Some people have managed to leverage the challenges of the most recent recession into a lucrative business for themselves to earn a legitimate living. Unfortunately, others are preying on uninformed and sometimes desperate job seekers to illegitimately turn a buck and ruin people’s credit or drain their bank accounts.

Identity theft expert and Director of Operations at Kroll Fraud Solutions, Jeremy Miller, relates a typical example of a job search scam.

A victim in New York, (we will call her Ms. M), posted her resume on a job-related website and was contacted by a man who was supposedly from Tom Custom Computer Inc. who had a home business opportunity. The man told her to add his email to her messenger buddy list so they could contact her. When she was contacted, she was asked where she banks, her age, and address. Ms. M. provided the information and was told that because the bank was not a branch in the Colorado area, she needed to set up a bank account in order to get the home business started. She set up an account, but became suspicious when she was asked how close she was to Colorado. She assumed that since they knew she was in New York, they should already know this and at this point she became concerned and contacted Kroll.

According to Mlller, “most likely the scammers would have been involved in a money laundering scheme or used the account opened in her name to commit other fraud.” Ms. M. recognized warning signs before anything happened. But others are not as fortunate.

Susan P. Joyce, owner of Job-Hunt, an award winning employment portal, has been studying and writing about online job search since 1995 and she personally vets every website she links to on Job-Hunt to ensure legitimacy and value to the job seeker. I met with Joyce to learn more about job scams

How Do Job Scams Work?

The perpetrator solicits victims with fake job advertisements.The information they collect from job seekers can do significant damage and can be used for any of the following illegal purposes:

• To collect private information from you, like your email address and resume to sell to marketers and advertisers who will use it to contact you to make a sale.
• To collect enough private information from you (e.g. resume plus Social Security Number) for identity theft.
• To collect credit card information from you so they can charge “purchases” or money transfers to your credit card.
• To collect bank account information from you so they can tap into your bank account and make a few withdrawals.
• To get your willing (but unknowing) participation in a crime they perpetrate against someone else.

What Does a Job Scam Look Like?

Joyce shared some typical examples of job search scams. These scams may appear on well-known job boards, not so well-known job boards, on fake job boards that promise “exclusive” job postings after you register (and give them a lot of personal information they shouldn’t have), or via your email inbox:

Job Posting: Accept shipments of items from suppliers to be repackaged and reshipped to customers from the comfort of your own home.

Scam: The suppliers are thieves and the material you receive is stolen property. If you repackage and ship it for your “employer.” you are participating in theft.

Job Posting: Accept payment for international company that needs help transferring money from one country to another and receive a 10% commission on each transaction.

Scam: After you send them their 90%, the original check to you turns bad.

Job Posting: Pay only $X for a starter kit and run your own business from the comfort of you home; begin making thousands of dollars a week in just a few days.

Scam: Frequently you will be asked to first complete a form with your social security number (they will claim it is for the IRS and to check your credit rating), your bank account number (requested under the guise that it will be used to pay you via bank transfer), your credit card number for purchases on behalf of the company (claiming you will be reimbursed later), and/or your mother’s maiden name (they will tell you it is needed to check your credit rating).

What Can Job Seekers Do to Protect Themselves?

“Make it a habit to verify before you trust” says Joyce. “Check to make sure that the recruiter’s email is coming from a company domain and not a general email account. Look for verifiable contact information on the posting and cross check this information via a search engine or a site such as Superpages.com. Check the company domain registration using tools such as DomainTools.com and note how long the domain name has been registered. Do not trust if the domain name is a couple of days to a couple of months old or if it is private which means that there is no employer contact information to verify.”

For more information on job scams, be sure to check out Joyce’s Avoiding Job Search Scams Guide and the identity theft white papers from Kroll Fraud Solutions.

I bet many of you out there are wearing green today in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. I decided to do something different this year and blog green instead. I’ve been a big fan of Carol McClelland’s Green Career Central site for over a year and I was thrilled to hear that she recently published a book on the topic of green careers called Green Careers for Dummies. She stopped by the Career Solvers blog to give readers the insider scoop on the green economy.

You know you want to contribute to the evolving green economy. You may even know what skills, experience, and interests position you for this kind of work. The question is, do you know how to find a green position that meets your needs?

Although the process of finding a position in the green economy is similar to finding a job in the traditional economy, there are some distinct differences that make the process a bit more…interesting, shall we say.

1) The green economy is constantly evolving. Given that we are in the earliest phases of a new industrial revolution, we aren’t completely sure what the economy will look like in the future. All signs point to a great deal of potential, but the specifics aren’t laid out yet. The big picture is sketched out in broad brush strokes, but the specific details are out of focus

2) To most people there’s a fundamental question that is still unclear. What careers/companies/industries are green? Generally speaking, careers/companies/industries are green when they make a positive impact on the planet. The specific nature of the impact depends on the goal(s) they are striving to achieve, whether it’s reducing greenhouse gases, conserving energy, reducing waste, rethinking water usage, and/or restoring nature. When you look at this from a broad perspective, a wide number of industries are making concerted efforts to take greener, more sustainable actions.

If you want a visual look at the array of industries, take a look at the Green Economy Map (www.greencareercentral.com/map) I created after writing Green Careers For Dummies.

3) Occupation resources you are accustomed to using to understand a position are probably not available yet. The only way to figure out how your skills fit is to research your target industry and talk with those in the field to understand how the industry works and how your skills fit. Don’t try to nail down an exact job title; there’s no universally agreed up job functions yet. Instead look at what you are known for. Then ask yourself how your skills, knowledge, experience and training can help a green company/industry address the issues it’s facing.

You’ll need to do some groundwork online and through conversations before you’ll be able to articulate the role you are best suited to play. In the process your research on the industry and company will prepare you for your interviews with that company or its competitor.

4) There’s no common wisdom of the best companies to work for. We don’t yet know which companies will become household names in this new economy. As a result, you don’t know, off the top of your head, which companies will need someone with your skills or which companies are in your area. To develop your list of target companies, read industry specific blogs, notice which companies are listed as members on key professional associations, and pay attention to investment news to discover which start up companies and large, well known companies are active and growing in your target industry.

5) Timing is everything. Different industries are developing at different rates. Some industries, such as solar and some areas of the smart grid sector, are reaching a point of maturity where companies are hiring people for all parts of the organization. Other industries are a bit earlier in their growth cycle. They may be in a research and development phase where most of their human resource budget is going toward the scientists and technical people who are creating the product the company will sell. As the company evolves, their hiring needs will change and they will look for people with a broader range of functions.

If your target industry is not quite ready to hire people with your skills, don’t despair. This turn of events gives you more time to develop your knowledge and skills to prepare you for your ultimate career. If you need a job now, be strategic in your job search to find a position that strengthens a part of your resume or allows you to build your credibility and network in a related arena.

Remember, we are in the early stages of an economic shift. Any ground work you do now will prepare you to move into the green/clean/sustainable economy as it develops. To help you in your quest for a green career, start by identifying your green focus. Which part of the green economy are you most suited to work in? What areas of the green economy interest you most? Even if your next career move isn’t going to be green, having a long term career target on the horizon can help you make strategic decisions so your next steps are in alignment with your future career.

Want to be entered into our drawing to receive a free, autographed copy of Carol’s book? Leave a comment on this post.

Careerbuilder recently surveyed close to 3,000 hiring managers to see what the hiring trends for 2010 will be. The most interesting finding from my perspective is this one:

Replacing Lower-Performing Employees
Employers are taking advantage of the large number of top talent in the current labor pool to strengthen their work force. Thirty-seven percent of employers say they plan to replace lower-performing employees with higher-performers in 2010.

It may sound harsh, but frequently in a struggling economy, employers leverage the situation to move out their poor performers. And as a job seeker this could work to your advantage. But how do you prove that you were a top performer at your previous company? Here are a few suggestions.

1. Build out your endorsements section on LinkedIn. Find previous colleagues to advocate on your behalf. Do it sooner rather than later as many companies are clamping down on social media and limiting employee’s ability to offer references.
2. Craft a kick-butt resume. Forget about your job responsibilities…C performers have the same job responsibilities…focus on the impact you had on the employers you supported and the value you brought to the organization.
3. Rally your references. Find people now who would be willing to serve as verbal references on your behalf. Even if you are at the beginning stages of your search, it’s never too early to start finding people to support you in your search.
4. Publish your presentations and ideas. Consider creating a website, blog, Visual CV, YouTube video or Slideshare presentation to share your expertise with others. This could make the difference between being perceived as vanilla versus rocky road with a hiring manager.
5. Tweet your knowledge and create a following. More and more companies are using social media to find great candidates. Showcase your expertise through targeted tweets about your key competencies and ideas. Here’s the story of a job seeker that found her job through Twitter.

An air traffic controller at Kennedy Airport was suspended for bringing his two elementary school-aged children to work and letting them give instructions to pilots.

Bringing your child to work is a great idea, but obviously common sense needs to prevail. I don’t want to see my doctor’s kid in the examination room or a child sitting on his dad’s lap while he’s driving an 18-wheeler alongside me on a highway. And a kid in the air traffic control tower? Please, I have enough anxiety flying when the adults are the ones calling the shots.

Sixteen states are proposing legislation to ban credit checks on job applicants. Hawaii and Washington already ban credit checks on most job applicants.

Yet according to a 2010 study by the Society of Human Resources Management, 47 percent of companies currently conduct pre-employment credit checks on some candidates and 13 percent conduct them on all candidates. According to the suvey, credit checks may be performed to reduce or prevent theft or embezzlement, to minimize legal liability for negligent hiring or retention, to assess overall trustworthiness of job candidates, or to comply with state laws.

What do you think? Is a job applicant’s credit score a relevant indicator of how they will perform on the job?

This month the #careercollective is offering advice on how to overcome the negative aspects of job search and stay upbeat if your search efforts haven’t landed you a job yet. Job search is tough and it’s certainly a lot of work; but it doesn’t have to be drudgery. Here are ten suggestions for things you can do to make job search more rewarding, more enlightening, and hopefully more fun.

Eat. No, I’m not talking about pity eating and downing a bag of chips and a pint of ice cream in front of the TV. But meeting a friend for coffee, a drink, or lunch is a great way to combine something pleasant and fun with some power networking.
Write. Journaling is a great way to record how you are feeling during your search and examine the trends that could be indicators of what is working in your search and what is not. Some even turn their journals into blogs to create a following and make new friends and contacts as they chronicle their unemployment experience.
Study. Did you know that The Department of Labor funds job training programs? You may qualify for training in a specific skill or funding to return to school to complete a degree program. Going back to school can be fun.
Volunteer. Find a cause you are passionate about and volunteer for a role that allows you to create visibility in front of the decision makers in this volunteer community. You never know who these people may know and what types of introductions they may be able to make for you. And volunteering helps you feel needed and reminds you of all you have to be grateful for.
Exercise. Aerobic conditioning and weight workouts can help you feel better and burn calories more efficiently during the day. Pilates can help reduce the muscle aches often associated with hours of sitting at a desk hunched over a computer, and many people find that a regular yoga practice is a great way to reduce stress.
Do Someone a Favor. When you were working you probably didn’t have the time to watch someone else’s kids or pet or help someone with a home improvement project. Now that you have some free time, offer to help make someone’s life easier. Your efforts will be remembered and that help may be reciprocated in the form of an important introduction or job lead.
Primp and Pamper. This is not an indulgence. The little details like your hair and nails count during a job search. And it can be rejuvenating to get a new hairstyle or experiment with a new nail color.
Shop. I’m not suggesting a totally new wardrobe. But a new scarf, tie, hair piece, or handkerchief can change up the interview suit you are tired of wearing and give you a renewed sense of confidence.
Read. Books by Harvey Mackay and Keith Ferrazi have provided inspiration for millions of job seekers over the years. Check out some of their titles at your local library.
Reconnect. Get over your concerns about reconnecting with past colleagues and friends. Social media tools like LinkedIn and Facebook have made it fun, easy (and less creepy) to get back in touch with people from your past. Rekindle past relationships and you are bound to find a friend or two that can help you with some aspect of your search.

Be sure to also check out the advice of my esteemed colleagues below.

@MartinBuckland, Job Search Made Positive

@GayleHoward, Job Search: When It All Turns Sour

@chandlee, Strategy for Getting “Unstuck” and Feeling Better: Watch Lemonade

@heathermundell, Help for the Job Search Blues

@heatherhuhman, 10 Ways to Turn You Job Search Frown Upside-Down

@KCCareerCoach, You Can Beat the Job Search Blues: 5 + 3 Tips to Get Re-Energized

@WalterAkana, Light at the End of the Tunnel

@resumeservice, Don’t Sweat the Job Search

@careersherpa, Mind Over Matter: Moving Your Stalled Search Forward

@WorkWithIllness, Finding Opportunity in Quicksand

@KatCareerGal, Job-Hunting in a Weak Job Market: 5 Strategies for Staying Upbeat (and Improving Your Chances of Success)

@ErinKennedyCPRW, Dancing in the Rain–Kicking the Job Search Blues

@keppie_careers, What do do when you are discouraged with your job search

@DawnBugni, It’s the little things

@ValueIntoWords, Restoring Your Joy in Job Search

Thinking that maybe you are ready for your career “second act” but reluctant to take the plunge? I recently met some amazing people who transformed their passion into their dream job. Feel free to draw inspiration from their stories.

Sitcom Writer to Health Care Healer

Banking Professional to Adult Day Care Owner

Economics Teacher to Financial Advisor

IT Engineer to Stand Up Comic

All of these people had guts, drive, patience, commitment, and hope. What about you? What’s your dream job and what’s holding you back?

Last night I watched the story of mogul skier Alexandre Bilodeau who won the gold medal for Canada on Sunday. He credits his older brother who has cerebral palsy for inspiring him and keeping him driven and focused on his goal. Doctors told his family that his brother would no longer be able to walk past the age of ten, but at age 28 his brother can still walk. So each day when Bilodeau thinks about the training challenges in front of him, he pauses for a moment and thinks of the challenges his brother faces every day, how he has overcome them, and how he continues to beat the odds.

What if job seekers could adopt this Olympic-winner attitude and create internal “tapes” to motivate them and move past their challenges? Perhaps then the setbacks they face would seem manageable and the hope would stay alive. Here are some positive messages job seekers should be sending themselves on a regular basis.

1. I will maintain a healthy life style so I can manage my search at an optimal performance level.
2. I will challenge myself to reach out to new people who may be able to help me with my search.
3. I will accept the help of friends and family during this difficult time even if it makes me a bit uncomfortable.
4. I will seek out coaches and mentors who can help me move closer to my goal.
5. I will put in the time necessary to research potential employers and market myself directly to them.
6. I will examine my resume and other personal marketing collateral to make sure they are the best they can be.
7. I will celebrate the victory of landing an interview, even if I don’t ultimately get the job.
8. I will not blame external factors for my situation.
9. I will be a good team member and support others in their job search when I can.
10. I will regularly envision the end goal of landing my new job.

Some days it’s hard for an athlete to muster up the motivation for the grueling training session ahead of him. Likewise,  some days it’s hard for a job seeker to stay motivated in a challenging market. Positive self-talk can help. So does keeping your eye on the gold. Let the games begin!

Move over Project Runway and Top Chef…A new reality TV series called Job Hunt has hit the air waves. Hosted by Women for Hire CEO Tory Johnson, the show profiles job seekers in New York City and offers advice on everything from how to improve your resume to how to spiffy up your interview wardrobe. The half hour show airs each Tuesday at 9pm on NYC Life (Time Warner/Fios/Direct TV/ Comcast – Channel 25, Cablevision – Channel 22). But if you don’t get that channel or can’t watch it live, you can view shows on demand after they air at the Job Hunt website.

What I like about the show is that it exposes the faces behind the unemployed and reminds us that each “statistic” is actually a person. Everyone can relate to the struggles of the job seekers but at the same time draw hope and inspiration from their messages. Viewers get to see where job seekers are making mistakes in their search strategy and the show’s experts offer advice on how to optimize your job search time.

The other reason I really like this show is that it makes me proud to be a New Yorker. The first episode profiled SIBL (The Science and Business Library) which in my opinion is one of the best resources for job seekers in all of New York City. SIBL offers access to several proprietary company databases including Vault and Wet Feet, classes to teach patrons how to use the databases,  job search coaching sessions from career professionals,  job search clubs, advice from retired executives on how to start a small business, and workshops on various job search related topics…all for free. The show, launched by New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg,  is just one example of what the mayor is trying to do to help New Yorkers find employment. Under his leadership the city also launched CareerLinkNYC to provide job seekers with additional online resources.

No one gets a modeling contract or a feature piece in Food & Wine Magazine on this show. But some of the job seekers profiled do get jobs and in my book that’s perhaps the sweetest victory or all.

Recently I interviewed Lisa Johnson Mandell author of Career Comeback. Lisa is an award-winning author, entertainment reporter, and film critic who has appeared on dozens of major news outlets and even Dr. Phil. Here’s what she had to say about the new rules of job search for 2010 and beyond.

1. Tell me a bit about yourself and what the inspiration for Career Comeback was.
It’s based on my own experience of successfully finding full time work in this economy, in my late 40’s. I’d been a multi-media journalist for more than 25 years and was freelancing, but found that most of the good positions were going to the young, nubile and “experience-free.” I live in Los Angeles, mind you, where no one even looks at you if you’re over 23 and under 36DD. My new husband noted my frustration, and asked to see the resumes I was sending out. We decided that I needed a complete “Career Makeover” that would involve removing the age lines from my resume, rabid social networking, and branding myself to give a fresh, hip, ageless impression. The new resume got immediate response (offers for interviews within 15 minutes of sending it out, I sold the self-promotional website I started within two months of launching it, and I received multiple full-time job offers. My efforts were so successful the Wall Street Journal decided to do a feature on me and my search strategy.  At that point my literary agent said, “Write a book on this…yesterday!” So I spent the next eight months researching, writing and interviewing and, voila! Career Comeback was born.

2. What is Career Comeback about and who should be reading it?
Career Comeback was written specifically for women over 35, but I’m getting a lot of feedback from men and people of all ages who say it’s very helpful. There’s a really useful chapter in the book called “Know Your Competition” about the perceived professional strengths and weaknesses of Gen Y, Gen X and Baby Boomers. You can nip those negative stereotypes in the bud if you know what people expect of you. The book is full of tips and strategies for helping you get the job of your dreams, even in this tough economy. Personal branding and social networking are essential, and the book is sort of a primer on both.

3. In the book you advocate for Botoxing your resume. What does that mean?
Botoxing your resume means firming and freshening — removing the age lines that make you look old on paper. It involves deleting any outdated skills, and getting rid of experience that doesn’t pertain to the types of jobs you’re applying for today. It also means forgoing large blocks of type in favor of bulleted highlights (looks more vibrant, less stodgy), and using a web address  to immediately show that you’re web savvy enough to have your own blog or website.

4. What are your tips for looking the part in an interview?
Women should wear a skirt if at all possible, simply because it sets them apart from every other applicant wearing pants. A comfy pair of power heels are also a good choice for women, because they give you confidence. Both men and women should go for at least one pop of bright, cheery color — men can use it in their ties, of in their shirts if not too bright. Women can use color in blouses or accessories — again, you want to be memorable. Avoid too much gray, cream or khaki (boring); too much black (formal and/or depressing) and big, bold, bright prints (you don’t want potential employers to be so overwhelmed by your clothes they forget about who’s wearing them).

5. How do you suggest people leverage social media during a job search?
Brand yourself online, then use social media to publicize that brand. Have a fabulous, vital picture taken of yourself, and use it on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and any other pertinent social networking sites. Every time you post anything, ask yourself these two questions: How will this benefit others? How will this further define my brand? If you use social networking sites for fun and recreation, set up separate pages for your job search. There are so many millions of messages being sent out every second these days, that the only ones that will catch people’s attentions are ones that answer the question, “What’s in it for me?”

6. What are your top 5 tips for successful interviewing?
1. Be prepared: Do your homework on the company and, if possible, the individual conducting the interview. Then layout your interview outfit several days in advance, so you’ll have plenty of time if you need to get anything dry-cleaned or purchase something new.

2. Dress appropriately. If you can’t visit the site and see how people dress there ahead of time, call HR and ask what’s appropriate. If you over dress, you look like you’re trying to hard. If you under dress, you look like you’re not trying hard enough

3. Emphasize WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR THEM–what you will contribute, what feats you will help them achieve. NEVER talk about what they can do for you. Yourself, your assets, talents and skills all take a back seat to how you can help make the company better.

4. Listen! Instead of using the time the interviewer is talking to formulate your next answer, concentrate on their message. It’s okay if you pause briefly when the interviewer is done, to collect your thoughts. Do not try to fill in silences by over sharing personal information.

5. Exude confidence and positive energy. This comes out not only in your conversation, but in your posture, handshake, body language, etc. Never speak negatively of any former employer or work situation.

Lisa’s book is available at major bookstores and online at Amazon.