Spotting Red Flags in Your Job Search

It’s important to develop a critical eye when job searching to avoid being fooled by untrustworthy or illegitimate employment opportunities. Employment “scams” are becoming more sophisticated and tougher to spot but recognizing these red flags can help you protect yourself when job searching.

1. Do your research! When you find a posting that interests you, your first step should be to do some research – Google the company’s name and see what you find. Is there an official website? Is it easy to find their contact information? Also look on LinkedIn, are any of their employees on there?
2. Does it seem too good to be true? Many times, if something seems like it’s just too good to be true – it probably is. Is the pay extremely high for the nature of the job? Are things worded vaguely?
3. How did you become connected to the posting? Was it posted on a legitimate site such as the Government of Canada’s Job Bank? Were you emailed, phoned, or texted about the opportunity without applying? Carefully consider the source of postings. While these factors may not always be red flags, they are things to consider and review with your Employment Advisor to make the right decision for you.

The fact is, it can be challenging and at times even intimidating to navigate job postings on your own. Unfortunately, there are scam postings out there and they can be tricky to spot. An Employment Advisor can be there to help provide advice and guidance on your job search, so it is not only successful, but safe!