Being out of work—or in a job that is stressful and unfulfilling—can lead you to grab the first opportunity that comes along. Some of those opportunities are scams, intended to catch people exactly like you who are buckling under the weight of an unsuccessful job search.
Some signs of employment scams are universal: you are asked to pay money for services or give up private information (such as your credit card or social security number). Employment scams that are longer in duration are sometimes harder to catch: you are told you are in the running, the offer is imminent, and the money they ask for will be refunded as soon as you start work.
Legitimate Job Search and Placement Companies
Legitimate job search and placement companies:
- Never ask for money in advance.
- Never pressure you to sign a contract.
- Never give confusing answers over who will pay them for their services.
- Are clear about whether you are getting general counseling, information that is available for free elsewhere (for example, that company ABC has jobs listed on their website), or a genuine interview with a genuine company.
You should always check out a company before you work with them to make sure that they—and the online reviews about them—are not a scam. You can check with your state consumer protection agency, Attorney General’s office, or other people who have used their services.
Legitimate Resume Writers
Legitimate resume writers will:
- Have certifications from professional organizations—you can check with the certifying organization to make sure that the certification claim is legitimate.
- Tell you their prices and services up front—professional resumes cost money, but 66% of recruiters indicated they would offer a higher salary after reading a professionally written resume.
- Take the time to interview you, so they know the challenges, accomplishments, and successes of your past career as well as exactly what you are looking for in the future.
- Know the job market, share advice, and pick the format and content that will work best with the types of hiring managers and recruiters you want to attract.
Resume mills will review your resume and then merely send it through a grammar and spell check that you can use yourself. They never take the time to interview you, but merely move around whatever rough version of your resume you give them to make it “look” professional. They will charge you less than legitimate resume writers, but the results will make no difference to your job hunt.
Are you looking for a legitimate and successful coaching and resume writing service with decades of experience helping job seekers achieve their dreams? Look no further: reach out to Robin’s Resumes® today.