You can blame it on the weak economy and intense competition. The bottom line is, jobs are scarce these days. Thus, jobseekers are forced to be less picky when it comes to employment. The bad news is, some of them fall into a trap of working over job scams.
How do you exactly avoid them? Here are tips you may want to remember:
1. Do not look for jobs on Craigslist.
Okay, let us not put all eggs in one basket. There are still a lot of good stuff in this free ad website; however, it will take some time before you can verify the authenticity of every job post, more so of the poster. If you are hunting for a job online, go to well-established ones with good reputations. It should also be recognized by companies.
2. Ask questions.
It is okay to ask questions, including about your salary, job description, and anything that pertains to your potential work, especially if you are not going to go through any formal interview. The legitimate ones can answer your questions willingly. In fact, many of them will provide you with the details even before you inquire. The fake ones, well, you will never hear from them.
3. Inquire about contracts.
Legitimate companies will ask you to sign a contract or sometimes non-confidentiality agreement. Nevertheless, take a look at the contract. Does it sound fair? Does it list down your responsibilities and the obligations the company has toward you? Does it bear the complete name of the business and address? Can you keep a copy?
4. Stay away from scam-prone jobs.
Some jobs are considered to be prone to scams. This means they are more likely to be false than true. One good example is data entry. Scam-prone jobs will usually ask money from you before you can begin the “work”. This money, as scammers will say, will serve as payment to the teaching / training / orientation materials they will send you.
If you want to do online jobs, you have better chances with writing, graphic designing, medical transcriptioning, and editing, to name a few.
5. Protect your resume and portfolio online.
If you cannot help sharing or exposing your resume online, make sure you protect it. Publish it only on trustworthy resume websites. It’s better if you’ll post it to your own website for added protection. It is common to hear stories of applicants whose works have been utilized without their permission.
6. Ask for recommendations or referrals.
You can save time and effort, and you’ll be less susceptible to scams if you ask friends, family, and former close co-workers if they can recommend a job to you. These people are those you trust and surely would not place you in a situation where you end up getting scammed.
7. Trust your gut feel.
They say that everyone is blessed with a sense of instinct. If you do not feel comfortable with the job, then there is a huge possibility it is your subconscious telling you not to go for it.
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Some more indications about the job being a scam:
If you are asked to do sample project work – on an actual company project – as proof of your work quality before being hired. They should accept samples from previous jobs that you’ve done, or from a made-up scenerio. I knew a project manager who got a lot of project work done for free during interviews. He went from budget hero to fired when a Government audit caught him (it was a Government contract). Cost the company big fines too.
Internships. If you have proven skills or experience from schooling or previous job experience, you should not have to work for free to prove your worth. The normal “trial period” at a company is called probation, during which you are paid an agreed starting salary with a review in 60 to 90 days. Non-profits have been abusing interns for years, and now regular companies are trying it too.