Questionable Jobs

[Airea]

So I'm looking for a better job (current job is fun but part time stuff) and I've gotten some invitations to apply that sound just too good to be true. At the same time, I don't want to pass on what could be a cool opportunity. Anyone else come across this? How do you approach it?

[Honest Tiefling]

Ask around about the company, or at least find some info. Also, ask about insurance and stuff, which is a giant red flag in many cases. Might I ask why you are dubious about the position?

[Winter_Wolf]

Is the job offering really good money and/or perks but has a low bar for entry? Does the job description use or even imply verbiage like (nearly) "unlimited earning potential" or "be your own boss" or the laughable "flexible hours"? The job poster is probably savvy enough not to post "small fee required" or anythinftalong those lines. If you're seeing an ad that reads something like "do you like eating Doritos and slamming Mountain Dew?" You don't want to get involved in that. Trust me, you're wasting your time.

Basically if your gut is tellig you it seems to good to be true, maintain a high degree of suspicion toward it.

[Friv]

So I'm looking for a better job (current job is fun but part time stuff) and I've gotten some invitations to apply that sound just too good to be true. At the same time, I don't want to pass on what could be a cool opportunity. Anyone else come across this? How do you approach it?

Friendly, polite questions about the job in the job interview, which show your interest in the position and curiosity about its responsibilities and requirements. If the offer is legitimate and the job is good, they will appreciate your interest and think well of you. If the job is a bad job they're trying to cover up, they will get evasive or even just straight-up not call you back afterward.

(If the job is an outright scam, they'll just lie their butts off, but the solution to that is not to give any deposits, and only give banking information in the form of voided cheques.)

[Flickerdart]

Real jobs will have the following:

• Qualifications that are reasonably difficult to acquire; "18 or older and has driving license" is not a qualification.
• Finite listed job duties and an appropriate title. A salary range is not often advertised.
• Listed company that the job is for, with an office address and a website and everything.
• An interview process - usually a phone call or two followed by one or more visits to their office.
• Absolutely no "training fees" or "deposit" from you.

Who has invited you to apply? A friend? A professional recruiter from a recruiting firm? An employee of this company?

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Listed company that the job is for, with an office address and a website and everything.

Be aware that in certain markets, this is almost never true. The hiring will be performed by a staffing company, that will NOT reveal what company the job is for until the first interview. Some kind of "clue" about the company will be given, usually in the form of "leader of its sector" (as one of my BA teachers once said "every company is leader of their own sector"), and maybe some thing about their position in the stock market ("A Fortune 500 company") or size ("10,000 employees").

In fact, when I applied to my current job, the fact that the actual company name was included gave me pause.

GW

[GolemsVoice]

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't at least answer or have a chat with them. Just check them out beforehand, via internet, friends, whatever, and always remember to not agree to anything on the spot. Listen to what they have to tell you, and maybe talk about it afterwards with your parents, SO or whatever suits you.

Watch for the phrases Winter_Wolf mentioned, that's good advice, too. Also, be wary of "possible" income. Now, a master salesman for example, might be able to make a good living from various commissions and bonuses for product sold, but chances are you (and most people) won't.

[Karen Lynn]

Another thing that nobody mentioned is DON'T SIGN ANYTHING. There's a ****ty house painting/siding company that recruits college kids to prospect for exterior painting and in the "hiring event" has you sign a contract to work for them. Once you sign, you're boned.

[2D8HP]

Here's usually how to decide if a job is worth taking.

Does your potential bosses boss ultimately answer to voters (Is it a government job)?

If yes, proceed and do good.

If no, expect your soul to be darkened by evil nine jobs out of ten (they are good owners but they're vanishingly rare).

In general the less the chance of being killed or crippled from doing the job the more lying the employer wants you to do.

That's been my experience anyway.

[Starwulf]

Here's usually how to decide if a job is worth taking.

Does your potential bosses boss ultimately answer to voters (Is it a government job)?

If yes, proceed and do good.

If no, expect your soul to be darkened by evil nine jobs out of ten (they are good owners but they're vanishingly rare).

In general the less the chance of being killed or crippled from doing the job the more lying the employer wants you to do.

That's been my experience anyway.

That's....pretty much the opposite of what I've observed in my life. Government jobs are the ones that darken your soul, stoop your shoulders and weigh on your mind day in and day out. It's the jobs that aren't government based that are the ones you want. Government based one's just have more security(plus you can double dip that way, ie: Retire after 20-25 years, then get a job in the private sector while getting retirement checks from the government).

[2D8HP]

That's....pretty much the opposite of what I've observed in my life....

Funny, while I've been exposed to more lead and asbestos in my six years working for San Francisco than in a typical five years of working in the private sector, and while working in the jail and the autopsy room are not pleasent, at least I'm not ordered to lie to keep my job, like I often was be my infernal masters in the 25 years I worked in the private sector.

In my experience, exposure to evil is greater working for the government, but the requirement to do evil as a condition of employment was much greater in the private sector.

A few of the owners that I worked for were genuinely good men, but most? Liars and thieves.

[Starwulf]

Funny, while I've been exposed to more lead and asbestos in my six years working for San Francisco than in a typical five years of working in the private sector, and while working in the jail and the autopsy room are not pleasent, at least I'm not ordered to lie to keep my job, like I often was be my infernal masters in the 25 years I worked in the private sector.

In my experience, exposure to evil is greater working for the government, but the requirement to do evil as a condition of employment was much greater in the private sector.

A few of the owners that I worked for were genuinely good men, but most? Liars and thieves.

mmm, sounds like it's an area thing. I live in a fairly rural area, and even the surrounding "bigger"(I use that loosely, the nearest big city is only 100k population) area isn't exactly metropolitan. I think that has an effect on the type of people that own businesses. On the other hand, you live in San Fran...I can easily imagine the type of people that own businesses there, LOL.

[2D8HP]

mmm, sounds like it's an area thing. I live in a fairly rural area, and...

My gut tells me that you're probably right, and maybe who are better employers is reversed for metropolitan and rural areas.

I'd be curious what others have experienced.

What's the O.P.'s job history been like?

[Airea]

So far it's friendly emails.

My skill is in diplomatic handling, office work, and management. It's a real field but the pay is middling (I'm researching graduate degrees now to increase my wages later). Two emails offered much higher wages then the norm, not that the work isn't real, but if nothing else it makes me wonder who for. Or if it's real. Normally I only apply to ones I check out first. Glassdoor helps.

[Herobizkit]

I'd research the company and see if they've ever had any complaints issued to the Better Business Bureau.

There are also very vocal (and privately managed) message boards that talk about various large companies. See if you can find some employee anecdotes... bring your grains of salt with you to take. :)

[Lonely Tylenol]

The offer was too good to be true, but came with a late-introduced caveat that I simply wasn't able to afford to comply with, so I turned it down.

Then the offer turned out to be true, and even though I know I made the sensible decision, I still kick myself about it years later when things like this pop up.