Tuesday, December 28, 2010

How Can I Prepare For My Upcoming Job Interview?

So, you have an upcoming interview and you’re getting a little nervous, possibly you’re feeling some anxiety. You’re looking forward to your job interview but, you are possibly worried about some of the questions you may be asked during your interview. You know the dreaded interview questions that sometimes seem to leave you tongue tied which are the following:


1) Why did you leave your last job?

2) Why do you want to work for us?

3) What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

4) Do you work well with others?

These questions may seem difficult to answer if you’re not fully prepared for your job interview. That’s right you want to be well prepared for your interview. You don’t want to leave any stones unturned. Practicing for your interview makes you well prepared for the questions your prospective employer may want to toss at you. So, in order for you to prepare for your big day you may want to consider some of these tips:


Tip One:

Make sure you have your resume updated. It is real important that you have a professional looking resume with no errors. You may want to have someone look over your resume and give you an unbiased opinion on how your resume looks to them.

Tip Two:

Reassess your job skills as it relates to the job you are interviewing for. Make sure you have maintained information concerning your accomplishments such as; certificates, additional training, schooling, etc… You’ve worked hard for your accomplishments so it does not hurt to leverage this as part of your interview where this information would be applicable.

Tip Three:

Research the company that you will be interviewing with. It’s so important to secure as much background information on your prospective employer so you will have this knowledge during your job interview. In most instances, the interviewer will be impressed that you actually know something about their company and went the extra mile to find out more about the employer you’re looking to work for.

Tip Four:

Practice makes perfect! Try practicing for your interview with a family member or friend. You may want to have your friend or family member be the interviewer and you of course will play the role of the applicant being interviewed. However, you can also consider mixing it up a bit so you can play the role of the interviewer to see what type of questions you would ask the applicant applying for a job.

Tip Five:

Ensure that you wear the appropriate clothing for the prospective employer you will be interviewing with. See, that’s where some of the research that you do on the employer prior to your interview may come in handy to assist you in selecting possibly the appropriate clothing to wear to your interview. As you may know, first impressions are usually the last impression of someone. So, you want to make sure that the person interviewing you will have a great impression about you.

Tip Six:

On the day of your job interview, leave early from your home to allow enough time for you to arrive to your interview at least twenty minutes before your scheduled interview is to start. You’ll be glad you did this in the long run. Arriving at your interview early gives you a chance to relax and reduce your stress level prior to your interview.

Tip Seven:

After your job interview send a follow-up thank-you letter or note to the person that interviewed you within 24-48 hours after your interview. You can also consider emailing your interviewer a thank-you note as an alternative method.


Getting ready for a job interview can be both exciting and a little stressful at the same time. However, if you prepare yourself for your interview you’ll do just fine. After all, if you put your best foot forward you’ve done the very best that you can do.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Has Your Credit Card Been Blocked By Your Credit Card Company?

If your answer to this question is yes then you may be wondering why this has happened to you. The answer to this question in many instances is that your credit card was blocked for your own protection by your credit card company to prevent the unauthorized use of your credit card by potential criminals committing identity theft against you.

You’re probably saying to yourself, well that’s great but, I am the one being inconvenienced because you are the person actually trying to use your own credit card and unfortunately the purchase you want to make has been declined because your credit card has been blocked by your credit card company. Unfortunately due to the billions of dollars lost annually to fraud, credit card companies have increased security to safeguard their customers credit cards.

So, you may be wondering is there any way to know when my credit card may be blocked? There is no specific way to make this determination however, the following tips may assist you in knowing what may activate a block of your credit card by your credit card company:

Tip One:

Charging small amounts to your credit card may prompt a block of your credit card. Unfortunately criminals test the waters by charging small amounts to credit cards initially prior to making a larger purchase.

Tip Two:

A change takes place in your shopping behavior. Normally you may only spend a minimal amount of money on your credit card and then you change your spending habit and begin to spend large amounts of money on your credit card. You already have a preexisting spending history with your credit card company so changing your spending behavior may trigger a block to your credit card.

Tip Three:

The use of your credit card while you’re traveling on business or while you’re on vacation in another city, state or country. This may be unusual credit card activity for you and may cause your credit card to be blocked by your credit card company.


Tip Four:

In some instances making numerous purchases within a short period of time may trigger a block to your credit card.



If your credit card has been blocked or declined by your credit card company you may want to consider following:


1) Contact your credit card company as soon as possible. You may have already received a telephone call, email or text message from your credit card company advising you of their concern for the prospective unusual activity on your credit card.

2) Try to have another credit card or debit card available for your use until you have the problem resolved with your other credit card.

3) If you are traveling on business or for pleasure let your credit card company know this information.


Keep in mind that since we are now in the holiday season your credit card company may be reviewing prospective unusual purchase activity with your credit card at an even higher level of security due to increased fraudulent activity that occurs during the holiday season. If your credit card becomes blocked by your credit card company, just stay calm and understand that your credit card company is trying to protect you from being a prospective victim of unwanted fraudulent activity that may result in identity theft against you.