As the number of people searching for jobs increases, unfortunately so does the number of scammers. Already some people have fallen victims to these scams like in Nevada were the Attorney General issued a warning telling Nevadans to be aware.
With scams on the rise, it’s important to be able to tell a fake job posting from a real one.
Why Do These Fake Postings Even Exist?
Before I tell you how to spot a fake job posting, I think it’s important to talk about why they exist in the first place. Typically, there are 5 types of people that will use these fake listings to their advantage:
- Companies That Like To Have Resumes On File. These hiring managers use these backup resumes in case a position becomes available in the future that they need to be filled ASAP.
- Employers That Are Testing The Waters & Gauging The Current Talent Pool. Sometimes they might also be using it to keep tabs on their current employees to see if they’re applying elsewhere.
- The Managers That Like Unfair Hiring Practices & Want To Take Advantage Of The System. Unfortunately, some employers will use these fake job postings to practice discrimination when choosing candidates and may also use it to practice unfair pay.
- The Spammers. These individuals will use the email address you provided on the job posting and turn around and sell it to other people or organizations.
- Identity Thieves. These criminals will use your information and identity for their personal gain.
The biggest takeaway is that no matter who is behind the fake job posting, their intention isn’t to help you which is why it’s important to know how to spot these fake postings.
Six Common Signs That Job Isn’t Real.
- Contact can’t be found in a Google search
- No company information
- Grammatical errors & spelling mistakes
- Money is involved immediately
- Personal information required immediately
- Sounds too good to be true
While it’s true that not every job posting that does have one of the above is fake; one of these signs is nearly always right. If there is no employment brand to be found, then 99% of the time, there is no real job.
Scared That Posting Is Fake? Look For Employment Branding.
The moment you become suspicious of a company; Google them. If there is a lack of an employment brand or digital content that showcases what it’s like to work there; that is a telltale sign this company and job don’t exist.
You should be looking for validation and proof that this job exists, and this shouldn’t be something that is a struggle to uncover. If there is no trace, it’s best to move on and focus your job searching efforts elsewhere.
Where Can You Do Your Research On These Companies?
As I mentioned above, finding more about a company’s workplace culture and employment branding shouldn’t be a difficult task. Here are 5 platforms all job seekers should use to investigate a company before applying online.
- LinkedIn: First, do a search for the company’s page to learn more about its legitimacy. Then search for the employees who work there with similar job titles to you. This is a great way for you to understand the types of people the company hires.
- Glassdoor: This is a goldmine for job seekers who want to know if a) the company is real and b) what current and previous employees think about the company and its management. You can find anonymous employee reviews, salaries, and there’s even a section on the interview process.
- Indeed: This follows similarly to Glassdoor. While it might not have as much information as the former does, it should definitely be on your list to check.
- Their Social Media Channels: Most companies that are actively hiring will be engaged on their social media profiles. If they haven’t posted in years or don’t even have social media; this is a red flag. Check for any employees sharing or promoting the company’s content.
- The Company’s Website: An obvious step would be to check out the Careers page, but you shouldn’t stop there. Also, check out the About page and research the founders and executive team on LinkedIn to see if they are legit. Additionally, this a great way to get a sense of the people who you might be working under.
The Best Chances Of Getting Hired Is Actually Not Applying Online!
Unfortunately, even if you did your due diligence, and the company is genuine; the chances of you getting an interview is very slim.
A 3% chance slim.
How can it be so low?
Too many people are applying online and the ATS systems that sort through the applications are more likely to toss you for a variety of reasons.
If you’re serious about finding a job, your efforts should be focused on a proactive job search strategy that includes an interview bucket list and a targeted networking strategy.
P.S.S. If you don’t think a membership to my company’s career coaching service is for you (yet).
At Work It Daily, we put together the following free career growth tools for you:
- A complete job search checklist.
CLICK HERE to DOWNLOAD the pdf file.
- Free cover letter samples.
CLICK HERE to DOWNLOAD the pdf file.
- list of the 18 most common interview questions.
CLICK HERE to DOWNLOAD the pdf file.
- Masterclass on how to avoid common job search mistakes.
CLICK HERE to ACCESS the video training.
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