Jobs Search Tips: 5 Tips For Safe Online Job Search

There are so many benefits of accessing the internet if we started counting them one by one we will never get to the last one. One advantage though is the fact that you can do your jobs search any where including in a Matatu while going about your business.

Recent surveys show that over 50% of job seekers use mobile phones to access job sites in Kenya which then means that 50% of jobs search are done online. Dropping papers physically in an office may look old fashioned and tiring but it has its own advantages in that you can tell the person you are dealing with unlike online jobs applications.

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Here are 5 Tips For A Safe Online Jobs Search

1. Avoid jobs that are advertised with non official emails

Muthoni Ndegwa a Recruitment Manager at Corporate Staffing Services says that most companies use their official email addresses for job applications, she therefore warns job seekers against applying for jobs that direct them to a Gmail or Yahoo accounts in their jobs search process.

Examples of such emails include personal addresses e.g. johnpeter2017@gmail.com or one that mimics a real company’s email address e.g. johnpeter@safaricom.com.

2. Exaggerated Jobs Salaries

When conducting a jobs search be ware of jobs with exaggerated Jobs Salaries. This mostly happens with jobs that are targeting entry level jobs seekers and the common jobs in the market e.g Accounts and administration. You find a 1 year administration position advertising a salary range of 200-250k.

These jobs also tend to come from prestigious organizations especially NGOs and multinationals because the scammers are well aware that most job seekers are attracted by such companies.

Read Also: What Salary Should You Quote in Entry Level Jobs?

3. Charging Interview Fees

If in your jobs search process you come across an employer who is charging to interview you then do not bother following up.  There is no professional employer who should be charging any fee to interview you. Also do not be fooled by the scammer when they tell you that the money is supposed to be for medical or lab tests.

Muthoni advises that, if the interviewer requires a lab test done on you go and have it done by a medical practitioner in a government facility and carry the results with you.

4. Another jobs search tip – The job has grammatical & spelling errors.

Most of these job descriptions are not done by professionals and if you are keen you will notice that they have so many grammatical errors. Others include job descriptions that do not match the jobs titles for example an Accounts Assistant job title which has HR duties and responsibilities.

5. A recruiter who offers you the job immediately without verifying your work experience

If you find an employer who is too eager to give you a job you just applied for without even carrying out an interview, be cautious. Another way to tell if a job is a scam is if the employer does not ask for references which is off as credible employers will always want to speak to your referees to verify your previous work experience.

Looking for a job especially in the current job market can be frustrating, but you must be cautious to avoid being scammed. If you are not sure about a company and the job they have advertised you can visit their website to verify the same.

The writer is a Communications Officer at Corporate Staffing Services, a leading Recruitment firm that offers CV Writing, Job Placement & Career Advice. Email florence@corporatestaffing.co.ke