Job That Is Hiring: 

Many job seekers find that avoiding ghost jobs and job scams is proving to be more challenging than the actual job search. So how do professionals find a job that is hiring? I mean actually hiring? 

FlexJobs and MyPerfectResume (MPR) conducted a survey that reported one of the biggest challenges faced by 55% of job seekers is ghost jobs, which are posted positions that really aren’t hiring. 

This same survey stated that at least 25% of people have fallen victim to job scams. 

So what are some warning signs that can help you avoid fake jobs and scams?

How to Protect Yourself

Here are some common job scams you should be aware of.  

Fake Jobs and Companies

We have been blogging about fake companies for over a decade. From our perspective, fake companies allow fake candidates to have an employment record. 

But what about real candidates? How do you spot a fake company? Heck, why does a fake company want to attract candidates to begin with? 

The quick answer is that fake companies post fraudulent job posts in order to gather your personal information. Sensitive information…which could lead to financial loss or identity theft. 

We provide a lot of advice regarding the importance of researching the company before the interview. And, we talk about researching the company before applying so you can tailor your resume. Now, I recommend researching the company to confirm it is real. 

Upfront Fees

The increase in remote positions has increased the amount of fraudulence surrounding ‘remote’ work. One very popular scam is to offer candidates a fake remote job. Once the candidates are tricked into believing they have been hired, they are asked to pay fees for equipment to be shipped out to them. 

But of course, the equipment never arrives. Employees should never be asked to pay a fee in order to start a job. 

Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Services

There is a lot of buzz about artificial intelligence (AI) and how important it is for resumes to meet ATS standards. 

And because of this buzz, a new scam has surfaced. Scammers who pose as recruiters will tell job seekers their resumes need to be updated or they won’t be found via AI or ATS scanning programs. These fake recruiters refer job seekers to a fraudulent service (for a fee, of course) that will revamp the job seeker’s resume. 

Yes, job seekers can be overlooked if important keywords are missing from their resumes or cover letters. And yes, to be ‘found’, you must include relevant keywords in your resume. But populating your resume to be found is an activity you should take for every application. There isn’t a “one-time” magic fix and you certainly don’t need to pay a service to make your resume “ATS compliant.”

You just need to take the time to incorporate relevant keywords into your resume and we show you how to do that here (free of charge). 

Staffing Agency Scams

Staffing agencies and third-party recruiters like ourselves never charge the candidate a fee. We earn our fees from the hiring entity. Meaning, that we are paid by the hiring company once you are placed with them. 

So if a staffing agency promises a placement once you pay a fee, abort. They aren’t real and they do not have a job that is hiring.

In Conclusion

If it sounds too good to be true, dig a little deeper. Even when you confirm the company posting the position is real, ensure the email domain used matches. 

For example, our domain is craresources.com. Valid team members will use an email address that ends with that domain (@craresources.com). But scammers may use a slight variation such as carresources.com. Fraudsters will leverage the reputation of a real company, real job board, or reputable social media site to trick job seekers so pay attention to the details. 

Because if you are scammed, you will lose more than a job opportunity. 

We would love to hear from you – what job scam scenarios have you heard about?