If you’re currently looking for work and have recruiters sliding into your emails left right and centre, you need to make sure you are asking the right questions to make sure they are legit and the job role they are recruiting for exists.
Unfortunately, some scammers pose as recruiters so they can access your personal information. Sometimes scammers are difficult to spot as they often use information from real companies but there are some signs you can pick up on to avoid falling for the scam.
- Fake emails - Make sure emails are from a business email address rather than a free e-mail account like Gmail or Hotmail
- Being asked for money upfront - When discussing job opportunities, you should NOT be asked for any kind of payment before being submitted for the job role
- Not knowing the job description - Recruiters should always be knowledgeable in the job they are offering to you, if they fail to answer your questions or miss out on the finer details this should ring alarm bells
- Too good to be true - Look out for fake jobs that seem too good to be true as scammers will try to make the job offer as enticing as possible
- Offering high salaries - Look out for recruiters offering a high salary that is 50-100% above the average rate. If the salary seems too good to be true it’s worth questioning
- No interview being offered - If you are offered a job without an interview – be cautious.
How to know if the recruitment agency is legit?
Make sure you are asking the right questions when discussing a role. Good questions to ask if you suspect you are being targeted by a scam:
- Have you placed any previous candidates with this client?
- Can you tell me about the company’s culture?
- What opportunities are there for growth within this role?
- Can you tell me more about the role?
- How long has the company been operating/trading? Make sure you confirm this by looking online
Legitimate recruitments agencies will always invest time and effort into their recruitment process. Although sometimes if the role is confidential, they might not be able to tell you everything but will be able to answer the majority of your questions.
Make sure you check their LinkedIn profile – this can be a huge indicator as to whether they are legitimate or not. If they have an incomplete profile and not many connections this could be a warning sign.
If you’re looking for some career guidance, then have a chat with one of our impartial careers advisers who can help point you in the right direction. Phone our team on 01634 383636 or send them an
