My Return to the Energy Industry

I’m not sure how many people I told, but after working in the internal audit department at my post college-graduation job for about four months, I was one of the employees included in a fairly sizable layoff.  Luckily, I knew the VP of a very well-known recruiting/job placement agency in the area, so I gave him a call immediately.  Now, I worked for an oil and gas company all through college as an accounting “intern,” and I really like the energy industry, so I was taken aback when I found out what position the recruiter was currently trying to fill:  a staff internal auditor for a natural gas company.  What are the odds of that?

To make a long story short, I interviewed for the job, received an offer, and I started this past Monday.  So far I’m really enjoying it.  It’s a much smaller company than my previous employer, and the internal audit department is made up of only my boss and me, so I’m receiving a lot of personal, hands-on training.

A lot of strange things have occurred regarding this new position since February, and I feel very lucky to have gotten it.  I’m excited to be back in the energy business, and since I’ve worked only in Fort Worth, working in Dallas is also providing me some new experiences.  All in all, I have no complaints and look forward to the road ahead of me.

Cloned Credit Cards

I ran across a video on Yahoo! reporting about Identity Theft. The subject of identity theft becomes more disheartening as time goes by, because people are constantly coming up with new ways to steal one’s personal information and identity. The ABC reporter in this clip shows how easy it is to steal someone’s credit card information, and thus access to their bank and credit card accounts. After watching this video, it really makes me want to use good ole cash more often.

The Total Money Makeover

Slightly over two years ago, my parents told me about a nationally syndicated radio host named Dave Ramsey. His shows airs Monday through Friday from 1-4 p.m. on 570 AM KLIF here in the DFW metrolplex. Knowing that I have always had a keen interest in business, money, and finance, they thought I would take an interest in the show and maybe some of his books as well.  However, being so busy with work and school at the time, I didn’t take the time to check into his materials.

A few months after my parents first mentioned Ramsey to me, he was hosting one of his live events in the area. My dad finally convinced me to go, and I’m really happy he did that. Not only did I have a great time at the event, but I learned a lot and got more motivated about my personal finance situation. The question at the time, though, was did I have enough resources (aka money) to follow his program? I mean, I was still in college and didn’t have much money at all. The answer was probably “yes,” but did I follow through with it? Nope.

Something, however, drastically changed once I finally walked the stage and graduated from UTA. I was now really starting my life, was going to start making a lot more money, and had to begin planning for my future with a lot more care and thought. I began listening to Ramsey’s free one-hour daily podcast I downloaded through iTunes, and I was starting to catch on. I reviewed the materials I received at Ramsey’s live event I attended, and I now visit his website every week or two.

Ramsey designed a program to get out of debt, stay out of debt, save for emergencies, and prepare for retirement and college that he terms the “7 Baby Steps.” I began the program in January of this year, and completed Baby Step #1 in a relatively short period of time. I am currently working on Baby Step #2. I do have a few issues with some of his opinions, so I don’t follow his program exactly. That being said, I do think it’s a great place to start and work toward one’s financial independence.