Dear Liberty....

"I had a great opportunity at a new company a week ago, but I realized the 6 month gap in my employment might look bad on my profile, so I extended the last position I had by 6 months and turned in my paperwork. I am a perfect match, this is a great opportunity, but the more and more I think about it, the more I realize this little lie could lose the deal for me!

What should I do? I lied and it was a stupid thing to do, but I'm not sure how to correct it. I might be able to contact the old company and ask them not to respond to any questions regarding my employment, or I can fess up and tell my prospective employer that I lied..."

Like the many hundreds of applicants who lie on their resumes or job applications, you're chances of doing nothing and seeing where the chips lie after the dust settles AND still getting the job are slim to none. The fact that you feel some guilt regarding this is a good thing.

You are very likely to fail an employment background check with the falsified dates. Even if your old employer agrees to not mention anything is also very likely to end up as a failed employment verification.

You should immediately contact your prospective employer. Tell them you realized you made an error on your application and that you'd like to correct it. Don't offer any further excuses, they will appreciate your honesty and likely not contemplate whether there was malicious intent behind the error or not. Good luck!

Read more...

How to Hire

What do you do when your best employee relocates to another city and another job? You're number one sales associate changes professions? Or your lead manager left for lunch and never returned?

In either scenario, you'll be left in a pinch. In situations such as these, impulse hiring can be tempting, replacing a valued employee can seem daunting, and rash decisions are easily made.

To keep your head on straight during this stressful period, remember a few golden rules:

1. Know the position. The better you understand the requirements of the job, the more simple it will be to pull out the most qualified candidates. Re-think the job description and make sure it truly describes the duties expected and required of the job.

2. Develop an outreach plan. Target your job market effectively by utilizing the appropriate listing services. Job seekers are online, on social networks and looking for the best position available to them. You want to collect the attention of the best job seekers so you want to advertise the position using as many outlets as possible.

3. Screen application. You should have a stack of excellent looking applications and resumes. When it comes time to narrow the playing field, you'll need to weed out anyone who isn't an immediate match. Pre-employment screening is an effective way to do this. Conduct background checks. Call references, not just those listed but check former employers as well. This last step is vital to insuring the safety of your organization.

Read more...

Job Hunt, Don't Lose Your Identity

If you're one of the thousands of Americans on the prowl for a job, you should be aware, you are a target for a sophisticated and particularly cruel con artist.

Richmond, VA - The Office of Consumer Affairs reports 87 consumer complaints about the companies Virginia Personnel, Inc. and New Beginnings, Inc. Both companies fraudualently extracted identifying and personal information from the "applicants." Some of the tactics they used that you should be aware of:

• Job Guarantees - the old saying still goes, if it sounds too good to be true...
• They actually sold "Employment Information" and never advertised a job position.
• Do not include any identifying, personal information on your resume. No need to put your SSN number on that document.
• Provide only your email address until a position is formerly offered and a start state is set.

Lynn Oaks of TrustedID says, "Only share information that will allow them to contact you to have a follow-up conversation." Also, check out the company before agreeing to anything. See if they have a legitimate website, read online reviews.

Biggest tip offs that you're working with a scam artist:

• Job offer with no background check
• No face-to-face interview
• No reference check

Be careful out there!

Read more...