Be careful in your search for jobs

26 September 2008

Some ads for jobs are not quite what they seem. Some con artists advertise openings for jobs that sound far too good to be true in order to attract as many applicants as possible. They will then exploit the applicants in some way. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell whether an advertised position is legitimate or not, so you should keep a look out for suspicious activity.

Is the position too good to be true?

While it is true that you should remain positive about the jobs that are on offer, it also does not hurt to be realistic. Jobs that are advertised as requiring very little or no experience or training yet also offer a high salary are very suspect. Jobs that everyone would want and everyone could do are not very common - if they were, why wouldn't everyone be doing them? If you are unsure, you can still apply, just be extra wary when you go to the interview (while not proof that the position is dodgy, you will almost certainly get an interview if the position is a con).

Are you being asked for more than is usual from the interview?

If you are asked to pay for training or to do a large amount of trial work before getting the job, then alarm bells should be going off. Many con artists use training fees in order to get money out of victimised job seekers as it sounds legitimate and can be presented as an opportunity. Trial work is also a technique some dodgy businesses use to get a lot of temporary workers to help handle a large event or order. For a day of work that anyone can do, it doesn't matter if the applicants have no experience, just as long as they turn up.

The lesson to be learned is that anytime people are in a situation where they need something, someone will try to exploit those people. Looking for jobs puts you in a vulnerable position, so stay aware of possible cons to minimise your chance of being victimised.

If you are looking for jobs in Australia, please visit our marketing jobs, graduate jobs, teaching jobs, real estate jobs and backpacker jobs pages for listings of the best new jobs.


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