentions. Hiring managers don’t necessarily have the same computer programs you do, so when they open your résumé all the pretty formatting will look like a series of jumbled characters. Stick to plain text to ensure they can read your résumé.

6. Lies
When you’re writing your résumé, suddenly you become aware that a job hunt is a competition and you want to do anything possible to set yourself apart from the pack. Suddenly, your one year as an assistant manager becomes two years as the vice president of human affairs.

The problem with lying is that hiring managers have seen it all, so they can recognize dishonesty in a second. Plus, you unwittingly involve a host of other people when you lie about experience. Think about it: The interviewer might want to talk to your previous boss, colleagues or clients, which means you better have corroborating evidence to support your lie. Is it really worth the hassle?

7. Lack of focus
Because a résumé is not a conversational document, you can forget that it needs to have a focus from start to finish. Every piece of information should support the idea that you’re the best candidate for this position. Whether you choose to use an objective or a career summary and follow it with your education background or your work experience, you want to show that you tailored this résumé for this particular job posting. Make sure whichever format you use, the hiring manager knows you’re not sending out a hundred identical résumés for any job posting you come across.

8. You, you, you
A résumé is about you, but it’s not for you. Ask yourself what the employer is looking for to fill this position, and then provide the answers. If you have an objective at the top of the page, don’t say that you want a job that pays you a certain amount of money and gives you unbelievable benefits. Explain how your talents will bring something to the table no one else’s can.

9. Being funny
Humor is all about context, which means being funny is relative to the time and the place. If you want to show that you have a good sense of humor, wait until you’ve landed the interview and can exchange some lighthearted banter with the hiring manger. On paper, your jokes might fall flat or even be inappropriate — after all, you don’t know who is reading your résumé.

10. Not enough white space
Forget the dangers of ClipArt and colored text; worry about the damage you can do with regular text. Too many words can make a résumé look intimidating and uninviting. Leave space between sections and use bulleted lists so that the readers’ eyes can flow freely without getting bogged down in long passages of text.

Anthony Balderrama is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

Surviving the long job search

From time to time I run across blogs that I want to share. I thought this blog had some good advice for handling an extended job search.

Enjoy!

Dave Sargent
Michelin Career Center

Help! My Job Search is Taking Years!
7 ways to stay motivated
by Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer

Let me paint you a picture:

In May 2008, there were 400,000 discouraged workers, defined as those not looking for work because they thought no jobs were available to them. The average period of unemployment was 17 weeks and 40 percent of jobless people were without work for less than five weeks. Just 19 percent, or 1.5 million people, were unemployed for more than 27 weeks, according to the most recent data from Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Fast-forward to May 2009: There were 792,000 discouraged workers — 392,000 more than the year before. The average duration of joblessness was 23.1 weeks and 23 percent of workers were unemployed for less than five weeks. Fifty percent of people were unemployed for more than 15 weeks and of that, 28 percent, or 3.9 million people, were unemployed for more than 27 weeks.

That means that the number of long-term unemployed people has tripled since the start of the recession.

Clearly, periods of joblessness and, in turn, job searches, are taking longer with each passing month. While no interlude of unemployment is easy, the longer a person is unemployed, the harder it can be to find a job. Just ask Christine Wilson.

Wilson, from Littleton, Colo., left her Fortune-500 employer in September 2007 to pursue a life-long dream of becoming a paid writer. She wrote and ghostwrote for various Web sites and for a while, had great success. Eventually, she realized she needed a stable job and income, so she began job searching.

More than one year later, she remains unemployed.

“Being out of work as long as I have been makes me feel that an employer thinks I am desperate for any job,” Wilson says. “Of course, that’s not what I try to portray, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that being out of work for a long time puts people into a desperate ‘I-need-to-find-any-job-to-pay-my-bills’ category.”

Disadvantages to a long unemployment
Indeed, the harsh (and unfair) reality is that some employers are dubious of candidates who have been out of work for long periods of time. Claudine Vainrub, principal of EduPlan, a careers and educational consulting firm, says employers might think the candidate isn’t proactive enough in his job search, isn’t motivated or has a losing attitude.

“Companies consider that as time passes, the job seeker gets more and more disconnected with his or her industry, duties and [they lose] valuable career growth time,” Vainrub says. “[They might] sense that if the seeker is ineffective in finding a job and marketing themselves, they might not be effective in other tasks. Questions arise as to why this candidate has not been recruited yet and if the company is missing out on some important data that could skew the hiring decision south.”

Another disadvantage to an extended job search is that, as time passes, Vainrub says the clock ticks for the job seeker and he or she becomes increasingly anxious or desperate to find a job.

“We can become demoralized from negative employer responses,” she says. “[An applicant's] self-esteem decreases from the negative feedback [and] rejection. This can prevent professionals from portraying themselves positively, as they would in a regular situation, when they have job security.”

Indeed, Wilson says she has problems dealing with personal negative feedback and feeling like she’s never good enough.

“It’s hard to maintain a constant, positive, upbeat attitude. After several rejections, it’s really hard not to take it personally,” Wilson says. “Employers have the choose-the-cream-of-the-crop situation going for them right now. I repeatedly tell myself, if the employer just knew me — my qualifications, my personality, my work ethics — he or she would hire me immediately and never regret it.”

If your job search is taking years, here are seven tips to stay motivated and speed up the process:

1. Pump yourself up
Employers can smell fear, desperation and anxiety from a mile away. Show strength, perseverance, optimism and work ethics in your interview rather than a bad attitude. “Looking for a job for a long time is a particularly unrewarding experience and it generally will show in your interview,” says Art Koff, founder of RetiredBrains.com. As hard as it may be, don’t approach each interview with the negativity that you feel.

2. Network
Networking is obviously not a well-kept secret, but many people still can’t grasp its power. Wilson says being unemployed allows her to grow her network daily, and most of the interviews she’s gotten have been through networking.

“Look for jobs more intensively through relationship-building than through any other source,” Vainrub says. “Find ways to connect to professionals and develop your network.”

3. Seek part-time and project-based opportunities
The longer you are out of practice in your field, the less desirable you are as a candidate. Find ways to stay active in your industry, if only for a few hours each day, Vainrub says.

“Part-time and temporary work can lead to a full-time job if you perform very well and impress decision-makers and co-workers. Sometimes, it even leads to a new career path as an entrepreneur,” she says.

4. Revamp your résumé
The résumé you used in your last job search is probably no longer appropriate. Consider having your résumé rewritten or updated by an expert, Koff suggests. You might be leaving off important information or missing several grammatical mistakes.

5. Offer to work temporarily
Many workers are only looking for full-time work, so if you can accept something other than that, you might have an advantage.

“When applying for a job, tell the employer you are willing to work on a project or temporary basis,” Koff says. “This gives you a leg up on workers who are often unable to accept this kind of employment. Temporary employment often leads to full-time work.”

6. Ask an expert
You don’t want to go to an interview with an employer you are really interested in working for and make easily correctable mistakes, Koff says. Practice your interview beforehand.

“If you are getting interviews but missing out on opportunities, consult with a professional career and interview coach,” Vainrub says. “Understanding how to tackle hard questions is an art that can be mastered.”

7. Redirect your job search
Consider looking for work in areas that are different from your past job experience, Koff suggests. “If you’ve been out of work for a year or more, it is likely that the job market for people with your expertise is just not there,” he says. “Find something else or check with other parts of the country that may have an opportunity.”

Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CBwriterRZ.

Service to America: Have You Thought About It?

By Stephen L. Jones, Class of ‘68

Clemson has a strong tradition of its graduates serving in the United States military. As
noted by the Clemson Corps, 472 Clemson Alumni have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Like many, I well remember drill day on Bowman Field filled with students in uniform
participating in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) and later taking our nation’s
oath to respect and defend. I also “fondly” remember the relaxed summer camp
experience in the summer of 1967 provided by Uncle Sam at Fort Bragg, NC.

Unfortunately, at present most of our country’s colleges and universities have only a
small percentage of students participating in the military sciences and leadership courses
provided by ROTC. If America is to remain strong and a beacon for freedom, our young
people (and some of our older folks as well) must learn the true meaning of citizenship
through participation and service. What better experience is there than to leam the duties
and responsibilities that come with being a member of a great society and community
than serving in our nation’s military whether it is for a short period or a career. My
recent experience convinces me our nation continues to produce great citizen soldiers and
everyday heroes willing to do what is necessary, and I wish others could benefit from the
type of involvement I have recently experienced.

For the past four and a half years, it has been my honor and privilege to serve as the
number two individual with the U.S. Department of Defense for all health matters with
the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In this role as Principle Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Defense (Health Affairs), we worked with Congress, the Military Services,
Veterans organizations, private health care providers and hospitals, other federal
agencies, international partners, and many others to meet the preventative, treatment, and
rehabilitation needs of those who wear our nation’s cloth, military retirees, and their
families. In total DoD’s Military Health System (MRS) serves over 9.2 million
beneficiaries. The MRS’s overall goal is to maintain a healthy fighting force in
supporting DoD’s mission worldwide.

By any measure this goal is being met. As an example, because of significant
improvements in battlefield medicine in Iraq and Afghanistan, we are experiencing a
90% survival rate — higher than in any previous war, and 10 points higher than in the
1991 Persian Gulf War. AND “if you look at the overall death rate … the case fatality rate
is cut in half from Vietnam to now.” These improvements can be contributed to the
professionalism and heroism of our first responders — our corpsmen and medics; rapid
evacuation to higher levels of medical treatment; and the skill of our medical providers.
Our nation can be proud of these dedicated healthcare professionals who volunteer to
provide care and treatment to our patriotic sons and daughters and often do so far from
home and at a risk to themselves.

While working in DoD, I had the opportunity to interact daily with many of our fme
young men and women who protect our security and advance freedom throughout the
world. These individuals in uniform are exceptional people; they are in better overall
health, more fit, highly motivated, and better educated than the general US population.
When called upon, they respond and are dedicated to their mission. believing their duties
provide the self-satisfaction of public service and a greater cause than to one’s self. It
continues to astound me that at no time over these past four plus years did I speak with
anyone who regretted military service, even those with significant injuries or wounds.
Remarkable young people indeed.

In closing let me expand on the attributes of today’s military. It is like the fictional Lake
Wobegon introduced on the radio by Garrison Keilor before many of you were born. It
was a place where “all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the
children are above average”. Frankly, that has strong parallels to today’s military – it
really does. Over 90% have a traditional high school diploma compared to about 75% of
American youth. More than two-thirds are drawn from the top HALF of America in
terms of math and verbal aptitude scores. They are smart, creative, and able to adapt to
ambiguities far more quickly than their non-military peers. They are firmly middle class
with all family income quintiles represented except two: the lowest income quintile is
UNDER-represented with the middle class slightly OVER represented. The richest
quintile is holding exactly in its proportionate share of military representation. I say this
to help counterbalance myths that seem to permeate the populist media. Of course, I
probably don’t have to tell any of you what an outstanding military America has, and
facts such as these explain why.

As you consider future choices in life and a rewarding and challenging career, I ask you
not to disregard a choice in service to your country. We are fortunate to have inherited a
nation built on sound values and higher ideals. It is up to each of us to insure that the
values and ideals are practiced, protected, and passed to .the next generation.

As former US President, Ronald Reagan stated, “Freedom is never more than one
generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It
must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”

You are the next generation. Service to America: have you thought about it?

Career Fair

Now’s the time to get Career Fair ready! The fall Clemson Career Fair is in less than two-weeks and no matter if you are a senior, freshman or graduate student you can benefit from the experience.

Career Fair Information:
The career fair happens twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring, usually at Little John Coliseum. This fall it is on September 16th from 10:00am-3:00pm. The Career Fair is your opportunity to meet over 140 employers, talk to them about full-time jobs, internships and develop your networking skills. This year the career fair has an added benefit of being divided into the Tech Connect Career Fair and Connect2Business Career Fair, both at Little John on the same day.

Why should you attend?
No matter what year you are in school, meeting employers, finding out about different careers and networking at the career fair is going to benefit your future. As a freshman or sophomore you can come to the career fair and take a career fair tour (10:00am-11:30am) and learn the tips and tricks of how to research and introduce yourself to an employer. As a junior or senior you give yourself the valuable opportunity to meet employers and talk about internship and full time job opportunities.

Don’t let the hectic schedule of classes, assignments and football games get in the way of finding the career that you desire, attend the Career Fair on September 16th and continue your path to career success!

Finding your passion

It’s August and after an entire summer of planning you are finally here, at Clemson. You settle into your dorm room, meet some new friends and start classes. And one of the first questions that you’re asked by everyone is, “What’s your major?”

Settling into a major, career and or passion in life is exciting and often can be scary. But you’re not expected to have everything figured out just yet. Finding your true passion isn’t as simple as it may seem. For some, it does come naturally, but most of the time, you have to ask yourself some questions to pinpoint exactly what you were born to do. Here are 7 questions that can guide you to finding your true passion:

What do I like to do?
Not only what do you like to do, but why do you like to do it? Analyzing why you like certain activities and classes will help you discover your natural strengths and how these strengths can help you in a future career.

What classes do I enjoy the most?
This question may have a lot to do with the professor, location and class size. So the important thing to think about is what material seems most interesting to you? Which textbooks do you enjoy reading and what homework assignments do you like finishing?

What sparks your creativity?
Think about something in your life where you seem to always expand its horizon, always coming up with new, fun, and exciting ideas relating to that subject. Whatever makes you creative is probably something that you are very passionate about.

What would you do for free?
In this society, we are ruled by the almighty dollar. That’s the way the system works, and that’s the game we have to play. This leads many people to seek making money first, instead of what makes them happy. I truly believe that if you follow what you are passionate about without thinking about if it will make you rich or not, you will end up being successful.

What do you like to talk about?
The topics of conversation we have can definitely tell what we are interested in, and this is a good way to find out what we really enjoy in life. Ask a few close friends to help you. Have them tell you what they believe you like to talk about the most. Ask them what topic makes your eyes brighten up, and changes your entire behavior. I bet some of their answers will be surprising to you.

What makes you unafraid of failure?
When we do what we are passionate about, we have total confidence in our abilities. This makes us not worry about failing, because in our mind, how can we fail when we do what we love? Doing what you love is a success in and of itself, so failure is like an impossibility.

What would you regret not having tried?
We all have these dreams, and somehow, life pushes us in another direction, and next thing we know, we are far from those dreams we used to have. If you were at the end of your life, what would you regret not having pursued? What would you have liked to do, that you didn’t get a chance to?

Ultimately finding a career that you are going to be passionate about starts with first determining what your passions are, if you already know what you would like to do come by the Career Center on the third floor of Hendrix and we can help you take steps toward your career path.

Questions to ask in an interview

You have everything ready: your suit, your resume and you have prepared for the questions you might be asked in an interview. But what should YOU ask in the interview? Part of “wowing” the interviewer is not only having great answers to their questions but having good and thoughtful questions to ask them. It allows you to have an active role in the interview.

Here is a list of questions you can ask the interviewer that will help you conduct the interview as impressively as you handle their questions:

How do you see me benefiting the company? Finding out why they selected you out of their applicant pool will give you a chance to expand on those qualities during the interview.

What Would my first project be if I am hired? This is great in helping you determine what to expect on your first day and will allow you to incorporate those attributes into the interview.

What are the job responsibilities? While job ads usually list the general responsibilities, it is always good to confirm the responsibilities. In this way you can speak to the responsibilities as you answer the interview questions.

Who will evaluate me if I am hired? This will help you in determining the company or departmental structure and how you will fit in the organization.

What type of growth and opportunities for advancement do you offer? You want the interviewer believing you are looking for a career. This question tells the interviewer you have a long-term vision for your career and that you are not simply unemployed and looking for a job.

Do you support continuing education or professional training? Along with the question above, this helps show your long-term vision for the future. It also shows you have a desire and a willingness to learn new skills and accept new challenges.

What is the company’s culture? This can help reveal what kind of work environment exists at a company. Is it a formal suit and tie environment or is it a casual work environment?

When will a hiring decision be made? You need to know this to determine the timing of your follow-up activities.

May I contact you if I have other questions? You need to know who you can contact for further communication to conduct your follow-up activities.

Job Searching in a Down Economy

A job search for a full-time position can be a time-consuming, daily task in a normal economy. But in a tough economy you have to double or triple the amount of work you put into your job search. You may be really lucky and find the right position quickly, but that is unlikely. It is more likely that your search will consume the same amount or more time than a 4-credit course and will involve many resumes, cover letters, and interviews.

Here are some tips:
1. Know yourself:
What do you enjoy doing? What are you good at? What valuable skills do you possess that you could offer an employer? Can you give examples of these traits?
2. Think outside the box:
For example: If you enjoy crunching numbers look at all industries that need Accounting/Finance/Economic people from accounting firms to hospitals to software companies.
3. Get organized:
Whether it is a file of folders or an excel spreadsheet, do whatever works for you to track your job search activity. Try to keep track of when you applied, how you found the position, and the end result. If you are not getting any offers or replies make an appointment to talk with a Career Counselor at the Michelin Career Center. Your resume might need some enhancements.
4. Get on ClemsonJobLink and utilize it!
Fill out your profile, load your resumes, and search for jobs, employers, and contacts in ClemsonJobLink. Apply to jobs that you have an interest in, along with employers who are coming on-campus to interview. Keep them on your calendar and follow up.
Take advantage of on-campus interviews
We had many opportunities this fall for on-campus interviews and did not have full interview schedules. What happens? The employer cancels and reconsiders whether to return to Clemson for future recruiting needs.
5. Network!
Let others know you will be graduating and looking for career opportunities. This includes: organizations, family, friends, etc.
Set your job search goals
What goals you set will depend on your own search and timeline. Good ones to think about are: How much time are you going to put into the search? How bad do you want a job after graduation? How many organizations and contacts do you want to target each week?
6. Start searching and applying!
The more you prepare, research, and network, the more these tips will pay off!

Job Seeker Scams

Job searching can be a very vulnerable time for an individual—both emotionally, as well as the fact that your personal information (including full name, address, phone number, etc.) is being repeatedly sent to others via e-mail or through applying for jobs on websites.  Scam artists can and have taken advantage of this.  That is why it is important to be very careful to avoid job seeker scams during your search for employment.  Most job postings are legitimate, but here is some information and tips to avoid job seeker scams.

There are four common types of job seeker scams, but new strategies are developed often:

Phishing:

• Phishing scams are cleverly hidden attempts to get your account information. These e-mails appear legitimate—with professional-looking company logos and information—and often claim that there is an urgent need for you to log into your account and verify personal information. If you receive one of these e-mails, check the destination URL on the provided link before attempting to login or submit any information; the links could actually lead the recipient to a false Web site. The victim may be asked to update their banking information or other sensitive information, which the site owner (aka scammer) will use for any number of illegal purposes.
• This job scammer sends mass e-mails to long lists of recipients. The e-mail claims to have seen your resume on the Internet, notes that your skills match the requirements for their job, and invites you to complete an online job application. Or the e-mail may state that it is in response to the resume you submitted for a job opening. Proceed with caution! Is this a cold-contact e-mail from a business or person that is not familiar to you? Did you apply for a job with this organization? Did you send a resume to this recruiter? Type the company’s Web site address into your browser and contact the company via telephone to check it out.

Nigerian Check Cashing Scam

The Nigerian check cashing scam usually involves transferring funds internationally. The scam artist attempts to reassure the victim by offering apparently legal contracts, forged or false documents bearing company letterhead, false letters of credit, payment schedules and bank drafts. Once the scammer has obtained the victim’s trust, checks, money orders or wire deposits are sent to the victim for “processing.” The victim is asked to cash the check or money order (wire deposits will send the money directly to the victim’s account) and send a percentage of the funds back to its origination. The need for the “middle man” is often explained as being a way around international fees or taxes. Once the funds are sent back to the scammers (usually the victim is told to keep a percentage for themselves, as payment for their services), the victim’s bank or financial institution learns that the check/money order/wire transfer was fraudulent. The funds are then subtracted from the victim’s account and he or she is made liable for the lost money.

Reshipping

Reshipping scams often begin with an employment offer, usually via e-mail. As with the Nigerian scam, these “employers” offer bogus contracts and other documentation to make them appear legitimate. Once the victim’s trust has been obtained, packages are shipped to the victim’s residence with instructions to reship the packages to another address. Once the package has been reshipped, the victim is “guilty” of receiving and shipping stolen property. This often leads to a visit from police, as the return address or shipping receipts lead back to the victim.

Envelope Stuffing Scams

These scams usually incorporate a “registration fee” which must be paid before work begins. Once this fee has been paid, the “employee” is asked to post an ad — often the exact same ad that the “employee” responded to — using his or her own contact info. Once the “employee” receives a response to their ad, he or she will stuff an envelope with information/instructions on how to get started and mail it to the new applicant. The victim is “paid” based on the number of responses received from the advertisement.

Some tips to keep in mind:

• Carefully evaluate contact information in job ads or related e-mails, watching out for spelling errors, an e-mail address that does not feature the company’s name, and inconsistencies with area or zip codes.
• Enter Web site addresses (URLs) into your browser instead of using links when checking out job sources, and be mindful of a new form of deception similar to phishing called “pharming,” which involves redirecting users from legitimate Web sites to phony replicas with the intention of stealing personal information.
• Avoid job listings that use these descriptions: “package forwarding,” “reshipping,” “money transfers,” “wiring funds” and “foreign agent agreements.” These and similar phrases should raise a red flag.
• Do not be fooled by official-sounding corporate names. Some scam artists operate under names that sound like those of long-standing, reputable firms.
• Never forward or transfer money from any of your personal accounts on behalf of your employer. Also, be suspicious if you are asked to “wire” money to an employer. If a legitimate job requires you to make money transfers, the money should be withdrawn from the employer’s business account, not yours.
• Do not give out your personal financial information. A potential legitimate employer will not request your bank account, credit card or Paypal account number. Only provide your banking information if you are hired by a legitimate company and you choose to have your paycheck direct deposited.
• Do not fax copies of your ID or Social Security number to someone you have never met. Credit checks and fake IDs can be obtained with this information. Only give these documents to your employer when you are physically at the place of employment.
• If you have questions about the legitimacy of a job listing, contact the Better Business Bureau, your state or local consumer agency or the Federal Trade Commission.

And, when in doubt, Google it.

If you have never heard of a website before, and you are suspicious of it being a scam, Google the URL with the word scam next to it (e.g. “www.popupcareers.com scam”) and research the company.  If it is a scam, there will most likely be information out there from previous victims.

Remember: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Resources:

• How to recognize a “phishing” scam e-mail (from the Federal Trade Commission)
  
• Tips for safeguarding your information during an online job search (from Microsoft)
  
• Six common job scams (Careerbuilder.com)
  
• Tips on safeguarding your job search and protecting your image (Clemson University)