Going on Your Next Employment Interview

Posted by Tracy Frischkorn on Nov 4th, 2009 | View Comments

Job interviews can be challenging and stressful.  Planning ahead and being prepared for hard questions will give you an edge. Here are some tips to ensure a smooth interview.

Tips:

1. Practice interviewing ahead of time so you are comfortable with the process.
2. Make sure your qualifications are appropriate for the position at hand.  Be ready to demonstrate your proficiency in the tasks associated with the job.
3. Be prepared. Learn all you can about the company ahead of time.  Have an understanding of the business and the services provided.
4. Dress appropriately. Project an image of workplace professionalism.  Understanding the environment of the business is critical.
5. Speak slowly and with confidence.  Be prepared to sell yourself without being overbearing.   If you don’t know the answer, be honest.  Eye contact is essential and body language should convey a positive attitude.
6. Don’t lie!  Exaggerations about previous jobs or experiences can, and will, come back to haunt you.  Employers do background checks, including previous positions and duties.   Be honest about what skills you have.
7. Don’t interrupt the interviewer to interject your opinions or responses.
8. Don’t bad mouth your old company or supervisors during the interview.
9. Ask questions when given the opportunity.  For example, show interest in the position by asking specific questions about the tasks or ask questions about where the company sees itself in 5 years.

Send a follow up “thank you” letter to the interviewer showing your appreciation while conveying your continued interest in the position.

-Tracy Frischkorn, HR Director

Talking Money With The Inmates

Posted by Chris Sievers on Nov 3rd, 2009 | View Comments

For a little over an hour a month, I attend boot camp. Not boot camp in the traditional sense, rather at the Illinois Youth Detention Center in Murphysboro. For the past several months the credit union has been invited to come in and talk to the inmates about financial literacy. I also bring a birthday cake with me for those celebrating birthdays that month. It’s amazing how that little gesture means the world to those locked up, without family on their special day.

I’ve always enjoyed helping people understand the tricks to managing their money successfully. But I get an even greater sense of satisfaction when the 15 or so kids who are nearing the end of their stay and I spend one morning a month talking money. I was lucky enough to be raised in a family where money was never a concern … at least if it was, it wasn’t my concern. But these kids, many of them from broken homes, have a different perspective on money. They’ve had to worry about where their next meal will come from. Most had to steal or sell drugs just to survive. I spend an hour trying to reinforce the lessons they’ve been given during their stay. Hopefully that time is as rewarding to them as it is to me.

The boot camp is military in nature. The inmates wear uniforms and march to commands. For the most part, they are respectful and obedient. It’s the easiest class I’ve ever had to talk to … and quite possibly the most important. Hopefully, the inmates will take away the importance of my message: Get an education. Find a good job. Live within your means. It’s simple stuff, but words that many of them have never heard before.

I look forward to my visits with them. I only hope my message is heard and I don’t begin seeing familiar faces in the classroom.

-Chris Sievers, Marketing Director

Fraud Alerts On The Rise

Posted by SIU Credit Union on Nov 2nd, 2009 | View Comments

This past week saw several government warnings and alerts about financial frauds as well as several credit unions reporting other scams that could spook some accountholders. But these are no Halloween pranksters.

Keesler FCU reported that at its base in RAF Mildenhall, England, about 100 members saw fraudulent charges on their accounts this month (Stars and StripesOct. 28). All affected accountholders had visited Spain sometime this year, Michelle Foster, a loss prevention manager for Keesler told Stars and Stripes.

The losses were from Visa debit cards. Visa said it is aware of a possible security issue in Spain but said the investigation was ongoing and it couldn’t comment. Visa Europe contacted several affected banks and credit unions when the fraud was discovered.

One Keesler member reported charges of $539.16 from boutiques in Chicago suburbs. She said the only time she used her debit card while in Spain was at a mom-and-pop store near the beach.

Another credit union , Service CU, which has 15 locations in Germany and 17 in the U.S., saw less than one-half of 1% of members’ cards compromised by the breach, the newspaper said.

In another situation, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) Thursday issued an alert warning financial institutions of an increase in schemes to recruit individuals to receive and transmit unauthorized electronic funds transfers (EFTs) from deposit accounts to individuals overseas.

The recruitees or “money mules” are solicited on the Internet by criminals who have gained unauthorized access to the online deposit account of a business or consumer. The criminal will originate an EFT from a victim’s account to a money mule’s deposit account. The money mule is told to quickly withdraw the funds and wire them overseas after deducting a “commission” of 8% to 10%.

The schemes often occur in the context of online job posting websites, advance fee scams, mystery shopping jobs, and social networking sites. Some hesitant money mules have been threatened by their criminal “employers” if they don’t make the transactions quickly and secretly, said the FDIC. The personal identifiable information provided by the money mule may be used later to commit identity theft or account takeover.

SIU Credit Union has systems in place to monitor for fraudulent activity. But if you suspect you account has been compromised, contact us immediately. For more information on how to protect your accounts, visit our fraud prevention page.

–CUNA News Now