Insider Tips To Help Protect Yourself From Scam Jobs
When applying for jobs, it’s important to determine which jobs are legitimate and which ones are not. Websites like LinkedIn and Indeed are great ways to find careers that will fit your interests and goals. Those same sites are also susceptible to illegitimate job postings from shady companies and people. In this article, we will go over ways to spot scam jobs and how to find out if a job is real.
Read The Job Description Carefully
One of the first signs that a job could be fake is by the description. If you’re on an online job board and you see a vague description of a job posting, that is a red flag. By not taking the time to properly edit a job description, it is safe to assume that the company posting this job does not have a solid structure in place for you to succeed.
Also be aware of any misspellings and typos in job descriptions as it shows carelessness by the employer. If the description doesn’t match similar jobs in the field, there’s a good chance the job is fake.
A good tip to see if a job is real is to go to a company's website and see if their job posting matches other postings on other sites. If it doesn’t match, chances are that the job isn’t worth applying for.
Random (Unwanted) Recruitment
Another sign that a job may be a scam is if a recruiter “randomly” messages you by email or by message on a website like LinkedIn. Most of the time, recruiters from legitimate companies won’t have the time to message random people about job opportunities since it takes time to find people who are qualified for certain positions.
Another red flag is if a company/recruiter messages you to download anything like a separate messaging app or to transfer money to someone. These examples are extreme but there has been a precedent for something like this. Also be on the lookout for emails or text messages saying that you have been accepted to a position that you didn’t apply for.
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Company Legitimacy
There are plenty of startup companies that a majority of people are unaware of that offer legitimate opportunities. Then there are unknown companies that end up being scams. A resource that is available to see if a company is legitimate is the Better Business Bureau. They check the histories of various companies and list any alerts if a company is under investigation along with customer reviews.
Glassdoor is also another helpful resource to check the legitimacy of a company. It is a website that allows employees of various companies to review their organizations. Reviews can feature everything from the interview process to the working conditions of a particular job. Some reviews even mention if a particular company is a scam.
Interviewing
An overlooked part of the job search is how a company allows you to schedule an interview. A bad sign of a company is when they schedule an interview for you instead of you picking a time to meet with them. Outside of it being disrespectful of your time, most corporations allow interviewees to pick a time based around the availability of both parties. When the date and time is already preselected, it is a sign that a company doesn’t prioritize screening a candidate, rather it wants to potentially scam another customer.
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