College Corner

College Corner

As the Fall Semester comes to end and the holiday break approaches, we’re unleashing a new section for the numerous Student Chapters that are a part of Texas SHRM. This section will contain information to better help you to take on the challenges you will face as you prepare to make the transition from academia to the corporate world.

There will be useful information on resume writing, interviewing, etiquette, job searching and more related topics. In addition, you will find a section on "Ask Scotty" about questions related to career development, as well useful factoids.

Those seeking a more personal touch can win an opportunity for a one hour coaching session on any career related topic of your choice. The first three people each month that respond to this section by contacting otis.scott@utsa.edu will have this opportunity. Helpful hints from your coaching might even make it into College Corner – confidentiality maintained of course.

So let’s get started with one that will save you money and embarrassment over the holidays – SCAMS!

Employment Scams

This time of year, we see honest employers begin; looking for holiday help and offering part time positions that are temporary in nature. Employment Scams can show up at any time of the year. The holidays are the time that we tend to see them the most for the aforementioned reason. Scammers and Con Artists find its easy picking as college students seek extra money for the holidays or school. The results of these scams are disastrous and can lead to great financial lost to the victims.

Scammers know that finding a job can be tough. Normally scammers will advertise where real employers and job placement firms do. This may even be on your campus. They also make upbeat promises about your chances of employment, and virtually all of them ask you to pay for their services, before you get a job. Nevertheless, the promise of a job isn’t the same thing as a job. If you have to pay for that promise, it’s likely a scam.

Illegitimate employer scams come in many different forms. Here is a typical example.

The most common scam seen involves a job opportunity for a Part Time Personal Assistant, Personal Shopper, Mystery Shopper or Office Assistant that appears to be for a legitimate, known employer. The address and phone number are often correct for the business named in the posting. However, the contact name is usually a false name and is not someone who works at the company. The email address to the "employer" is NOT A COMPANY EMAIL; it is usually a Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo account. FIRST WARNING SIGN! This email address is the one that they want you to send your job inquiry, resume or personal contact information to as you apply for the "job".

Generally this is how this scam works.

You (job seeker) apply to the position as directed to the non-company email address.

You are then contacted by the Scammer who, after they win your trust, explains that the job will entail doing some shopping for them to buy supplies and such. They usually say they will hire you for the position, but oddly, you do not fill out employment paperwork. SECOND WARNING SIGN! Sometimes they say that they want to give it a "trial run" and see how you do. ANOTHER WARNING SIGN! The Scammer tells you they will send you a check in the mail because they are out of town or out of the country. The checks can range from $2,000.00 up to $4,000.00. HUGE RED FLAG!!!!

They tell you that when you receive the check, you are to go to their personal bank and cash the check. (This should scream NO with lights and sirens.... DON"T EVER DO THIS!!!) You’re then told to spend half the amount on the supplies that they "need", but reserve a certain amount for yourself for payment of your services for shopping (usually 200.00 to 300.00) and send the rest back to them through a Wire service.

You then receive a check in the mail that may look like a company check but is usually signed by someone other than the "employer". RED FLAG!!!

If you’re an inexperienced job seeker, you will follow the directions, cashing the check, do the shopping and then wire the money to the Scammer. The check bounces and guess who is liable for the whole amount – YOU! If you are lucky (and very few are), your bank is alert and will notice inconsistencies with the check or they have seen it before. They will tell you that it is a fraudulent check and confiscate it at that time.

Sadly, there is really no recourse for the victim except to report it to the local law enforcement and to the State Attorney General’s Office. Scammers get better and better at it each year, as scams become more and more sophisticated.

Your best defense is knowledge and awareness. If you are unsure or suspicious about an employment posting or employment situation wherever you find it, report it. There are many scammers out there and they have been doing this for a while, so don’t think for a minute that you are going to out con them.

Here are additional resources that help explain Employment Scams more in depth.......

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0243-job-scams

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/jobsearchscams/a/jobscams.htm

Ask Scotty

Question: I feel funny listing my degree on my resume when I haven’t graduated yet. What should I do?

Answer: If you list your degree with your graduation date, and the date is in the future, the employer will understand that you don’t yet have the degree. For example:
Bachelor of Science in Management, Spring College, TX, May 2015

However, you may feel more comfortable adding the word "expected" to the above:
Bachelor of Science in Management, Spring College, TX expected May 2015

Factoid

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) employment in the human resource field in training and development jobs should balloon 15.5 percent from 2012 to 2022. – US News and World Report 2014

Reminder: Don’t forget about the "Ask Scotty" – it’s your opportunity to receive a personal one hour coaching session.

Texas SHRM
P.O. Box 8058
Tyler, Texas 75711
www.texasshrm.org • info@texassshrm.org • 214-354-8740