Q: Dear Seymour, How Can I Tell Which Online Job Opportunities are Real and Not Scams?
- Submitted by Lynn Boone, Boise, Idaho
A: Dear Lynn,
In today's tough economy, online job opportunities seem to be increasing - streaming into inboxes and found in classified ads faster than ever before. Believe it or not, real online jobs do exist, but identifying them has become quite a challenge with so many of the jobs being scams. Learning how to identify online job scams is a skill that must be mastered if a legitimate job is to be found. There are several 'red lights' to watch out for when applying for an online job.
Take a close look at the ad or recruitment email for spelling and grammar errors. As a sign of professionalism, legitimate companies tend to have little or no spelling or grammatical mistakes. If an ad has numerous mistakes or run-on sentences, it most likely is not a credible company.
If the website or ad asks for any kind of billing information, beware of a scam. A "sign-up" fee is also a tell-tale sign that the job you are applying for is a scam. The purpose of a job is to get paid by a company, not pay them.
Real employers ask for a resume, not money. They provide an address, email address or fax number, and never list their phone number to get the resume. If a phone number is provided, call it. If a computer answers, it's probably a scam. If a person answers ask them direct questions about where they are located and details about the actual work. Scammers will avoid such questions. If emailing the company, see if the response answers your specific question, not a generic one. Most importantly, research the company online for any complaints.
The bottom line is that real employers are looking for skilled, knowledgeable and experienced applicants. They never say "No Experience Necessary" - instead they use the term "entry level" when describing a position. They also typically don't list job salaries.
It's important to know that legitimate online jobs are obtained the same way as traditional jobs. Apply for a job you are qualified for, fill out an application and submit your resume to obtain an interview for employment. Anything less is questionable.
Seymour
The new norm for many workers is looking for jobs where they can transfer skills, or having to retrain to learn new skills and earn new certifications to land a job in a different line of work.
Beware of this strategy - not because learning new skills is a bad idea, but because you have new qualifications, doesn't mean that you will find a job in a different field right away, as one article points out. The key is to stay patient, and not become discouraged.
Check out a few other stories of workers' experiences with retraining programs. How about some of our readers? Do any of you have retraining stories to tell? Was it a positive or negative experience? Did retraining help you find a new job?
Have you ever been in a team brainstorming meeting, and another co-worker has used your idea to present to the manager?
As frustrating as this can be, it is an unfortunate team dynamic that happens. One article that I read illustrates how you can turn a situation like this around to you advantage.
If this does happen to you, try not to get angry. Approach the perpetrator in a manner that does not accuse them specifically. Say something like, "Let's talk after the meeting about the details, I have plenty of ideas to compliment this one since we previously discussed this matter brainstorming."
Be subtle about how you approach a colleague, but let them know that you remember the idea they gave was yours. These days, workers are concerned about showing value to their employer, and are willing to do anything to show it.
Try not to think about it as stealing ideas. Some experts believe that ideas are meant to be shared for the brain trust of the team to explore and expand upon. This is for the betterment of the team and ultimately the bottom line of the company.
If it truly bothers you to have someone stealing your ideas and using them as their own, then hold back some of the big details to share with the team when the manager is around. That way, you can share your idea, and provide some of the "wow" details.
