Safe Job Searching Tips
Regardless of the platform, job board, or classified ad- use caution when job hunting
General Tips:
- Trust your intuition
- Use common sense
- Do your homework - you should know a thing or two about the company before you interview.
- Bottom Line: If something doesn't feel right - it probably isn't.
You should be researching the company before an interview.
Take a minute to Google 'em. Seriously! Do they exist? If they do, you'll likely find their website. You might also find helpful information on LinkedIn, Glassdoor, or Social Media networks. If they don’t show up on Google, or have a strange looking website, they probably don’t exist.
Check to see if the interview location is actually a business and not just a random house somewhere.
Verify that any emails sent to you are from the correct corporate email address. Remember to look for minor variations such as @amazone.com or @jobs-amazon.com rather than @amazon.com. Also make sure after future replies to the email thread come from the same address. And watch out for generic email addresses such as @gmail.com or @hotmail.com (Some small business owners do have legitimate Gmail or Hotmail addresses, but use caution).
Generally it is best if you can get an in person interview at the company's physical location, but some times that is not possible. If it's not possible, be sure you have talked to your "employer" over the phone at some point. If you have only communicated via email, that is a big red flag.
LISTEN TO YOUR GUT!
If you have a bad feeling at any point in the job search process, please listen to your gut.
If you've given your personal information to a fraudulent employer see this Handshake Article
Don't Forget About Bias
Be aware of potential bias causing elements in your application material. As much as we attempt to avoid it, it does happen. Review your materials for information that might leave you vulnerable to discrimination.