7 signs to look out for in a fake job Ad
Almost every opportunity breeds corruption of some kind. And there couldn’t be a larger one like fleecing millions of desperate job seekers in these harsh economic conditions. Many are the tales of innocent jobseekers robbed of their hope and money in scams across the nation. These happen online and offline alike. From the numerous “Do you wish to earn 40,000 a week” posts on social media to the fake job agencies and even fake ads. Here are a few signs to look out for in fake job ads.
Source
Where is the job ad coming from? If you see an ad on social media or a job site, always cross-check with the company careers page first and apply from there. If the ad is not listed on their page, there’s a high chance it’s a scam. Most companies also provide contact information on their website and socials. Call them and confirm.
If a ‘recruiter’ contacts you about an opportunity, their communication should be formal and come from a company email address such as ann@apple.com and NOT from their personal email address.
Trust but verify is your strategy here. You can also cross-check with any of the company’s employees if you have any connections or using tools like LinkedIn. Better safe than sorry is your goal here.
Typos
Recruiting being a formal function should be followed by formal communication. Getting emails with typos and errors and lack of clarity should make your spidey senses go up.
Personal info
Any agency or recruiter asking you for personal details such as ID number, bank account information, location etc should be a big red flag. This is information the employer requires after you’ve been offered the job and accepted it. During the hiring stage, you should only be working with job information and anything on your CV. Nothing more.
Money
Most companies do not ask for money from candidates during the hiring process and they state this in their career pages as well. Which is why you should go back to step 1 and verify by contacting the company. If the job is a scam by some parties in the company, by whistleblowing on this, you could help save the company’s reputation & yourself some money.
Salary offers too good to be true
If the offer is too good, think twice. Any recruiter promising you heaven on earth and things like holidays, huge salary(beyond your years of experience or job level), benefits, or perks should make you think twice. Verify again with other people about realistic expectations based on industry scales & salary ranges.
Job description
A worthy employer will invest time and effort into their job ad. Raise questions when you see a job ad with sparse information about the job you would be doing or clear requirements about the ideal candidate.
What else do you think gives in a fake job ad? Let us know below.
Check out our other articles that can help you with the job search like https://medium.com/jobonics/top-3-things-you-need-to-know-about-an-employer-before-applying-for-that-job-6645e8d8b42 or https://medium.com/jobonics/how-to-identify-a-bad-employer-early-on-all-the-red-flags-you-shouldnt-ignore-f7d2f86f1277
