I’ve been saying this for years. Answering ads on job boards is a crap shoot. Many of the job postings are fake.
Now today’s Wall Street Journal tells us that some job posts are actually inducements to get you to buy from them. What’s cruel is that they invite busy, tired, job hunters to attend live interviews. Even a short drive down the highway requires gas, tolls, and getting dressed up. Once the job hunters arrive, they don’t get an interview. Instead, they get a sales pitch for directories or manuals.
Craigslist is one of the worst offenders because posting is so easy. I once saw an ad for a seminar leader with promises of high stipends. Surprised to find this ad on Craigslist, I suspected it was too good to be true. So I decided to play detective. I applied with my real name and real credentials. Sure enough, the ad invited me to take classes — expensive classes! — to qualify for leading seminars.
When I told them I had been leading seminars for 20 years, they said, “Well, we can’t evaluate you unless you take our course.” Yeah, right.
I skipped one step I should have taken. (That’s why I’m not a real detective.) I did not keep the original advertisement. If I had, I would have written to Craigslist advising them of fraudulent postings. I recommend taking this step even if it seems futile. Sure, the company can open another email account and start over, but it takes work. If enough people write, you will slow them down.
Red flags on job boards from the WSJ and my own experience:
The salary seems high in relation to the job (and the posting venue). The WSJ correctly identifies this red flag. I would add that Craigslist typically carries ads for jobs at the lower end of the market. Any salary posting should be regarded with suspicion and high-end jobs are probably fake. Jobs at senior levels typically involve headhunters and they are not posted on Craigslist.
The company asks you to disclose a lot of information before your first interview. Don’t do it. You don’t disclose your social security number or date of birth till you are holding a written offer contingent on reference and background checks.
An offer includes a start date, title, salary, and reporting relationship. It should include some element of a job description. If the company says, “We don’t do written offers,” ask for a letter or memorandum of understanding.
The ad is vague about job requirements. Real job posts include phrases like “Needs 5 years of progressively responsible experience in project management, preferably in the food industry.”
Sometimes you may be invited to meet a recruiter who wants to keep job details confidential. It’s okay if the recruiter hides the company name and other details, but you should know something about the job and salary range before you show up for an interview in person. An honest recruiter will respect your time and will not try to persuade you to attend a mystery meeting.
As always, your best source of career change comes from networking. I invite you to check out my job search book for more.
