Job Search Scams and How to Avoid Them

Work at home for $1000 dollars per week! If you are currently looking for a job right now, you have probably read this line many times and recognize it for what it is – a scam. Work at home scams are the scams job seekers are most familiar with. Many people believe that they would recognize a scam if they saw one. I was one of those people.

In July, 2015, I had sent my resume to a job advertisement for an Administrative Assistant on a job search website. The advertisement seemed legitimate, there was nothing out of the ordinary in regards to salary or location.

A few hours after I had sent my resume, I received a reply in my inbox. This person who had e-mailed me said that she was “out of the country” for an extended period and should I accept the “job” she would send me a list of errands and “provide the funds” for all tasks. I quickly realized that this was not a job, but a cheque cashing scam. The thought that I had sent out my resume to this person left me with an unsettled feeling for a really long time. I knew that I had just handed over the personal information that was on my resume to a complete stranger who could be anywhere in the world.

According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), scam artists are using the names of real companies in their advertisements to lure unsuspecting job seekers. Even though scammers have the ability to make their “job” advertisements look legitimate, there are several things you can do to avoid falling for their scams:

• Look for serious spelling and grammar errors in job advertisements and employer response e-mails. According to the BBB, it is common for these scammers to have poor English skills.
• Be suspicious if a potential employer asks for fees for uniforms and background checks upfront. There have been scams where job seekers were told to pay for a background check before they would even be considered for the job.
• If the job requires you to wire money from your own bank account to the scammers. The cheque may clear, but it will later be recognized by the bank as being fake. The “employee” will out of money and the scammers will have the money that was wired over to them.
• If a potential employer uses free e-mail services such as Gmail, Yahoo, or MSN to contact you, request that they send you an e-mail from their official company e-mail address so that you can verify that the company is real.
• Do not reply to a job advertisement that asks for information that would not be legal to ask in an interview, such as marital status, age, and other personal information that has nothing to do with job performance. Giving away too much personal information can lead to identity theft.

How certain are you that you could avoid a job scam if you saw one? Please vote in my poll and let me know!

I hope you have enjoyed reading this post and found it informative. Please feel free to leave comments or questions in the form below this post. I would love to hear from you!

References:

Anonymous. (2011, September 17). IdentityHawk; With Job scams on the Rise, IdentityHaw Offers Identity Protection Tips in Honor of Labor Day. Investment Weekly News(19458177). Retrieved from http://login.library.sheridanc.on.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/887810736?accountid=3455

Guffey, E. G., Loewy, D., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2016, 2013). Business Communication Process and Product Fifth Brief Canadian Edition. United States of America: Nelson Education Ltd.

©hues. (n.d.). Computer displaying internet fraud and scam warning on screen [Electronic image]. Retrieved from http://www.fotolia.com

Salisbury, S. (2012, July 18). Job search scams are multiplying. McClatchy – Tribune Business News. United States: Tribune Content Agency LLC. Retrieved from http://login.library.sheridanc.on.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1026739965?accountid=3455

 

 

Creating a Resume for an Inhuman Audience

When you are writing a resume, do you ever think about what is reading your resume instead of who may be reading it?

Today, many companies have turned to applicant tracking system (ATS) software and other recruiting programs to wade through the barrage of resumes that come from online job postings. 90 percent of the 500 biggest employers in the United States are using some type of recruiting software. This screening technique may save time and money for the company that is hiring, but it can leave the average job seeker feeling hopeless as he or she tries to get their resume past a wall of software in order to a get a face to face interview with a real person. While I was searching for a job last summer, I became increasingly frustrated after I had submitted many copies of my resume online. Weeks would go by without a phone call from any of the companies I had applied to. I began to wonder if the companies had seen my resume at all.

The recruiting software that companies are using today have increased screening capabilities due to artificial intelligence. Here are some tips and tricks to get the ATS to give your resume a higher rank and increase your chances of getting an interview:

• Use keywords. Read job ads that are relevant to the type of job you are targeting and try to pick up which words are used most frequently in the job description. After you get an idea of what keywords are used, incorporate them into your resume.
• Resist the temptation to try to fool the ATS by repeatedly typing keywords in a white colour font on your resume or other methods that could be seen as dishonest. You could become banned from recruiting companies if you are caught.
• Use variations on terminology used in your resume regarding education and position title. Use abbreviations with full words interchangeably, for example, use both BA and Bachelor for the education section of your resume.
• Avoid using unusual fonts, graphics, or colored borders when formatting your resume. Your resume will likely end up in a database, and if your resume is full of unusual formatting, it may be entered into that database with all the fancy fonts, coloring, and graphics missing.

I hope this post has encouraged those who are concerned about whether or not a human being will actually see their resume. Remember to target your resume to the job you are seeking and to consider using some of the tips mentioned in this post to increase your chances of landing an interview.

If any of you would like to see a video on how the applicant tracking system actually works, you can take a look at this video by Jon Ciampi:

Do you have any opinions or questions about this post? Let me know! I appreciate your feedback!

References

Ciampi, J. [Jon Ciampi]. (2011, October 18). Understanding an Applicant Tracking System.[Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVvaECOmSS4.

Guffey, E. G., Loewy, D., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2016, 2013). Business Communication Process and Product Fifth Brief Canadian Edition. United States of America: Nelson Education Ltd.

©georgejmclittle. (n.d.). Businessman with job application on a tablet [Electronic image]. Retrieved from http://www.fotolia.com

Levinson, M. (2009, November 6). Getting past the gatekeeper. ComputerWorld Canada, 25(18), 17. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/610968722?accoundid=3455

Are You Afraid of Networking?

Networking is the practice of talking to others about your job search with the hope that your network will be able to help you. The help can be in the form of job leads, interviews, or putting you in contact with someone who can help you with your job search.

Networking is one aspect of the job search that many job seekers do not participate in. I believe many people dislike networking because it makes them feel uncomfortable. It is worth the effort to improve networking skills because most of the jobs that are available today are not advertised. In fact, 50 to 80 percent of the jobs available are found through contacts that the person looking for the job already knows.

Social media is an excellent networking tool for job seekers who feel anxious about talking to others regarding their job search face to face. While Facebook and Twitter are great tools for staying in touch with contacts, there is a social media site that was created solely for the purpose of networking and finding jobs. This website is called LinkedIn. With LinkedIn, you can get in touch with other job seekers, gain contacts and request recommendations. LinkedIn is an excellent website for job seekers because everyone who is registered on the site is there for the same reason, to talk about job opportunities and make new contacts. If you decide to use social media as a networking tool, make certain that you do not post unflattering photographs or rude comments. A study has shown that 91% of employer’s will look at a prospective employee’s social media pages before they decide to hire that person.

Once a job seeker becomes more comfortable with asking contacts for job leads through social media, he or she might be ready to try other tactics to expand his or her contact list. Volunteering is an excellent way to make contacts and gain work experience. I have participated in volunteer work for several years, and have not only made friends, but excellent references. Another great way to find contacts is to join networking groups. A good place to find a networking group is Meetup.com. This website is a place where people can find groups that meet in person. On meetup.com, there are networking groups that are for women, small businesses, and professionals.

Networking does not have to be about cold calling a contact that you have not spoken to for many years. It can be a fun and productive experience if you try out some of the ideas I have mentioned.

Do you feel that your network is large enough? Please take the time to vote in my poll and let me know! 

Feel free to leave comments and questions. I appreciate your feedback!

References:

Guffey, E. G., Loewy, D., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2016, 2013). Business Communication Process and Product Fifth Brief Canadian Edition. United States of America: Nelson Education Ltd.

©kalim. (n.d.). Business women and social network [Electronic image]. Retrieved from http://www.fotolia.com

LinkedIn. (2016). LinkedIn. Retrieved from LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com

Meetup.com. (2015). Find Your People- Meetup. Retrieved from Meetup.com: http://www.meetup.com/