Hello Everyone, I have been ill the last couple of weeks and I apologize that I haven't been able to write. I'm back and feeling 90% better!
My pet peeve today is again... the Media - The News Media has sunk to new lows - they have ZERO respect for the President of the United States, it seems that the Media's quest for the drama and top ratings has no bounds - nothing is off limits - I find this so appalling and distasteful. The Main Street Media should know better and it is quite clear that they don't.
No matter what this guy does it's never good enough, if he sounds cautious; they say...don't you think he should be speaking more positive - he then speaks more positive and they say...don't you think he was too positive, maybe he should have been more cautious - what? It isn't news when things go right - so it's their job to make things look wrong which I feel is a huge disservice to all of us. We want the real facts and not their rating grabbing rhetoric.
He decided to be with his family over the weekend to get ready for Easter instead of going to the Media's annual Grid Iron dinner, he was blasted today for choosing his family over the reporters dinner - are you kidding me????????
One day he's doing too much and the next he's not doing enough or what he's doing won't work or it's overboard or it's costing too much. I find alot of back door politicking going on from people who really don't even know what they are talking about and it makes me irate because there are people out there who are going to listen to that bull session and agree or be swayed by what they say because their only knowledge of the day is coming from the tabloid like Media hacks.
The guy has been in office only a couple of months and I for one give him alot of credit for doing whatever it may take because doing NOTHING is not an option. Bush not only did nothing for 8 years, he helped put us where we are. This economic meltdown started 28 years before with Reagan, then Bush Sr. temporary halt with Clinton then picked up speed again with Jr. - people, the Republicans DO NOT LIKE THE MIDDLE CLASS!
They have been trying to do away with us for decades - their ideology is steeped in the belief that there should only be a Rich and Poor class of people. This is fact and if you have listened to them
over the last couple of months, they actually vent that truth every time they speak.
Now, they are trying to get Obama to put aside Health Care Reform for another time and concentrate on the Economy like he can't walk and chew gum at the same time, no worry here, Obama won't do that - thank god.
For all the scrutiny he has been under I give this President super high marks to not only deliver what he promised but to have the presence of mind to ignore all of them; the News Media, the Republicans and all the other naysayers who all have their own agenda's and none of them could care less about the middle class problems or the crisis that we are embroiled in. Bravo President Obama!!!
This guy is different (which I am soooo happy about) and Washington doesn't like different - you know what I say...TUFF! Change is here, roll with it or leave
I would really like to hear what everyone thinks about the Media's news reporting - do you think it sounds like news or tabloid fodder?
Monday, March 23, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
No Job=No Funds to Pay Debts=Ruined Credit=No Job
What a vicious cycle - people who have lost their jobs and can't find another one easily sooner or later run out of money and now can't pay credit card bills and home payments which cause credit score decline. If not bad enough, employers are using credit background checks to weed potential employees out (as discussed in a previous article) so what are any of us suppose to do about this?
I have never seen anything like this in my life - to add insult to injury, anyone in this situation (there are millions I might add) are being treated like deadbeats for something they had no control over. Does any living person out there think that anyone would want to be jobless, default on their debts and live under enormous stress? I don't think anyone really cares how anyone feels or cares what most are going through, it seems employer's, banks, mortgage company's, etc., are out for number one.
The vicious cycle starts with the job loss, living off savings, retirement etc. while job searching and hoping something comes up before the money runs out. Money is running out, to stretch it further some bills can't be paid and now ones credit is being affected - now an additional worry sets in...when someone finally offers me a job will I get it now that my credit is damaged?
Are there any other avenues to make money? Let's face it, job boards & job fairs are pretty much a waste of time right now what with 15 million out of work and too few jobs to be had, and even networking, once giving a job seeker a good shot at a position, has weakened dramatically.
My theory is; try everything and hope something will stick and yes, this can be very frustrating when trying everyday doesn't bring much in the way of response - it starts to feel like defeat. I say, try other out of the box arenas like selling on an auction site (not ebay - it's too expensive) like etsy.com which is $5 bucks a month and you get your own storefront, shopping cart and checkout through etsy.com - you can create and set up in a couple of hours and it is sooooo easy to do.
There are alot of auction sites to use. What would you sell...anything you want like junk you find at yard sales, in the trash on clean up week, personal stuff you don't want anymore like video games, ipod, cds, records, tapes, books, clothes - you get the idea.
What about drop shipping - this costs pretty much nothing - you locate a reputable drop shipper online like doba.com, do your research on each one, when you settle on one that seems really legit, sign up with them (some want a $149 one time membership fee which is for life with no monthly fee or you can do the monthly membership fee which is usually between $29.95 - 59.95 a month, one time fee makes more sense) once you sign up you get to choose from 10's of 1000's of items you want to sell on your website that the drop shipper sets up for you or you can set your own up or you can sell on any auction site - options are there. The merchandise is at wholesale prices from the drop shipper - when someone buys something on your sight they pay through paypal, with a credit card or check which goes directly to the drop shipper, you send them the order and they will ship directly to your customer - no need to buy or inventory anything. The drop shipper will then pay you a commission on the difference between the wholesale price you get and the retail price the item actually sold for - Example: Ipod Mini - your wholesale price - $40.00 / Retail price you sold it for $95.00 - your commission would be $55.00.
The power sellers on Ebay have been doing this for years, that is how they became power sellers! Before choosing items to sell go online like Ebay and find out what is selling, what are hot items, now in 2009. Even in this economy people are still buying video games and game consoles, perfumes, cosmetics, skin care items etc. - DO RESEARCH before you start, but it is one way to start a business that has very little out of pocket. Most of us could scrape up $150 bucks if it means bringing in several hundred to several thousand extra dollars per month and relieve some stress. If you find a job this could still be done part time. Again, MAKE SURE TO DO THE RESEARCH FIRST! There are legit company's out there - GO TO: dropshipreview.com this is a site that has done all the research and tested these drop shippers - this will give you some insight into this opportunity.
Let me know what your thoughts are on this. Thanks for reading!
I have never seen anything like this in my life - to add insult to injury, anyone in this situation (there are millions I might add) are being treated like deadbeats for something they had no control over. Does any living person out there think that anyone would want to be jobless, default on their debts and live under enormous stress? I don't think anyone really cares how anyone feels or cares what most are going through, it seems employer's, banks, mortgage company's, etc., are out for number one.
The vicious cycle starts with the job loss, living off savings, retirement etc. while job searching and hoping something comes up before the money runs out. Money is running out, to stretch it further some bills can't be paid and now ones credit is being affected - now an additional worry sets in...when someone finally offers me a job will I get it now that my credit is damaged?
Are there any other avenues to make money? Let's face it, job boards & job fairs are pretty much a waste of time right now what with 15 million out of work and too few jobs to be had, and even networking, once giving a job seeker a good shot at a position, has weakened dramatically.
My theory is; try everything and hope something will stick and yes, this can be very frustrating when trying everyday doesn't bring much in the way of response - it starts to feel like defeat. I say, try other out of the box arenas like selling on an auction site (not ebay - it's too expensive) like etsy.com which is $5 bucks a month and you get your own storefront, shopping cart and checkout through etsy.com - you can create and set up in a couple of hours and it is sooooo easy to do.
There are alot of auction sites to use. What would you sell...anything you want like junk you find at yard sales, in the trash on clean up week, personal stuff you don't want anymore like video games, ipod, cds, records, tapes, books, clothes - you get the idea.
What about drop shipping - this costs pretty much nothing - you locate a reputable drop shipper online like doba.com, do your research on each one, when you settle on one that seems really legit, sign up with them (some want a $149 one time membership fee which is for life with no monthly fee or you can do the monthly membership fee which is usually between $29.95 - 59.95 a month, one time fee makes more sense) once you sign up you get to choose from 10's of 1000's of items you want to sell on your website that the drop shipper sets up for you or you can set your own up or you can sell on any auction site - options are there. The merchandise is at wholesale prices from the drop shipper - when someone buys something on your sight they pay through paypal, with a credit card or check which goes directly to the drop shipper, you send them the order and they will ship directly to your customer - no need to buy or inventory anything. The drop shipper will then pay you a commission on the difference between the wholesale price you get and the retail price the item actually sold for - Example: Ipod Mini - your wholesale price - $40.00 / Retail price you sold it for $95.00 - your commission would be $55.00.
The power sellers on Ebay have been doing this for years, that is how they became power sellers! Before choosing items to sell go online like Ebay and find out what is selling, what are hot items, now in 2009. Even in this economy people are still buying video games and game consoles, perfumes, cosmetics, skin care items etc. - DO RESEARCH before you start, but it is one way to start a business that has very little out of pocket. Most of us could scrape up $150 bucks if it means bringing in several hundred to several thousand extra dollars per month and relieve some stress. If you find a job this could still be done part time. Again, MAKE SURE TO DO THE RESEARCH FIRST! There are legit company's out there - GO TO: dropshipreview.com this is a site that has done all the research and tested these drop shippers - this will give you some insight into this opportunity.
Let me know what your thoughts are on this. Thanks for reading!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Networking and Job Fairs
I don't know about anyone else but Job Fairs to me are akin to being on a bread line, everyone is there because they need to eat and fearful that when it's their turn - no food will be left.
What one would find at most of these Fairs are tables where the Company Representatives sit waiting to speak with droves of people looking for a job. Dressed appropriately, resume in hand, you are waiting your turn to speak with a potential employer, hoping that you make an impression that will outdo all the others that are there for the same job and to boot...in the 5 minutes usually allotted.
Job Fairs - who came up with that idea? This idea works for Company's, it's cost effective - just one ad is placed showcasing all the employers involved, it's impersonal - no phone calls, you meet job starved candidates that came to you - for 5 minutes, take their resumes and their on their way without the need of a real interview, aah, any employers dream meet!
I personally see few upsides with this process - I have heard that a scant few who attend these Fairs actually get a call for these supposed job openings. I had a friend who was sent to a Job Fair by referral from a Company to meet with a representative for a job he was interested in - it really meant nothing, he got his 5 minutes just like everyone else there and never heard from the Company.
These Fairs are nothing more than fact finding ventures in my opinion, it tells a company what caliber of employee potential is out there, what salaries they can get away with offering and... resumes make for great marketing lists for potential customers. I know, I know that I sound negative, but I stand by my negativity on this front especially, how on earth can any employer make a determination whether a candidate is a fit for the position by speaking with them in a frenzied environment for 5 or 10 minutes??? My take is not far fetched, is it? So next time a Job Fair comes up and you go, pay attention to the process and jot down how many calls you receive for an interview. And by the way, if your still going to Job Fairs... I think you have your answer, time for a new plan.
Now, as far as networking goes I think we all have a little better shot at that job avenue. Grant it, it was a much better shot a couple of years ago. Now, with the recession it's much harder and only because company's have cut back on hiring and knowing someone in the company and getting a referral isn't a sure thing, but it's gives most job seekers a far better chance of being hired because many hiring managers, when given the option, would rather employ someone through referral than a total stranger.
Networking is by far a stronger option than the Job Fairs circuit - which in my opinon is just a waste of time.
What one would find at most of these Fairs are tables where the Company Representatives sit waiting to speak with droves of people looking for a job. Dressed appropriately, resume in hand, you are waiting your turn to speak with a potential employer, hoping that you make an impression that will outdo all the others that are there for the same job and to boot...in the 5 minutes usually allotted.
Job Fairs - who came up with that idea? This idea works for Company's, it's cost effective - just one ad is placed showcasing all the employers involved, it's impersonal - no phone calls, you meet job starved candidates that came to you - for 5 minutes, take their resumes and their on their way without the need of a real interview, aah, any employers dream meet!
I personally see few upsides with this process - I have heard that a scant few who attend these Fairs actually get a call for these supposed job openings. I had a friend who was sent to a Job Fair by referral from a Company to meet with a representative for a job he was interested in - it really meant nothing, he got his 5 minutes just like everyone else there and never heard from the Company.
These Fairs are nothing more than fact finding ventures in my opinion, it tells a company what caliber of employee potential is out there, what salaries they can get away with offering and... resumes make for great marketing lists for potential customers. I know, I know that I sound negative, but I stand by my negativity on this front especially, how on earth can any employer make a determination whether a candidate is a fit for the position by speaking with them in a frenzied environment for 5 or 10 minutes??? My take is not far fetched, is it? So next time a Job Fair comes up and you go, pay attention to the process and jot down how many calls you receive for an interview. And by the way, if your still going to Job Fairs... I think you have your answer, time for a new plan.
Now, as far as networking goes I think we all have a little better shot at that job avenue. Grant it, it was a much better shot a couple of years ago. Now, with the recession it's much harder and only because company's have cut back on hiring and knowing someone in the company and getting a referral isn't a sure thing, but it's gives most job seekers a far better chance of being hired because many hiring managers, when given the option, would rather employ someone through referral than a total stranger.
Networking is by far a stronger option than the Job Fairs circuit - which in my opinon is just a waste of time.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Job Listings - Reading between the lines
You spend all day reading through job listings and come across several that you think are a perfect fit for your background and experience, you apply. Days go by and you hear nothing.
This is pretty typical for most of us searching for jobs and we all wonder...what happened to the last 20 jobs that resumes were submitted on or the last 10 positions that are still listed 2 or 3 weeks after?
Unless a Company actually responds to an applicant there is no way to contact them (unless they show the name of the company) it is basically anonymous. What could some of the reasons be for this behavior? I did a little research and this is some of what I found:
1.) The Computer - when someone applies for a job there is a computer that reads the resumes for specific key words related to that job before landing at the Company. If the right keywords aren't there, bye bye resume before it even gets to where it needs to go for consideration and we will never know it happened.
2.) Place in the search engine - If you haven't tweaked a word here and there in your resume (to refresh and keep it at the top of the search engine) at least every couple of weeks your resume will become stale and slide lower and lower in the search engine .
3.) Gathering information - some company's post job listings for information purposes, when we forward our resumes we typically have our name, address and phone number on the resume - paying for a post is far cheaper than buying a mailing list.
4.) Jobs you have no hope of being hired for - Many jobs posted are from company's that are only going to hire from the inside, but by law they have to make them available to outside job seekers - some may actually call you, give you a phone interview and appoint a face to face and then you never hear back from them. It's because it was never their intention to hire from the outside - do they care that they wasted your time? No, they only care about covering their own backs!
5.) Scam jobs - scammers have found a new way to find marks... the job boards. They know that people are desperate to find work and place legitimate looking and sounding job listings, usually with great pay and benefits geared to many different positions. We, thinking it's legit, otherwise it wouldn't be on reputable job boards, apply for them. The next day your getting an email response (usually the email address is gmail - red flag right there) from the supposed employer who is in another country that needs to hire US workers to do business here - they are SCAMS!
In my research I also learned that maybe 30% of jobs listed are actual jobs that are available, so what can a job seeker do? Unfortunately, not much because there is no way to know which jobs are legit and which are not unless you yourself keep a record of every job you read and compare them on a monthly basis and after several months it may tell the real story. That is just way too much work when your looking for a job, so what's the alternative?
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it is starting to look like that in this recession, unless the job opening is in a company that someone you know works there and has alot of clout, the odds of getting hired may be slim. My research also showed that it takes a minimum of 17 face to face interviews before a job seeker may be offered a job.
I believe that it comes down to who you know and/or getting in front of "the right person" that is looking for "the right person" and not company's who weed great, experienced candidates out by saying they are over qualified, under qualified, made too much money before and will leave later, who has the degree that really isn't needed for the position and so on. That could happen fast or may take some time, but my opinion...chances of it happening from the Internet are slim.
There is a site where jobs are posted directly from inside each company looking to fill openings, these company's NEVER post on outside job boards. The website is: www.linkup.com (NOT linkedin)
I would also continue to look in the Sunday newspaper, believe or not some company's still place want ads the traditional way. Send out your resume to company's that hire in your field - there may be a job coming up where your experience is needed and the company wouldn't need to place ads or wade through mountains of resumes. Also, networking with people you know who have a job.
My next topic is Networking and Job Fairs- do they help better the odds?
This is pretty typical for most of us searching for jobs and we all wonder...what happened to the last 20 jobs that resumes were submitted on or the last 10 positions that are still listed 2 or 3 weeks after?
Unless a Company actually responds to an applicant there is no way to contact them (unless they show the name of the company) it is basically anonymous. What could some of the reasons be for this behavior? I did a little research and this is some of what I found:
1.) The Computer - when someone applies for a job there is a computer that reads the resumes for specific key words related to that job before landing at the Company. If the right keywords aren't there, bye bye resume before it even gets to where it needs to go for consideration and we will never know it happened.
2.) Place in the search engine - If you haven't tweaked a word here and there in your resume (to refresh and keep it at the top of the search engine) at least every couple of weeks your resume will become stale and slide lower and lower in the search engine .
3.) Gathering information - some company's post job listings for information purposes, when we forward our resumes we typically have our name, address and phone number on the resume - paying for a post is far cheaper than buying a mailing list.
4.) Jobs you have no hope of being hired for - Many jobs posted are from company's that are only going to hire from the inside, but by law they have to make them available to outside job seekers - some may actually call you, give you a phone interview and appoint a face to face and then you never hear back from them. It's because it was never their intention to hire from the outside - do they care that they wasted your time? No, they only care about covering their own backs!
5.) Scam jobs - scammers have found a new way to find marks... the job boards. They know that people are desperate to find work and place legitimate looking and sounding job listings, usually with great pay and benefits geared to many different positions. We, thinking it's legit, otherwise it wouldn't be on reputable job boards, apply for them. The next day your getting an email response (usually the email address is gmail - red flag right there) from the supposed employer who is in another country that needs to hire US workers to do business here - they are SCAMS!
In my research I also learned that maybe 30% of jobs listed are actual jobs that are available, so what can a job seeker do? Unfortunately, not much because there is no way to know which jobs are legit and which are not unless you yourself keep a record of every job you read and compare them on a monthly basis and after several months it may tell the real story. That is just way too much work when your looking for a job, so what's the alternative?
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it is starting to look like that in this recession, unless the job opening is in a company that someone you know works there and has alot of clout, the odds of getting hired may be slim. My research also showed that it takes a minimum of 17 face to face interviews before a job seeker may be offered a job.
I believe that it comes down to who you know and/or getting in front of "the right person" that is looking for "the right person" and not company's who weed great, experienced candidates out by saying they are over qualified, under qualified, made too much money before and will leave later, who has the degree that really isn't needed for the position and so on. That could happen fast or may take some time, but my opinion...chances of it happening from the Internet are slim.
There is a site where jobs are posted directly from inside each company looking to fill openings, these company's NEVER post on outside job boards. The website is: www.linkup.com (NOT linkedin)
I would also continue to look in the Sunday newspaper, believe or not some company's still place want ads the traditional way. Send out your resume to company's that hire in your field - there may be a job coming up where your experience is needed and the company wouldn't need to place ads or wade through mountains of resumes. Also, networking with people you know who have a job.
My next topic is Networking and Job Fairs- do they help better the odds?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
The News Media - Drama TV
Over the last few weeks I have become exasperated with the TV News - ALL OF THEM! I made mention of the drama they crave in another post and it seems to get worse by the day.
The News Media has found gold when digging for their drama with the Internet, sites like Facebook, Twitter etc., give the Media a whole new arena to play in to cultivate drama at it's highest. They have brought all of us into their web and their desperate need to be the ratings king.
The problem I have is that one day their pro, for example, President Obama, the deficit, the economy, health care reform, tax cuts for the middle class, tax increases for the rich and that Wall Street and the Banks should be accountable for the TARP money and their irresponsibility and greed that got us in this mess, and the next day they are against anything that is put out there to help this disaster and they are ripping everyone and everything apart.
Confused? No, I know what is going on and what I agree or disagree with it's not that, it's that instead of reporting the news and keeping their opinions to themselves as reporters they stir the pot and rile everyone up. When I hear one of the hosts ask their political guests what Obama should do or what's your take on this plan, it makes me incredibly angry - like, what do they know??? Even if the guests had one time worked in Washington this is now, not then and the situation is completely different, what worked then may not work now so their contribution to now is basically useless so what is the real point? Ratings
The News Media should not be about changing public opinion, slanting the truth or dramatizing important information. I don't know about everyone else but I would like the News Media to do what the medium was intended to do and that is to report the news exactly the way they get it - this is not Hollywood or the Star magazine and I think the public wants the real deal, to make up their own minds and not have someone else lead them to their way of thinking.
We all have a right to freedom of speech and to air our opinion but the news media is suppose to be unbiased and as hard as they try - they are not!
I would like to hear how you all feel about it.
Thanks for being here.
The News Media has found gold when digging for their drama with the Internet, sites like Facebook, Twitter etc., give the Media a whole new arena to play in to cultivate drama at it's highest. They have brought all of us into their web and their desperate need to be the ratings king.
The problem I have is that one day their pro, for example, President Obama, the deficit, the economy, health care reform, tax cuts for the middle class, tax increases for the rich and that Wall Street and the Banks should be accountable for the TARP money and their irresponsibility and greed that got us in this mess, and the next day they are against anything that is put out there to help this disaster and they are ripping everyone and everything apart.
Confused? No, I know what is going on and what I agree or disagree with it's not that, it's that instead of reporting the news and keeping their opinions to themselves as reporters they stir the pot and rile everyone up. When I hear one of the hosts ask their political guests what Obama should do or what's your take on this plan, it makes me incredibly angry - like, what do they know??? Even if the guests had one time worked in Washington this is now, not then and the situation is completely different, what worked then may not work now so their contribution to now is basically useless so what is the real point? Ratings
The News Media should not be about changing public opinion, slanting the truth or dramatizing important information. I don't know about everyone else but I would like the News Media to do what the medium was intended to do and that is to report the news exactly the way they get it - this is not Hollywood or the Star magazine and I think the public wants the real deal, to make up their own minds and not have someone else lead them to their way of thinking.
We all have a right to freedom of speech and to air our opinion but the news media is suppose to be unbiased and as hard as they try - they are not!
I would like to hear how you all feel about it.
Thanks for being here.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Bad Credit= No Employment for Millions? Unfair? You Bet!
After 16 yrs as a Loan Officer I am one of the many tens of thousands in the Real Estate Industry who can no longer make even a small living in this field. So I have been looking for a job in a different field where I can use some of my background in sales, customer service and credit. It has been a very frustrating and exasperating experience. I can not believe that the Internet is pretty much the major way to apply for a job, I find this to be incredibly tasteless and totally unprofessional not to mention anonymous and impersonal. Just the way Company's like it!
Nothing seems to work in this particular recession and networking, job fairs, job banks etc., are just as frustrating. My big concern is that Company's are using discrimination as a weeding out process to reduce the onslaught of applicants whether they are viable or not. Here are the areas that seem to be a theme in many job listings:
1.) Must have a degree (BA, BS min) prefer Masters - for a Customer Service Manager or Bank Teller job? What happened to a viable candidate who has experience to actually do the job??
So Basically, if you have 15 yrs Customer Service or Teller experience and are super at what you do, if you don't have a degree - DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT APPLYING! dDiscrimination? I do think so.
2.)Youth oriented Company, position is fast paced, need high energy, at least 1 hr experience, must show up everyday, great for college graduate - this screams out loud "no one under 30 wanted" which is saying in a nutshell - we want to pay low, we don't want the health insurance costs or anyone who may get sick or when they are there ...move or think like a turtle. Are you kidding me, I had no idea that if your over 30 your basically useless. Discrimination? A huge yes.
3.) In depth background check - Some job listings will blatantly say...if your credit isn't good OR have a bankruptcy don't apply - when the only check that should really matter is CRIMINAL.
Credit Histories weren't intended for job discrimination or a reason to charge higher insurance rates, CREDIT was intended as an indicator of risk exposure for creditors when making loans, period. Now everyone over the last several years have been using Credit histories to discriminate against people who apply for jobs, insurance, rentals and just about anything they can to either weed people out or make a higher profit and our government ushered that along and NO ONE is doing anything to stop it. AGAIN, CREDIT HISTORIES AND SCORES ARE TO BE USED AS INDICATORS OF ONES ABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAY AND EMPLOYMENT IS ABOUT ONES ABILITY AND EXPERIENCE IN THEIR FIELD! PERIOD!!
In this recession (worst ever that was created by our government) millions of people have lost their jobs (through no fault of their own) what do you think our credit scores will be after we have run out of money because we have had to use up our savings, retirement accounts and unemployment to pay the mortgage and bills because we still can't find a job?
Bankruptcy's and Foreclosures are rampant and will continue if Company's are allowed to continue using a persons economic hardship (credit background) as a basis on whether or not to hire. Discrimination? A Huge, Huge, Huge yes!
There should be Criminal background checks done and they have been done for decades, an employee needs to feel safe in their work environment and Company's need to protect themselves, so a Criminal check is understandable. That check is enough to learn about a persons character and has been completely sufficient for years and years. Educational background checks are normal also, CREDIT is not.
I don't understand how businesses are getting away with this discriminative behavior, all the unemployed, people looking for better jobs, people who need to cover their health home or autos with insurance, educational loans etc., will continue to pay dearly now and in the future if this is not stopped.
We need to call, write and email our Government, state reps and senators to complain and demand a stop to credit being used to discriminate against all of us.
Nothing seems to work in this particular recession and networking, job fairs, job banks etc., are just as frustrating. My big concern is that Company's are using discrimination as a weeding out process to reduce the onslaught of applicants whether they are viable or not. Here are the areas that seem to be a theme in many job listings:
1.) Must have a degree (BA, BS min) prefer Masters - for a Customer Service Manager or Bank Teller job? What happened to a viable candidate who has experience to actually do the job??
So Basically, if you have 15 yrs Customer Service or Teller experience and are super at what you do, if you don't have a degree - DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT APPLYING! dDiscrimination? I do think so.
2.)Youth oriented Company, position is fast paced, need high energy, at least 1 hr experience, must show up everyday, great for college graduate - this screams out loud "no one under 30 wanted" which is saying in a nutshell - we want to pay low, we don't want the health insurance costs or anyone who may get sick or when they are there ...move or think like a turtle. Are you kidding me, I had no idea that if your over 30 your basically useless. Discrimination? A huge yes.
3.) In depth background check - Some job listings will blatantly say...if your credit isn't good OR have a bankruptcy don't apply - when the only check that should really matter is CRIMINAL.
Credit Histories weren't intended for job discrimination or a reason to charge higher insurance rates, CREDIT was intended as an indicator of risk exposure for creditors when making loans, period. Now everyone over the last several years have been using Credit histories to discriminate against people who apply for jobs, insurance, rentals and just about anything they can to either weed people out or make a higher profit and our government ushered that along and NO ONE is doing anything to stop it. AGAIN, CREDIT HISTORIES AND SCORES ARE TO BE USED AS INDICATORS OF ONES ABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAY AND EMPLOYMENT IS ABOUT ONES ABILITY AND EXPERIENCE IN THEIR FIELD! PERIOD!!
In this recession (worst ever that was created by our government) millions of people have lost their jobs (through no fault of their own) what do you think our credit scores will be after we have run out of money because we have had to use up our savings, retirement accounts and unemployment to pay the mortgage and bills because we still can't find a job?
Bankruptcy's and Foreclosures are rampant and will continue if Company's are allowed to continue using a persons economic hardship (credit background) as a basis on whether or not to hire. Discrimination? A Huge, Huge, Huge yes!
There should be Criminal background checks done and they have been done for decades, an employee needs to feel safe in their work environment and Company's need to protect themselves, so a Criminal check is understandable. That check is enough to learn about a persons character and has been completely sufficient for years and years. Educational background checks are normal also, CREDIT is not.
I don't understand how businesses are getting away with this discriminative behavior, all the unemployed, people looking for better jobs, people who need to cover their health home or autos with insurance, educational loans etc., will continue to pay dearly now and in the future if this is not stopped.
We need to call, write and email our Government, state reps and senators to complain and demand a stop to credit being used to discriminate against all of us.
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