Job Seeker Tips To Avoid Scams

Job Seekers being scammed by potential employers are happening more and more in today’s time, specifically referring to the article on the front page of the Pretoria News on the the 7th of June 2011. If you missed the post on the Job Mail blog yesterday about Gauteng Job Seekers who were conned, check it out. We are very proud to inform you, our job seekers, that we have been able to stop these kind of “employers” from advertising with us even though we are a free ad publication and website.

Job Mail prides ourselves on always acting in the best interest of our job seekers and will continue to avoid this kind of advertising appearing on our website or in our print publication but we do urge you to always be careful!

Here’s some advice you can follow whilst on the journey of seeking employment:

Requesting Delicate Personal Information: It’s mandatory to provide your name, academic qualifications, previous work history (if any) and phone number when you apply for any job listing. But remember, prospective employers do not need your credit card PIN, even after you get hired. They might ask you to provide your bank account number (for transferring your salary purpose) but only after you are hired. No legitimate employer will be asking you to provide you bank account number or your house address until you are hired.

Asking for Money: We all have come across such job listings online that promises job in exchange of money. Does not the idea seem preposterous? Of course it does, because it is. Well, think again! No matter how desperate you are for a job, yet never ever apply for such job listings. Remember, employers are supposed to pay their employees, not the other way around.

Data Entry Job Scams: There are numerous data entry job listings on internet and in print. If you are registered with job search websites, then chances are great that you have been sent an e-mail by some company in need of work-from-home data entry operators. Though, we are not saying that all such listings are scams, yet many of them are and you should be careful while job hunting online.

Look for these signs to spot scammers: asking you for a one-time fee to access their postings, charging for training material, asking you buy some product from them or hiring you for position you are not qualified for etc.

Check Prospective Employers Email Address: Whether big or small, most companies/businesses usually have their own personalized email addresses. Legitimate companies/businesses e-mail addresses contain their official website or domain name in the end. They do not use Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail accounts for office matters.

Promise of Quick Money: Now who would not like to make quick money and get rich? There are too many job listings online that promises quick money in lieu of few hours work. Unfortunately, it’s just another scam by job scammers. Understand it’s not possible to earn big bucks for few hours work online. If it was possible then every other person in the world would have been rich.

Research The Company: To promote themselves better on internet most companies these days are registered with social networking sites and it’s easier to do a quick Google search about them. So, before applying for a job: Do your research. Go through the company’s official website name, provided at the end of job listing. If the company has not provided link to its official website, then simply do a quick Google search for their name to know more. Thoroughly investigate work-from-home job listings.

Lastly, look for grammatical and spelling mistakes in job search postings. Realize that legitimate companies firmly believe in maintaining their reputation and know about damage such trifling mistakes can do to their reputation. Be safe online while job searching online.

PS: If your CV is not on the Job Mail website, submit your CV today. Help employers find you for that perfect job you have been waiting for. Good luck with your job hunting!