The country’s brightest female students are rejecting careers in the City as they see the Square Mile seen as unethical and rife with discrimination, a survey has shown.
Source: Recruitment and talent management: News from People Management 22 March 2010
More and more employers are pulling credit reports on potential employees. Why? For many reasons. If the employee will be handling money, the employer wants to know whether the potential employee might be tempted to
commit fraud, to embezzle, or be vulnerable to a bribe. In addition, employers might want to check whether the job candidate has a past due account with the employer; if you’re trying to work for Bank of America but are 90 days overdue on a Visa card you have with that company, the conflict of interest might lose you that job offer.
No one wants to lose a job prospect because of lousy credit. And yet–if you’re out of work and the bills are piling up, how can you manage to keep a decent credit score?
The first step in deciding to boost a credit score involves knowing what the current number is. Request a copy from one of the major reporting agencies, like Experian. Once you have the number, examine the credit report for any mistakes. Mistakes can mean the difference between a good and a bad score.
Then, take the following steps:
1. Pay every single bill on time. Of course this is obvious, but even one lapse in a 60 day bill can mean the difference between a few points.
2. Pay down any “maxed-out” credit cards. A boost to your number cannot happen when you have maxed-out cards. Credit scores are calculated in part based on the ratio between available credit and used credit. Get your cards down to 50-60% usage.
3. Call to explain your current work status. Negotiate lower payments. This will help you to retain a decent credit score.
4. Try getting someone with a high rating to cosign a credit card or loan with you. Once the loan is paid off, your rating will get a nice boost. Use the money to consolidate other debt, to improve your credit rating and your appearance to employers in your job search.
A person’s credit score has become so important in recent years in the United States. No longer used solely for getting house loans and car loans, the
credit score is now used to smaller credit cards, consumer accounts, and many employers even use this information as part of the job interviewing and hiring process! An increase in your credit score is key to your home, your car, and your work at this point in time.
Dr. Paul Lanthois
As I came back from the business meeting, my wife noticed the glazed and drained look upon my face. “How did the business meeting go?” she asked with a knowingly grin upon her face for she had seen that look on me before.
“No wonder the guy’s business is struggling.” I replied.
“Why is that?”
“What was meant to be a meeting on how to boost his business, ended up with him going on about how his wife has left him and how his business partner has left him. When I offered some suggestions and strategies to improve them, he would just come up with reasons why it wouldn’t work. It was as if he just wanted to complain and wasn’t open to any help.”
I’m sure you all know people like that or have had to endure such draining meetings like I did. The way they choose to manage stress may make them feel better but it is often at the expense of those around them.
But recent research is showing that such stress management methods are not only draining for other people but are also draining on their wallet. A study of the lives of 268 Harvard Sophomores for 70 years found that the way that you coped with stress had a definite impact on your income potential.
They assessed the participants’ ability to manage stress as either mature or immature. Displays of these skills were regarded as having mature stress management skills:
Immature stress management skills were shown to be:
These immature ways of coping with stress often make the offending feel better at the time but often generate unhappy working environments and relationships. The research shows that ranting and raving doesn’t pay.
According to this 70 year study, people who were shown to have mature stress management skills earned 233% more the subjects shown to have immature stress management skills.
So if you ever notice yourself bitching about how the Global financial Crisis is to blame for your woes, you may want to go and look at the real cause in the mirror. You then may want to tell that person in the mirror that it is time to grow up.
This study puts paid to the old adage, “Nice guys finish last.” It shows that being pleasant to work with and associate with is one of the key ingredients to a successful career and business.
Article Source: http://www.bestmanagementarticles.com | http://leadership.bestmanagementarticles.com | About the Author: Dr. Lanthois is the director of the Work Life Balance Foundation (www.WorkLifeBalanceFoundation.com ) offering health, stress relief and work life balance programs designed specifically to boost morale and productivity in the workplace.