Job Search Scam Tip Free Doesnt Mean Its Not a Scam

Job Search Scam Tip Free Doesnt Mean Its Not a ScamJob Search Scam Tip Free Doesnt Mean Its Not a ScamEarn $5,000 a month working from homeGet paid to work from home No experience necessaryJob scams are something that almost every job seeker has to contend with at some point during their career. And if youre looking for a work-from-home job, it can seem that the Internet is inundated with job postings that are pretending to be actual listings, but are really just bogus posts from would-be scammers.For the most part, people recognize these overly enthusiastic, exclamation-pointed posts as a kompetenz job search scam. They also know one of the biggest signs of a job scam is being asked to fork over your hard-won money in order to get hired. But thats where it can get tricky.In an article on The Balance, How to Tell If a Job Is a Scam, it states the following Do not pay money- for anything. Dont send money for work at home directories, advice on getting hired, company information or for anything else related to a job.This is true- to an extent. You shouldnt have to pay upfront in the hopes of getting hired, nor should you have to hand out your Social Security number, bank account info, or any other private information to a potential employer, especially when you havent gone through the hiring process (i.e., rounds of job interviews, submitting recommendations, and so on). Those whorequire this information tend to be job scams, but that said, there are also many legitimate job-related sites and services out there that are not scams.These three points should be taken into consideration when evaluatingany potentialjob search scamYou might have to spend money on your job search. Having to shell out money, especially when youre not working, can be particularly painful. But there are times when you might need to make a financial investment in your job search, such as resume coaching orheadhunting.You might even seek out the services of a career counselor, invest in job search books, orpay for niche job market sites (like ). These, and others, are geared towards helping people improve their chances of finding, landing, and enjoying a joband many of these resources cost money. From a job seeker perspective, its money well-spent if it helps improve your job search experience and helps you find work.Dont dismiss it simply because there is a fee, and instead evaluate each situation on its own merit.Just because itsfree does NOTmean its safe.The unfortunate truth is that on most free job sites, there are job scams, too-good-to-be-true business opportunities, and junk ads mixed in with the job listings or in the paid ads in the sidebar. Many of the scams pose as free opportunities, with the intention of getting your personal information for identity fraud or credit card theft. You may never pay a cent, but you could totenstill lose a lot.Do some research. Before you even contact the person listed on the job posting, you should do your research. Check out the organization on the Better Business Bureaus website to see if it isa) legit and b) hasany complaints filed against it. If its a company that youre not entirely familiar with, you should do your due diligence online and see what information is out there in the form of the companys website and social media presence. (If the company has neither, it could be a sign that the company is not real.) You can even Google the companys name and the du sagst es scam to see if anything comes up.While The Balance article poses some good points, it might have been better to say, Do not pay to get hired, because thats always true. Legitimate employers will neverask applicants to pay in order to get hired for the job. Similarly, anyone who promises to get you hired should be viewed pretty skeptically, and you should always do your research on the company. Although you might decide to make a financial investment in your job search and career, it should essentially never be to pay an employer to h ire you.Jennifer Parris contributed to this post.