Job Search Due Diligence
The current job market is without a doubt challenging to say the least.
The market is saturated with talent and though there may be plenty of job postings, finding the right opportunities is no walk in the park. It can be relentless.
The search can be hampered by fake (scam) jobs, jobs that are constantly reposted but never filled, jobs that set an unreasonable or unrealistic bar, ghosting, poorly written or vague job postings, and/or general poor communications … to name a few.
Though it’s important to stay positive and keep pushing through, it’s just as important to remain vigilant and exercise appropriate due diligence.
Be sure to carefully vet job postings and their associated employers.
Verify a job posting is legitimate by checking the employer’s website. While not every employer may have an Open Jobs / Career Page on their website, those that do should have current job postings listed.
If the employer’s website has a contact number or e-mail address for hiring purposes, reach out to inquire about a job posting to verify its authenticity.
When possible, apply for jobs via the company’s official website or links therein. If applying through a job board, assess whether the posting is via the employer’s official account (this may be virtually impossible to do on many job boards).
Even when job boards claim to verify employer accounts, keep in mind that virtually anyone can inexpensively form a simple legal business entity, put up a basic website, subsequently verify their business/company with a job board, and post a job.
As such, it’s extremely important to exercise due diligence. Thoroughly research the business/company (ex: check their website, LinkedIn profile, social media, general presence and existence etc.) and gather as much relevant information to determine if it’s a legitimate or fly by night entity.
If you should connect or communicate with the employer, be aware of the communication channels they use. Typically, they should reach out via an official company e-mail address/domain, or they may use an integrated job board messaging system.
Don’t be afraid of asking the hiring individual to verify their association with the employer. If they are using an integrated job board messaging system or a non-company e-mail address/domain, ask them to send a direct e-mail via an official company e-mail address/domain with their business contact information in the signature.
You can also try to reach out to the employer directly (if you can find general contact information) to verify the individual.
If you start seeing red flags, don’t ignore them!
Trust your instincts, stay vigilant, exercise appropriate due care, be prepared to walk away and take steps to protect yourself (ex: reporting suspected fraud/scams to the job board and/or actual employer).