Today on MoneyLife with Chuck Bentley

A lot of people out of work today. We're going to focus this program on helping them. Even if you’re not unemployed, you may know someone who needs this information.

You also need to know that identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America. You need to protect your identity from being stolen while you’re looking for a job.

If someone steals your identity, your finances become vulnerable and it takes a lot of time to reclaim your identity.

The latest way criminals steal your identity is by are contacting you after you post a resume online, posing as an employer, and getting you to hand over your personal information. We want to give you some practical ways today to protect your identity while you’re looking for work.

I've been laid off but never out of work for a long period of time. By God’s grace, I’ve always been reemployed quickly after losing a job.

I've never had my identity stolen, either, but I really feel for people who are going through one or both.

Employment-related identity theft has risen because more people are applying for jobs online. The big mistake people are making when they post their resume online is having too much personal information in it. Prospective employers don’t need to have that information.

Here are some tips to avoid employment-related identity theft from CNNMoney:

1. Limit the amount of personal information you put on your resume. List your name and email address, but state that everything else as available upon request. Provide more personal information only in a face-to-face visit. Be wary of anyone who insists you disclose all that information. Have them provide evidence of who they are, not just a web site, but a street address and phone number. The same would be true of a printed resume you’re going to circulate widely, in addition to posting on the Web.
   
   
2. Not all online job boards have the same privacy policy. Read the policy before you sign up and post your resume. Opt out of tracking cookies. These show where you’re going on the Web and report it back to the source of the cookie. That information can then be sold to marketers and even criminals.
   
   
3. A lot of scams are aimed at people who want to work from home. It's difficult to find a legitimate work-at-home opportunity. If a work-at-home job ad offers high pay with little responsibility, it’s probably not real. Anything that asks you to pay money up front should be avoided. If you’re not given a physical address for the company, be wary. If you’re asked to open a bank account, accept a company check, or test for wire transfer service, don't fall for it. It's a scam.
   
   
4. Keep detailed records of your job search activities so you can retrace your steps if your identity is stolen. This will help you more quickly identify where the breach of trust occurred. Keep track of where and to whom you send your resume.
   
   
5. Limit the amount of personal information you make accessible on social networking Web sites like Facebook. Many people post too much personal information on their account. They also allow people in as friends that they don’t know. Someone who wants to scam you can take advantage of that. By the way, employers look at your Facebook pages to see what you posted, so don't post anything that could be embarrassing. Your Facebook page could be used to screen you out of a job.
   
6. If you’re contacted by a prospective employer who wants more personal information about you, be proactive in getting information about the prospective employer. Check out the information you get - call the company back, go online, drive to the company's address. If the employer won’t give you any information, it’s a scam.

Another hot scam area right now is relief for Haiti. A lot of money is being given to help the earthquake victims. However, people are also setting up fraudulent organizations to get some of that money. The same thing happened with the tsunami in 2004. Be very careful who you give money to. Make sure you give to a reputable organization that is established and doing effective work.

The most effective thing you can do to find a job is networking. To be successful at networking doesn’t mean you have to extroverted and aggressive.

Here are some tips for being a better networker:

1. Join a professional association and network within it – go the meetings, get plugged in, talk to people there.
   
   
2. Volunteer to serve in something you’re passionate about. This will get your mind off the search and you’ll meet new people.
3. Be in a community of people such as your church. Focus on helping other people, share your burden in the body of Christ.
   
   
4. Let people in your neighborhood know what you’re trying to accomplish.
   
   
5. Conduct interviews with people you know in the industry where you want to work. Call and set up a time to talk about what’s going on in the industry, who is hiring, what they are looking for in a candidate.
6. Start a support group for other job seekers. Meet in your home or at church, seek to serve others.
7. If you want to work at a specific organization, see if you can volunteer to do something there that will help you establish relationships and prove yourself to that employer.
8. Get more information at Crossroads Career Network.

A listener in Pennsylvania told me he was trying to become a diesel engine mechanic, so he volunteered to steam clean diesel engines for a company where he wanted to work. As it happens, engine cleaning is a job employees at that company don’t like to do. This man dedicated himself to do his very best cleaning engines on a volunteer basis. Two weeks later, he was offered a paying job. God will bless that kind of attitude and work ethic.

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We've got two listener events coming up in February, Thursday, February 11 in Atlanta and Thursday, February 18 in Chattanooga.

These are stops on the God Provides™ film tour, and I'll be teaching, too. These events are family friendly and free, so bring your children. We'll be showing Abraham and Isaac and the Widow and Oil films. You can register here.

This is not a fundraising event and there's no charge to attend. I encourage you to see God as your provider during these difficult economic times. I hope you’ll make plans to be there if you live in those areas. If you do, please say hello and let me know you're a MoneyLife listener.

Choosing the Right Vocation

In choosing a vocation, Christians must weigh their priorities very carefully. When people are out of God’s priorities, they are out of His will.

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Job Loss

Dealing with lay off is not pleasant, but look at the lay off as an opportunity that can be conquered.

• Read More

Making Career Decisions

Most Americans need to unlearn the errors and then learn the truth regarding career decisions.

• Read More

Networking

The most effective method of finding a new job is through contacts—the people you already know or those who know the people you already know.

• Read More

Other Resources:

• ABCs of Money Package
• Career Direct
• God's Principles for Operating a Business
• Business By the Book
• Crown Mvelopes