Avoiding a Job Interview Scam

When you really need a job, it’s easy to overlook things that would normally alert you to a scam.  Here are some tips that may help you identify a fake job interview.

Send out resumes and cover letters to potential employers with job listings matching your area of expertise.  Keep a list of the ones you contact and record the date.  Follow up with them to improve your chances of acquiring an interview.  Be wary of employers who you have not previously had contact with who call or email a job offer or interview.

Do adequate research on any employer before you go on the interview.  Determine their location, what type of business they are, and what type of services they offer.  Inquire with the Better Business Bureau and see it they have registered complaints.  Ask friends if anyone is familiar with the company.

If everything checks out, agree to the interview and go prepared with copies of your resume, cover letter, and a list of references.  When you arrive, look closely at the property.  Is it in a safe area?  Do they have security guards or cameras?  Do they look well-established?  Only enter the building with the bare necessities and leave most personal belongings at home.  Turn off your mobile phone or pager before entering as well.

Do not give the interviewer any personal information during the interview, like your social security number, or any bank information.  You name, phone number, address, and then the standard list of past-experience type questions should be the only things they ask you.  If you do not want to answer a question, politely refuse.  It is your right.  You may fear missing out on possible employment, but you don’t want to give someone too much information until you know they are legitimate. 

Pay close attention to the requirements versus the compensation package that they offer.  Does it seem like a good match or does it seem a little far fetched?  Also be very cautious if they seem too eager to give you the job with minimal questions or interview time.  If this happens, do not agree right then.  Tell them that you would like to think it over and that you will contact them very soon with a decision.  Ultimately, you want to find the perfect job, but you should never get so desperate that you leave yourself open to a scam.

How to Turn Debt Reduction and Bill Paying into a Fun Game

Who enjoys paying bills?  Online bill payment services have made the task easier for some, but it’s still boring and who likes to let go of their money?  At least have some fun doing it.  Turn paying bills and reducing debt into a fun role playing game!

Identify all of your assets and debt.  Make a list or a spreadsheet and include everything from your mortgage and car loans to your checking and savings account balances.  We are going to give an alternate identity to each item.  Checking accounts are your weapons and magic, while savings accounts are your life energy.  You should designate an amount of money that you want to deposit into savings each month.  If you meet your goal, your alter ego stays healthy.  If not, you become injured or sick and you must find ways to earn extra money to “heal yourself.”  As the savings account grows, so does your level.  If you have $1000 in savings, you have achieved level one.  For each thousand you aquire, you “level up.”  Set goals so that when you reach a certain level, like level 10, you treat yourself to something, like a new HD television.  This will reduce your level for a while, but you will have just as much fun reaching it again.

Monthly bills become evil henchmen.  You can defeat them temporarily, but they keep coming back each month.  Give each a separate identity.  If you have artistic ability, create a drawing of how they might look.  Make the water bill an evil ghost pirate and the power bill an evil fire demon, etc.  The amount of the bill is the character’s total life points.  If you make a minimum or partial payment, then you only injure them.  When you pay the bill completely, you vanquish that foe, at least until next month.  Devise ways to reduce the damage that enemies inflict on you by reducing services or conserving energy and water, or changing spending habits.  Weaken your foes so that they are easier to defeat.

Larger debt, like a mortgage, a home equity loan, or a credit card, are identified as your boss characters.  They are strong and can withstand multiple hits, and ultimately, they cannot be defeated until they are paid in full.  They may possess the power to regenerate or heal themselves through monthly interest.  Think of clever ways to defeat them, like casting a freeze spell on them and transferring their balance to a zero interest credit card.  This will prevent them from healing themselves at least for a while and give you the opportunity to attack.  Then use a strong weapon like the “Mighty Blade of Income Tax Returnia” to deliver a devastating blow to the enemy.

Make the game even more exciting by involving your spouse as another member of your party and let them attack monsters and boss characters from a separate bank account.  You’d be surprised how quickly you can vanquish foes when you work as a team.  Leave messages or send emails to each other and say funny things, like “Today, I learned the magic spell of Reduction and cast it upon T. Wyvern, the Protector of the Mysterious Cable.  This lowered our monthly damage by 5200 hit points.”  If several married couples decide to play this game, you can encourage each other to reach new levels and share tips on how to defeat enemies more efficiently.  Create fun and even humorous new weapons and magic spells in order to enhance everyone’s experience.