Employment scams while on the job hunt

I am in the midst of a career change to marketing, which means I'm looking at a lot entry-level job postings. Problem is most of these postings are less about marketing and communications and more about cold calling and door to door work. Most of these places don't even offer wages, just commission which is BS.

The up side is that these companies are often terrible at hiding how sketchy they are. Still even those who ignore the "WORK ATH OME FOR BIGG BUKxS!!!!" ads can still get sucked in by mildly legit looking places, often disguising themselves as "start-up business."

To help out all those job seekers out there I'm going to give you a few tips based on my own horrible experiences:

1. Check the Website:
If it looks less than professional, is missing a lot of company information, or just plain doesn't exist don't even bother applying. You are only going to end up wasting your time and money showing up for an interview.

2. Check the job description *thoroughly*:
If it's really vague, short, or uninformative as to the job requirements it might be a scam, If it promises a chance for unqualified people it's probably a scam. If the grammar, spelling and font is terrible or all over the place it's definitely a scam.

Real companies take the time to properly write out a job post. It's the fly-by nights or the places with huge turn over that don't bother so you shouldn't either.

3. They call you immediately:
Most legit companies do hiring in blocks and often it can take a few days to a few weeks before you hear back from them. This is often because they first accept the applications, review the applications and then start scheduling interviews. This takes time, so when a company calls or emails me right away up to two days after I have sent in an application I get suspicious and every time my suspicions have been confirmed.

A company that calls you right away normally isn't very picky about who they hire because they know it's a crap job with horrible conditions. Now do you really want to work for a company that knows you're going to leave them within a few weeks or months? Not really.

4. They won't tell you what your job entails:
If you do go to an interview ask this question: "what would I be doing for the company?" If they give you a crap line that doesn't sound like a job description ask them: "What are the exact duties this job requires?" if they still don't tell you, thank them for their time and leave because no reputable company is going to refuse to tell you what your job is.

Do this especially if they are asking you to come in for a second interview. An interview is not just about you getting a job, but about you finding a place you want to work. If you don't even know what your job will be how can you decide if this is the place for you? Companies that do this are preying on people who are desperately looking for work. They will either get your labour for free or they'll charge you to "sell" their product.

They won't tell you what you'll do? Just walk away.

5. Even after getting a job offer they refuse to discuss wages:
This is a big red flag! If you've gone through everything and it all seemed up and up this little sign means big problems. Once a company has offered you a job you are entitled to know the terms of employment. Which means there's no reason for them to refuse discussing things like hours, benefits and wages. If they refuse to give you information via email thank them for the offer and decline. If they say you need to come in for an info session first thank them for the offer and decline.

A place like that is just screaming they're going to take advantage of you.


There's lots of other things you can do, but if you keep these in mind you'll save yourself some time and money that would otherwise be wasted.

The Problem With Unpaid Internships

There has been a huge stir lately in America over the legality of unpaid internships. It has been great for the discourse and all sorts of discussions are popping up. (Check out the response to the Times article on unpaid internships at Cartoon Brew and the subsequent comments underneath.) The biggest debate that has come out of this is whether or not the internships are worth it. This isn't really the issue, since the real problem is that unpaid internships are slave labour. I feel that most commentators who are in favor of unpaid internships ignore a very important point which is: "What will this cost YOU? What will this cost OTHERS?"

In every case the ones who enjoyed an unpaid internship, by their own admission, were only working for a short time (doing things they enjoyed or were at least relevant) and soon received a paying job. I have to guess that it did not cost them much since they never discuss how tight things were. It is easy to see why they would paint all internships with the same rose coloured brush. But it also means that they have not even considered their own privilege when taking this kind of work.

What sets volunteer work apart from unpaid internships is access. As a volunteer I don't need to have previous experience or a degree and I get to set my hours. As an unpaid intern I am required to have qualifications and I am performing a job that should be paid. Already anyone who doesn't have the support to afford to work for free is excluded, because they would not be allowed to work AND have the internship.

A lot of what I'm hearing in defense of unpaid internships is something akin to fear mongering. It's a lot of "But if you don't take this job you may NEVER get a job anywhere!" or "When you're young you need to pay your dues so buck up and quit being picky!" These arguments totally ignore the fact that no one gets a job (or anything for that matter) they enjoy without being picky. We hear horror stories all the time about people settling for a job they needed rather than seeking a job they wanted and how they got stuck. Now imagine the same scenario only you aren't being paid! You only have one life. Why waste it because someone is trying to scare you into taking the first offer.

Here are some things you should think about when you are considering and unpaid internship.

1) Ask yourself: Why Should I Pay Them To Work?

No matter where you work you are going to have to spend money and time. There is a huge difference between volunteering at a theater two nights a week and volunteering at a publishing company 9-6 every day and some weekends, but it's very likely in the end both jobs will get you to the same place. One more job on your resume. Really think about it. These companies are getting more out of you than they give back. You wouldn't date a person who takes your credit card and always forgets your birthday would you?

2)Ask yourself: Why Do I Think I'm Worthless?

Many students devalue themselves to a ridiculous degree because they buy into lies that tell them they have no abilities. They often buy the line "I'm a student. What could I have to offer?" Well the answer is obviously something if someone is willing to let you into their office. If you were so valueless as an employee even volunteer groups wouldn't touch you. So start having some confidence in yourself and research what you should be paid at your level. Really think about your abilities and write them down. If you think you are lacking in something see how you can improve. It will go a long way. Not only will you be less likely to be taken advantage of, but you may find that the quality of the jobs you seek will improve.

3) Ask questions before you agree and get EVERYTHING in writing.

This is the most important step before agreeing to any work.
There seems to be this odd fear on the part of students about asking for the terms of employment. How can you be expected to do your job if you don't know what it is you should be doing? There are certain questions most employment counselors suggest you not mention until you have been offered the job. Mainly questions about pay and benefits. So while you shouldn't be bringing these up at the interview there's no reason you can't ask once you've been offered the position. In fact if you aren't asking these questions at all you could be giving yourself one huge headache in the future.

I know a lot of students who don't know the first thing about contracts and it is really hurting them. A contract isn't just about money. It's a layout of everything you agree to do for the company and everything the company agrees to do for you. Without one, you will essentially remain in the dark and that makes you easy to take advantage of and difficult for you to know if you are benefiting or not.

4) An Internship is a Job

Understand that internship is not another word for volunteer. A company must be clear with you from the get go if this is or is not a paid position. If you are under the impression that the internship is paid and the company has done nothing to tell you otherwise you MUST ask about the pay. Nothing could be worse than finding out two weeks into an internship that it is unpaid. If you ask about pay and suddenly the job offer disappears know that this is a warning sign. A company on the up and up would either have already told you it was unpaid or would have replied to your query.

Most important of all realise that you don't need that unpaid internship to get where you want to go. Sometimes avoiding them means you need to get more creative. However, this means that in the long run you'll have put in the same hours, but you'll have been reimbursed for your hard work.

And really that is what everyone deserves.
For more info check out 5 Tips for Handling Internships and What to do About Unfair Internships