How to Avoid Fake Job Postings

 

Looking for a new job is stressful enough without wasting time chasing down jobs that are advertised, but do not actually exist.  Job seekers need to know that when they are looking for opportunities on-line, the job postings they see will fall into one of three categories:

1. Real jobs and opportunities posted by real employers that need to be filled sooner rather than later
2. Opportunities that are posted by those who are just ‘fishing’ for candidates who may not have any current jobs or opportunities for workers, but anticipate openings in the future
3. Scammers

Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous people everywhere.  The on-line community is no different from any other community, so, it is important to be aware and cautious when looking for a job online via job boards and classified ads.

To avoid fake job postings to save yourself some time, money, sanity and identity avoid the following:

1.   Job postings that sound too good to be true.
The old adage that, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t true” applies here. In the real world, any job or opportunity that carries a $100,000 salary requires commensurate skills and experience. Job posts stating “no skills or experience required,” especially when paired with a large salary, are likely scams. The same can be said of jobs that promise perfect hours, salary and benefits. If it truly were a perfect job, they would not need to advertise.

2.   Job postings that “smell fishy.”
Listen to your intuition, your gut, and your common sense when reviewing a job posting. “Fishy” postings may include one or more of the following elements:

• An unspecified job title
• Odd wording
• Numerous misspellings and grammatical errors
• A web address that asks you to enter your email in order to be redirected to the company website
• A free email address such as Gmail or Yahoo

3.  Job postings that ask you to pay a fee.
Legitimate recruiters are paid by employers, not by potential job candidates. If a job posting requires you to pay a fee in order to submit a resume or move on to an interview, it is likely a scam. A requirement to pay for training materials or web-based training seminars should also raise a red flag. Legitimate companies will not require you to pay for your own training.

4.   Job postings that ask for your personal information.
Never disclose any personal information.  If you have not included the information on your résumé, do not provide the information when responding to a job posting.  Personal information such as your Social Insurance Number, banking information, and the names of your references, is only required AFTER the company has made the decision to hire you. Please be advised that only scammers will want immediate access to this information and their sole objective is to try to defraud you and/or your friends in some way.

Google is a job seeker’s best friend when it comes to searching for jobs on-line. If a company is listed in the job posting, Google it. If the name of a hiring manager is given in the job posting, Google it. If an email address has been provided, Google it. If a phone number is provided, Google it. If the company name, manager name, email or phone number is associated with a scam, you may find warnings posted online. If the job posting does not have any contact information associated with it, i.e. no company name or contact number,  as are many of the opportunities found on free job boards such as Craigslist, it is highly unlikely that the opportunity is legitimate.   

When you conduct your job search with caution and you will be better equipped to avoid the scams and frauds nestled among the legitimate postings. Always do your research!

Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. Reprinted by permission of the author, Mary Salvino. “Career Matters” is a blog hosted by Mary Salvino, Senior Consultant for SMART Career Planning.com that is dedicated to those who are seeking advice on managing their career and future job opportunities. We welcome readers to share their experiences, post their comments or ask questions about career related matters. This blog is also dedicated to those who stand a little taller each time they picked themselves up after failing and those who gained the wisdom and humility from those experiences to help others do the same. For any questions or comments that are better addressed privately, please feel free to e-mail Mary directly at Mary.Salvino@shaw.ca

Job Seekers! Have you Tried Applying SEO Techniques to Find Your Next Job?

QUESTION: What do new and established companies and those who are currently unemployed or searching for a new opportunity have in common?  Answer:  Both groups can benefit from Search Engine Optimization [SEO]albeit in a different way.

Search Engine Optimization [SEO] background:

The primary purpose of Search Engine Optimization [SEO] is to gain prime positioning (rank highly on Internet searches) for desired keywords and phrases to increase visibility and ultimately affect conversion rates in a positive manner.

While there is an ever-increasing number of websites that are relevant to any particular search query, there is also an unknown number of recruiters and hiring managers who will scour the Internet to source an ideal candidate for their client or a suitable employee for their company.

Search Engine Optimization is one of the most important components of Internet Marketing. Each and every technique that is used in online marketing fails or succeeds on the basis of its SEO. If the SEO optimization is effective, marketing products and services on the Internet will be successful.

Properly executed SEO optimization reduces the time spent searching for relevant results.  Time is not a renewable resource and wasting time is costly, therefore, the aim of both job seekers and businesses should be to elevate their rankings to ‘above the fold’.  The term ‘above the fold’ is a throwback to a time when newspapers the main source for getting information about current events.  In the world of the Internet, ‘above the fold” refers to results found on the first page of an Internet search and occupying one of the top 5 positions listed.  

SEO techniques can and should be applied to both job seekers and companies in order to succeed in their respective endeavours.  Each group needs to utilize SEO to fight their competitors by branding themselves as both different and superior to increase their rates of success. 

1.         While it makes sense for job seekers to market themselves in a traditional manner by salting their social media profiles with the identical words and phrases that are ubiquitous in their industry, companies can afford to complement their traditional marketing methods with marketing techniques that are more non-traditional in both word and deed when it comes to advertising their goods and services.

2.         Where companies use keywords throughout in their company’s websites, job seekers should use industry specific keywords and phrases throughout their social media profile.

3.         Both job seekers and companies can benefit from creating a big digital footprint.  Search engines seek and love digesting new content. As a job seeker, consider creating a blog whereon you can demonstrate and/or share knowledge about your industry.  If creating a blog is too overwhelming, consider starting a group on LinkedIn.

4.         Both job seeker and companies should know that there is a direct relationship between the amount written and published on the Internet and, to use the vernacular, the length of a tale, on the Internet.  As job seekers write about their industry, their ‘tail’ get longer.  A ‘long tale’ on the Internet demonstrates depth of knowledge and the ability to communicate in writing.  An ability to write clearly and concisely is becoming increasingly sought after by companies, both large and small, thanks in part to increased use of mobile devices. 

5.         In addition to blogging on their own site, they should also contribute to article marketing sites such as EzineArticles.com and IdeaMarketers.com.  Contributing articles on outside article marketing sites will establish further reach, distribution and authority.  Writing articles is a way for professionals to self-identify as an expert in the industry and also gives the industry’s community the opportunity to recognize the expertise of the author.   

            TIP: Writers should aim to publish articles at a rate of one per week. 

            HINT: Those who submit articles to outside article marketing sites should always include their contact information in the author’s bio section, and link keywords and keyword phrases to their own web site.

6.         Video can also offer another powerful medium for extending reach. YouTube videos generate more views, traffic and inbound links. A great video can take the place of a thousand words.

7.         Both job seekers and companies should strive to get connected and stay connected.  Both job seekers and companies will benefit from cross connecting all of their social media channels.  Both groups can also benefit from placing easy-to-use social media icons on blog posts for easy broadcasting.  This is done by adding ‘follow’ and ‘like’ buttons to their home page, and tweeting helpful, and relevant articles on a regular basis.

In the end, job seekers want to be found by recruiters and hiring managers and business want to be found by customers.  Both job seekers and companies can increase the probability of being found on the Internet through marketing articles, writing blogs, and increasing social media activity.

By developing a creative, compelling, consistent brand identity, both job seekers and companies can attract the attention of both their target audience and search engines. Both job seekers and companies should resist the urge to place all their branding eggs in the keyword basket.  They need to build a brand identity that can be leveraged on a multitude of online channels. This integrated approach creates a powerful web presence for optimal search results.

Ultimately, both job seekers and companies want their target audience to search for them and not their competitors and the key is to create a brand that will encourage the target audience to seek by name and not just by search terms.

Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. Reprinted by permission of the author, Mary Salvino. “Career Matters” is a blog hosted by Mary Salvino, Senior Consultant for SMART Career Planning.com that is dedicated to those who are seeking advice on managing their career and future job opportunities. We welcome readers to share their experiences, post their comments or ask questions about career related matters. This blog is also dedicated to those who stand a little taller each time they picked themselves up after failing and those who gained the wisdom and humility from those experiences to help others do the same. For any questions or comments that are better addressed privately, please feel free to e-mail Mary directly at Mary.Salvino@shaw.ca

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Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. Reprinted by permission of the author, Mary Salvino. “Career Matters” is a blog hosted by Mary Salvino, Senior Consultant for SMART Career Planning.com that is dedicated to those who are seeking advice on managing their career and future job opportunities. We welcome readers to share their experiences, post their comments or ask questions about career related matters. This blog is also dedicated to those who stand a little taller each time they picked themselves up after failing and those who gained the wisdom and humility from those experiences to help others do the same. For any questions or comments that are better addressed privately, please feel free to e-mail Mary directly at Mary.Salvino@shaw.ca

Job Seekers: Turn Your Setbacks Into Progress

Unemployment is unpleasant.  Given that no one can be productive unless they are highly engaged, it follows that job seekers will need to find creative ways to engage themselves in the task of finding suitable employment and, when necessary, find creative ways to re-engage themselves when their enthusiasm wanes.  

Progress can be great or small, glorious or common.  Progress can appear to travel forward when it is moving backwards, or sideways, but, regardless of its direction, it is always dynamic.

Tip #1:  All job seekers have setbacks.  The ‘trick’ if there is one, is for them to convince themselves that these setbacks should be viewed as challenges and not failures.

Tip #2:  When it comes to an active job search, be open to learning and changing directions based upon that learning.   The job market is complex and creativity will lead the job seeker to success. 

Tip # 3:  Success is defined differently by all those who seek it.   Success, therefore, cannot, and should not, be specified in advance.  Both success seekers, and by extension job seekers, need the freedom to look for, and be open to, alternative ways of framing the problem in order to be victorious in their quest. 

Tip# 4:  Job seekers need to grant themselves the opportunity to change perspectives.  Challenges are opportunities in disguise, differences are gifts, and mistakes are chances to learn.

Tip #5:  Job seekers should focus on ‘small, achievable wins’.  Job seekers who can focus on their small wins are less likely to feel the sting of their setbacks as profoundly.

Tip #6:  Job seekers need to protect at least 30 minutes per day to do something fun and is totally unrelated to their job search.  This head-clearing opportunity will give the job seeker the opportunity to return to the task of identifying ways to find suitable employment more refreshed. 

Tip #7:  Job seekers should take the time to make note of any and all progress made, even if it was a small win.  The progress, and the mini-celebration of simply noting it, can lift the spirits of the job seeker.

Tip #8:  Job seekers should review their job search activities on a daily basis.  They need to identify what is working in terms of making contacts, securing interviews, etc. and reallocate the time spent on those activities that are the most effective.

Tip # 9: Good habits breed confidence.  Job seekers need be consistent in their job search efforts, develop a system to monitor their activities and reward their success. 

Tip #10:  Job seekers need to be diligent.  Searching for a new job is a full-time job and should be treated as such until the job seeker finds an opportunity that will give them a paycheque.  Job seekers need to spend at least 37.5 hours per week on activities that are directly related to their job search.  These activities include doing research on prospective employers, honing interview skills, attending networking opportunities, upgrading their skill set, following up on leads, etc.

Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. Reprinted by permission of the author, Mary Salvino. “Career Matters” is a blog hosted by Mary Salvino, Senior Consultant for SMART Career Planning.com.


This blog is dedicated to those who are seeking advice on managing their career and future job opportunities. We welcome readers to share their experiences, post their comments or ask questions about career related matters.


This blog is also dedicated to those who stand a little taller each time they picked themselves up after failing and those who gained the wisdom and humility from those experiences to help others do the same.


For any questions or comments that are better addressed privately, please feel free to e-mail Mary directly at Mary.Salvino@shaw.ca

Job Search Tips for a Dynamic Job Market

If you, as a job seeker, thought it was tough to get a job before, watch out!  Now that the economy is showing signs of improvement, both the unemployed and active members of the workforce are beginning to compete more and more for the same positions.   As an active job seeker, you do have an edge over others who are currently employed, so you need to take the time to capitalize on that advantage while you still can.

Job Search Tip # 1 - Network

It is difficult to find a new opportunity if your can’t network openly.  Unlike your employed counterparts, job seekers do not have to worry about who knows that they are looking for a new opportunity.LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are considered to be the Big 3 when it comes to online networking.  As Google+ is still in its infancy, job seekers also need to find a way to get an invitation to join.  Once an invitation  has been secured, take advantage of the opportunity to connect with 5000 ‘acquaintances’.  The easiest way to do this is to send out an ‘Update’ on your LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter profile to let the people you know that you are happy to send them an invitation upon request.  Once the invitation has been sent and received, you can add them to your ‘circle’ with the click of a mouse.

Job Search Tip # 2  - Follow-up on all leads

Conduct a search on LinkedIn to identify the names of people who work for the companies where you wish to be employed.  Ask your contact for the contact information of the departments wherein you want to work and contact those people directly.

Job Search Tip # 3  - Set and forget

Take the time to post your résumé on all of the job boards you can think of and be sure to make your résumé ‘searchable’.

Job Search Tip # 4 - Use job agents

Many job boards have tools that will deliver suitable openings right into the candidate’s inbox as soon as they are posted.  HINT: Act fast as companies will often limit the number of responses they want to receive by shortening the timeline for applications to be received.

Job Search Tip # 5  - Connect with recruiters

Not all recruiters work in all industries, however, it is still in the best interest of the job seeker to connect with as many recruiters as they can.  Remember that recruiters work for those who have a position that needs to be filled  and NOT the job seekers themselves. 

Job Search Tip # 6 - Customize all correspondence

Know that a résumé that is sent to a hiring manger is not the same as a résumé that is sent to a recruiter.  While a hiring manager will often take the time to scrutinize all of the pages included in the documentation received, a recruiter will either take advantage of the Applicant Tracking Software [ATS] to screen the incoming documents or only view the first page or two of a job applicant’s submission.     

Job Search Tip # 7 - Optimize your documents

Salt both résumés and cover letters with keywords used in the industry.  HINT: Use tools like the following to help identify keywords:

Wordle – (http://www.wordle.net)

ABC Ya - (http://www.abcya.com/word_clouds.htm)  

Tagul - (http://tagul.com/)

Word It Out (http://worditout.com/)

Tag Crowd (http://tagcrowd.com/)

Wordsift - (http://www.wordsift.com/)

TagCloudGenerator – (http://www.tag-cloud.de/)

Job Search Tip # 8 - Optimize your social media profiles

Use the tools used to identify industry keywords [see above] and use those keywords in all of your social media profiles.

Job Search Tip # 9 - Clean up your social media profiles

Take the time to do an Internet search on your name as well as review your privacy settings.  UNWRITTEN RULE: If you wouldn’t want your grandmother to see it, take it down!

Job Search Tip # 10 - Track progress

Find and use an EASY system to track your job search.  The basic needs for an effective job search system include the following:  Application Date, Job Title, Original Advertisement, Contact Information, Follow-up date, Customized Application Cover Letter, and Customized Résumé

Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. Reprinted by permission of the author, Mary Salvino. “Career Matters” is a blog hosted by Mary Salvino, Senior Consultant for SMART Career Planning.com. This blog is dedicated to those who are seeking advice on managing their career and future job opportunities. We welcome readers to share their experiences, post their comments or ask questions about career related matters. For any questions or comments that are better addressed privately, please feel free to e-mail Mary directly at Mary.Salvino@shaw.ca

Job Seeking: Decisions! Decisions! Decisions!

 Even during these tough times of unemployment there comes a time in every job seeker’s life when he or she needs to make a decision with regard to his or her next career move.  Job seekers, like everyone else, are forced to make difficult decisions without much time to think about them.  The question then becomes, “What enduring principles can they rely upon to make choices that reflect their personal regard to openness, integrity and authenticity?”

Decision Traps:

Making the right decisions are critical. Those who fall into the category of may find difficulty in moving in one direction over another confidently.  Quite often there appears to be a direct correlation between their perceived risk and reward; the higher the stakes, the more likely job seekers are to get stuck.   It may be difficult to conceive of the idea that job seekers will be put on the position of having to make a choice between what appears to be opportunities, but it will happen, and a choice will have to be made, nonetheless.

Before making any important decisions, consider the following:

• Are you, as the job seeker, sure that the information you have received is accurate?
• Are you, as the job seeker, giving a disproportionate amount of weight to the information you have received?
• Have you, as the job seeker, performed a SWOT [Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats] analysis on the choices that need to be made?
• Have you factored both the best-case and worst-case scenario into your decision making process? 
• Can you, as the job seeker, ‘afford’ [mentally and financially] to maintain the status quo?
• Can you, as the job seeker, successfully ‘defend’ the decision you have made you by vetting it via a trusted friend?
• Do you, as the job seeker, find that new information continuously validates your existing point of view?

10 Principles to live by:

1. The only constant in life is change
2. Always challenge the status quo
3. The journey towards success is unrelenting but ultimately rewarding
4. Emotions are contagious; strive to never make a decision under duress
5. You need less than you think
6. You can do more than you think
7. Never stop trying, learning and growing
8. Take responsibility for ALL of your actions
9. Take care of yourself
10. Pay attention

Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. Reprinted by permission of the author, Mary Salvino. “Career Matters” is a blog hosted by Mary Salvino, Senior Consultant for SMART Career Planning.com. This blog is dedicated to those who are seeking advice on managing their career and future job opportunities. We welcome readers to share their experiences, post their comments or ask questions about career related matters. For any questions or comments that are better addressed privately, please feel free to e-mail Mary directly at Mary.Salvino@shaw.ca