This is the second of the two main ways to verify the reliability of a job vacancy or post.
Another way to identify fake or not real job vacancies and posts is through the job description, which is usually part of the content of the job post or vacancy (more details on the job description are provided in section 3.1 in Module 3Link opens in a new window).
This section will go through the main indicators you need to look for to tell if the job is fake or not real:
⚠️Potentially fake jobs or scams:
The job title and job description are very broad and generic.
Explanation: Fake job and fake employers and scammers, often rely on generic job titles which people search for and do not provide details on what the requirements for the job are. They also provide unclear company details or names.
✅Reliable job posts:
These will provide details on the job the are hiring for. Including: Who the manager it, what are the job requirements, what are the tasks that will be required to be done by the employee, what are the qualification and specification required for someone to apply for this job.
In addition, reliable and trustworthy employers would provide clear company information name and details that you can easily verify online.
⚠️Potentially fake jobs or scams:
The job description asks you to send personal information that is not your CV or Cover letter for example bank account details.
Explanation: Some fake jobs, fake employers or scammer, ask you to send personal details that are not required for the job application process, like your ID number, or your bank details.
✅Reliable job posts:
Reliable employers never ask you to share personal details that are not related to the job you are applying for, when you are applying for a job. They might ask you for those details later ONLY if they decide to give you the job and you accepted, in order to set up your employee record.
⚠️Potentially fake jobs or scams:
The job description states that the process of applying for a job requires you to pay a small fee.
Explanation: Some fake jobs, fake employers or scammers, will use a job vacancy or post with the aim of getting money from you. They do this sometimes by saying that if you want to apply for this job you need to first pay a small fee.
✅Reliable job posts:
Reliable employers and well-know and reliable recruitment websites will never ask you to pay a small fee in order to get details and apply for a job vacancy or post.
⚠️Potentially fake jobs or scams:
The job application process asks you to send an email or a Whatsapp to a general email like @gmail, @yahoo or @hotmail instead of a company email.
Explanation: Sometimes fake employers will pretend that they have a company or organisation that is hiring but what they really want is to collect contact information; so they will ask you to contact them on general free emails or Whatsapp.
✅Reliable job posts:
Reliable employers and well-know and reliable recruitment websites use company or organisation emails not free emails like Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail; or Whatsapp numbers.
Although this is a general rule, there are exceptions to this where if the person owns a small business or requires a short-term job they might ask you to use their Whatsapp or a general email. In which case, you will have to be extra careful where you share your information, and try to get as much details as possible about the job.
⚠️Potentially fake jobs or scams:
The salary or pay for the job is quite high compared to what the job requires you do.
Explanation: Some scammers and fake employers will try to get your information by offering you large amounts of money for the job. If you see a job where you think it should pay X amount for what is required to be done, but the employer is offering 2*X or higher, then the job is probably fake.
It goes back to the saying at the start of this module (Module 7Link opens in a new window), if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
✅Reliable job posts:
Reliable employers and well-know and reliable recruitment websites usually have a budget and a benchmark of what salaries they can pay for specific jobs, and they are usually within the market range for such roles.
