10.13.09
By John Ulzheimer
I've been asked so many times, "John, how in the world did you get in the business of commenting on
credit reports and
credit scores?" I figured it was time to talk a little about my path. It was truly the 'road less traveled' professionally speaking. Here goes...
I graduated in 1991 from West Georgia College (University of West Georgia today) with a degree in Criminal Justice. The timing of my graduation is important because it easily predates the world of the Internet and email. This was a time that many of you will never know, other than reading history books and listening to your parents tell stories. My point is that there was no Monster.com or CareerBuilder.com to help me find a job. I had to do it the old fashioned way, which was to print, sign, and mail resumes and cover letters to hundreds of companies in hopes that they were hiring — or at least interviewing.
I went to many interviews and of the many, only a few really were a good fit. Equifax was opening and staffing a new customer service center just north of Atlanta in 1991 and they responded to my letter. They set up an interview and a typing test. Yes, back in the dark ages many people had to prove that they could type a certain number of words per minute.
In my case, the job was a call center customer service position, so typing 30 words per minute was a job requirement. Given the fact that I had never typed or used a computer, 30 words seemed like 1,000. I took the typing test the first time and I finished with 29 words. When they told me of my results I thought that I was done. Thankfully they let me take it again. And again, I finished with 29 words. I was one word away. What a travesty it would have been to be dismissed because I was one word short. They agreed and let me move on the next step and the rest, as they say, is history.
I spent six years at Equifax and learned everything there was to know about credit reporting. I became FCRA (
Fair Credit Reporting Act) certified and thoroughly enjoyed my time. And just think: You were one word away (twice) from reading credit related stories and advice from someone else that typed faster.
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