Social Network Profile+Credit Score=No Job For You

Getting a job is harder than ever now that the entire country is affected by corporations filing bankruptcy, the failing economy and the foreclosure crisis.

Now you not get only get your credit checked you get your social networks checked and used as part of the interview and evaluation process.

Almost everyone uses the Internet and set up a public profile on a social network site to find old friends or make new friends. Networking on the internet makes our personal lives public.

Social networking sites create a “permanent record” on the Internet which can be viewed by almost anyone.

Why are employers looking at your social networking sites? What are they using this information for? What does it have to do with your work ethic?

Is it a legitimate reason for looking at your social networking profiles to determine your qualifications for being hired?

In an article witten by Josh Catone / March 21, 2008

On the pro side, Greg Fish argued that social networking profiles aren’t resumes and companies should not use them when determining if an applicant should be hired. “A public profile is a vehicle for casually interacting with others in an informal setting, on personal free time,” he wrote. “When companies use these profiles to find not only a professional but also an ideological match for a job, they’re misleading themselves and building ill will with talented prospective employees, who might decline to apply for a job for fear a comment about China on their blogs makes them persona non grata.”

On the con side, Timothy Lee said that there were plenty of legitimate reasons for employers to look at social networking profiles of prospective hires. “Employees in sales, public relations, and customer service function as representatives for the companies they work for, so employers have a legitimate interest in ensuring potential workers won’t embarrass the company,” he wrote.

Social networking brings the world closer together and was meant to create connection. Connection is a good thing

Employers are trying to find a perfect match for the positions they offer with the goal of creating a strong pool of individuals that will get the job done and fit into the company culture,

A position that is highly visible in which you will be representing the company your personal conduct could play a big part in how employers see your qualifications if you have questionable photos on a social network site.

Some have even been fired based on what employers found on a social network site.

When looking at your credit history, if you do not have a great credit score a repossession, foreclosure, bankruptcy or delinquent bills can reduce or completely eliminate you from consideration.

If you could get a good job, it may be possible to clean up your credit history – at least this is logical thinking. Many people have foreclosures and bad debt now due to no fault of their own.

What are they looking for?

Employers Look for Responsibility

If an applicant is under consideration for a position handling money, disbursing money or in charge of equipment, running a credit check is a way to determine trust and integrity. If you have a lot of debt that has been unmanageable, you may not be trusted to take on the company budget or petty cash pool.

If a person is truly financially desperate, an employment credit check is believed to potentially identify the possibility of financial problems that may adversely affect an applicant’s performance on the job.

An employment credit report provides insight into an applicant’s financial responsibility by listing any aliases, bankruptcies, liens, judgments, credit cards, loans, mortgages, collections and summaries of the individual’s payment patterns. Reports may also contain previous employers and addresses.

A good job can create stability for families to live decent productive lives for the pursuit of happiness. Employers are looking for stable individuals that can manage their finances, personal life and public persona

We are all looking for stability in a climate of instability where personal profiles are scrutinized, homes are foreclosed due to unfair lending practices, businesses get bailed out due to mismanagement, millions get laid off, and health care is not affordable, as the mainstream media tells us everyday how bad it really is.

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Living During A Recession

Having trouble making ends meet?

Can’t pay for your prescriptions, buy food, put gas in the car or keep the utilities on any longer. It’s just too hard and money will only stretch so far!

Have more month left than money?

Many people struggle with this issue. One of the best ways to save money and truly stretch your dollars all the way to the end of the month is to live a more frugal lifestyle.

Yes, frugality is key. Being frugal with one’s life does not mean that you will live a life, doing without and hoarded away. Frugal living is actually very freeing. Frugal living frees up your finances to work harder and smarter for you o that you in turn do not have to work so hard to actually bring in an income.

In a time where 40% of Americans live beyond their means, meaning they spend more monthly than they make, finding ways to save and learning to be more frugal sounds like a winning idea.

There are a few key concepts that one must adopt in order to begin living a more frugal lifestyle.

Smarter money management. A person must begin to not only spend less money, but also manage the money they have in a smarter way. This can take some time and discipline but will truly pay off in the end.

Spending less. A person must also learn how to spend less than they make. This can be a difficult process for some who have spent more than their paycheck for a long time, however if they adopt some frugal living ideas they can be doing this in no time.

Saving. With the money that they save through not spending as much, they can begin to put away money into savings; another key to frugal living that will help a person to get ahead.

Continuing the process. Continuing to spend more and save less is key.

Adopting some key concepts to frugal living can truly change the way you live your life, and the way that your money works for you. Become different from the norm and begin a smarter, more frugal lifestyle today.

About the Author:

Cara Mirabella is a WAHM with one toddler from New Jersey. She owns and manages TheHouseholdHelper.com – a site dedicated to saving your time, money and sanity when managing your household. She has written several articles, reports and e-books including Frugal Living: How To Stretch Your Hard Earned Dollar.

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Common Cents (Sense) The more we earn

…the more we spend

by Jacqueline E. Ford

The more we work the more money we earn. The more money we earn, the more things we buy. Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

The real question is which came first, the desire for consumption or higher earnings? This is a real paradox. There is an argument to support each as being first. But when you examine closely, does it really matter which came first. More importantly what are you going to do about the situation?

What I’m really talking about here is getting honest about our financial lifestyles. Individually, consumers struggle in their own rights to stay ahead of potential financial disasters. With the economy in the condition it is today, many are paying special attention to national and global financial states. Is it because now we believe that the world feels our personal struggle? Or, are we now anxious that our perceived “cushion of comfort” has deflated?

Consumerism has reached new heights, as we find reasons to validate the choices we make. From a psychological viewpoint, one could say that our spending habits are directly related to our desires to achieve certain social status. We surround ourselves with successful people, hoping that in some way the success will “rub off” on us. In the meantime, we spend our time and energy trying to emulate what we think is success! In the short and long run, this leads to more consumption; more meals at restaurants, buying gifts, attending special functions to network, etc.

Yes, I know, it takes money to make money, but at what point do we do some serious soul searching about whom we are and what our life’s purpose is? Does it really involve acquiring the best of the best through consumerism? How important is that Lexus, or the Fendi suit, or even the Dolce & Gabbana bag?

Keeping up with the Jones‘ has turned the American dream into an American nightmare. Our spending habits have become our alter-egos. We have convinced ourselves that more is better. Look at how major companies have warehoused everything from purchasing cars, to grocery shopping, to outsourcing skilled labor from other countries. At some point the bubble will burst, just like the “dot com” bubble burst in the late 1990’s.

Looking at our economy today, that bubble has burst again. Why is it that during times of prosperity we forget that what goes up eventually does not stay there? We ride the wave of artificial enthusiasm for as long as it will carry us. Not giving any forethought into being prepared for the cycles that the economy experiences and its impact on our lifestyle. We’re like kids in a candy store, eating all the candy we can right now, not thinking of the tooth ache that comes later.

Our perception of needs versus wants is much skewed. We are in complete denial about our spending habits and how they are directly related to the social statements we make. Even on a national scale, we can compare the spending habits of major corporations to our own households.

For example, the mortgage crisis. Mortgage brokers were mesmerized by their own wheeling and dealing in unique products and the profits to be realized from selling them. In turn, the consumer, who purchased these mortgages, thought they could increase their social status by buying more house at cheaper interest rates. The end result, everyone is suffering. The mortgage industry has gone practically bankrupt as consumers are facing an all time high in foreclosures. Each side was looking only at the here and now, and forgot to prepare for the inevitable cycle.

What can we do to stop the madness?

1. Do some serious soul searching about your true purpose in life. Does it really include all the things that you’ve acquired?

2. Always have a plan, or need I say a cushion of your own. Pay yourself first.

3. Be in control of your spending habits instead of them controlling you. Impulse purchases are not an option, ever!

4. Always live below your means! Remember the Jones’ are an illusion.

5. Find creative ways to save money that can include the family, such as starting your own garden, cooking more fresh meals at home together, or having game/movie night vs. going out.

6. Make sure your home, if you have one, is weather sealed to save energy.

7. Re-cycle. It’s a must for our environment. Our future generations need an earth that will continue to sustain them.

8. Join forces with an associate and barter your talents and services.

9. Stop riding on the emotional momentum of the media. It’s like having someone else living your life for you. Make sound financial decisions and stick with them no matter what is happening in the world.

10. Stay healthy mentally and physically. We perform best when our bodies and minds are in sync.

It’s all a case of mind over matter. Take control of your life and your finances. Stop playing the victim role every time an economic downturn happens. Stand strong because we all have “Common Cents”.

copyright 2008 Jacqueline E. Ford

Jacqueline Ford, Chief Financial Strategist of JE Financial Services (JEFS) provides workshops focused on records management & systems implementation plus, bookkeeping & payroll services. Visit her website at http://www.bookkeepingsuccess.com to download a free copy of “Selecting the right Bookkeeper for your Business.”

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Consumerism, What is It?

Consumerism is mental slavery based on the constant purchasing of consumer goods and is the cause of fear based behavior that leads to depression and severe anxiety.  Slavery today means being enslaved to ideas and beliefs.

Consumerism it not fatal, we can be cured although it will take developing some discipline, self control. and a big adjustment in our thinking.  We can and should use our resources more efficiently which means to cut back on impulse shopping, save for retirement and work smart by creating multiple streams of income. Our consumer behavior is influenced by those who can control it. Most of us match our lifestyles to the amount of money we make and live beyond what we can really afford.  Consumerism or over consumption is an obsession with the owning things a definition of our buying power.

The power of credit cards can create the illusion that you can afford to buy when you do not have the ability to pay it back. We make credit purchases for the items we must have and bank on being in a better position to pay for it by the time the bill is due.

A well known top economist, David Rosenberg say “The process of bringing our wants and our needs into realignment is going to involve years of savings and frugality.” We will all be required to change our behavior and habits of uncontrolled spending.

The fact is we are consumers and need to consume resources to survive.  Due to the drastic change in the economy some consumers don’t have much choice but to cut back on spending. How do we change our behavior and learn to preserve our money to  plan for retirement or keep the house from going into foreclosure? What can we do differently that will make a difference?

Raises aren’t being given at the rate expected to keep up with inflation and barely covers the increasing gas, the rise in food prices or other goods and services.  Realistically everyone is feeling the crunch, just look at the prices of liquid detergent for example, the 64 oz does not exist any more, the choice is the 50 oz. concentrated for the same price. Sounds like a bargain, not by a long shot, the fact is hat you will use the same amount per load that you used when you purchased the 64 oz  size and use it up faster, so you will need to repurchase sooner.

I may be overly concerned about this and sound like an alarmist but paying attention to how the economy effects my spending is how I try to avoid being in debt. School loans and extended is a set up for failure if you don’t have a plan.  The economic crisis is causing panic and people are getting creative in their methods of making money, Some go to farmers markets to shop and stretch their dollars, others have yard  sales. Officials in the state of Indiana are considering a law to limit the number of yard sales a resident can have each month. Families generate income by buying and selling used clothing and other items to make up for lost income from losing their jobs.

People are losing their homes and facing a 25 percent increase in heating bills this coming winter. Certain industries have fallen apart which creates a domino effect of job loss across the country. Companies are cutting cost by cutting jobs leaving families destitute and struggling. When there are no jobs receiving unemployment compensation is an option but barely enough to make ends meet. Families are downsizing to more affordable housing, and searching for creative ways to pay for college.

Poverty has a tremendous impact on our well being which affects the quality of life for everyone. Some have fear that crime will increase due to the recession in response to the changes in the economy. There is fear that panic and desperation will cause people to commit more crimes. Neighborhoods are changing as homes are abandoned or foreclosed on. More people are on the streets. Copper plumbing is being stolen from empty houses, causing flooding and sometimes structural damage, so the home loses value which affects the property values.

Everyone is being encouraged to make a adjustments in their consumer behavior by recycling, finding alternative income streams and spending less on unecessary purchases. We can learn to live the lifestyle that we can afford.

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