Avoiding fraudsters when applying for jobs online
Uploading your CV publicly
For many people, applying for jobs can feel like a minefield and it could be tempting to simply upload your CV to a public site and hope that employers contact you.
Employment and Training Advisor Rob Friday, has warned of the dangers of doing this. He said: "It's a double-edged sword. It could present you with opportunities from legitimate employers, but it could also open you up to those who don’t have your best interests at heart.”
Job scams and employment fraud is on the rise, so keeping yourself safe online is extremely important.
Keeping your personal information such as your postal address and your date of birth off of your CV will help to protect you from online scams.
To get help writing your CV, you can get in contact with the Employment and Skills Team by clicking here and filling out the referral form.
Applying for jobs online
Job scams can take many forms – from secretly being a Multi-Level Marketing scheme, to salary scams where the scammers use the information you’ve provided to steal money from your bank account.
How can you tell if an advert, or even a job you’ve been offered, is a scam?
Rob recommends that you do some research about the company, before you apply to work for them. This’ll help you to see if you’re a good fit for the role and you can determine if it’s a genuine job advertisement.
Rob said: “Reviews from previous employees can be found on sites like Glassdoor or Indeed, and they can be really enlightening.
If you’re worried about the legitimacy of a job advertisement, it’s worth checking out Safer Jobs. This website gives a wide range of advice including job boards and recruitment agencies who are committed to stopping employment fraud.
For further advice and tips, please contact the Employment and Skills Team who’ll be happy to help you. You can call 0800 111 4013 or fill out our self-referral form.