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Newsletter Archives /Today's Career Voice - October 2009 Deciphering Which Online Job Opportunities are Real and Not Scams In today’s tough economy, online job opportunities seem to be increasing – streaming into inboxes and found in classified ads faster than ever before. Believe it or not, real online jobs do exist, but identifying them has become quite a challenge with so many of the jobs being scams. Learning how to identify online job scams is a skill that must be mastered if a legitimate job is to be found. There are several ‘red lights’ to watch out for when applying for an online job. Take a close look at the ad or recruitment email for spelling and grammar errors. As a sign of professionalism, legitimate companies tend to have little or no spelling or grammatical mistakes. If an ad has numerous mistakes or run-on sentences, it most likely is not a credible company. If the website or ad asks for any kind of billing information, beware of a scam. A “sign-up” fee is also a tell-tale sign that the job you are applying for is a scam. The purpose of a job is to get paid by a company, not pay them. Real employers ask for a resume, not money. They provide an address, email address or fax number, and never list their phone number to get the resume. If a phone number is provided, call it. If a computer answers, it’s probably a scam. If a person answers ask them direct questions about where they are located and details about the actual work. Scammers will avoid such questions. If emailing the company, see if the response answers your specific question, not a generic one. Most importantly, research the company online for any complaints. The bottom line is that real employers are looking for skilled, knowledgeable and experienced applicants. They never say “No Experience Necessary” – instead they use the term “entry level” when describing a position. They also typically don’t list job salaries. It’s important to know that legitimate online jobs are obtained the same way as traditional jobs. Apply for a job you are qualified for, fill out an application and submit your resume to obtain an interview for employment. Anything less is questionable. |
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