Don’t Pay a Recruiter to Find a Job! Beware of Job Scams!

Awareness of job scams is essential, especially during economic uncertainty. Scammers often target people desperate for work and maybe likelier to fall for their schemes.

Endless new businesses emerge every day. Most of these businesses undoubtedly do their best to serve the betterment of humanity (and make a profit doing so).  However, remember that many of these companies are run by crooks who will take advantage of suffering or uninformed people.

Awareness of job scams is essential, especially during economic uncertainty. Scammers often target people desperate for work and maybe likelier to fall for their schemes. Some of these businesses are so corrupt that they are easily identified. Others are less obvious, making them more enticing and easier to fall prey to because they offer a solution to a challenging problem.

One example I notice pretty frequently is recruiting firms that charge candidates to find jobs.  They claim they can find a job by marketing your background to other companies.

Recently, I saw one company offering this service for $20,000. Companies like this claim to market you to potential employers and help you with your resume, promising to put your resume in front of many decision-makers at various companies. However, this is usually not the case---what a deal.

Here are some tips you can use to avoid job scams:

• Never pay a fee to a recruiter. Legitimate recruiters are paid by the companies that hire their candidates.
• Be wary of any job that seems too good to be true. If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.
• Do your research on any company before you apply for a job. Look for reviews from current and former employees online.
• Be careful about giving your personal and financial information to someone you don't know and trust.

If you think you may have been a victim of a job scam, report it to the authorities immediately.

 Identifying and vetting companies shouldn't be complex if you have a solid and well-crafted resume. If you don't have a good resume, we recommend utilizing a resume writing service. We offer a resume audit service and many other options available when enhancing your resume. 

If you are ever working with a legitimate recruiter, they will have relationships with various companies, and those companies will be paying their fee.  Candidates should never pay a fee.