Safe job search tips
Don’t forget to research whether an employer is the right fit for you.
By Mike Ward
From everything you’ve heard about finding a job, it’s always been about what an employer is looking for in a prospective employee: Do you have enough experience? Is your schedule flexible enough? Is your rust bucket of a car going to be able to make the commute back and forth all summer?
Well, did you ever stop and ask yourself whether an employer is right for you? If you’re a vegan, are you comfortable flipping burgers? If you’re a night owl, do you really think you can wake up to open the diner by 5 a.m.? If your family or friends have you warned about a dishonest, unscrupulous employer, will you listen?
Whether it’s the first or final step in your job search, it’s a good idea to conduct your own background check on a company, especially if it is unfamiliar to you or your family. After all, employers run job applicants through a very rigorous screening process. Shouldn’t you do the same?
Here is a helpful checklist to go through when deciding if an employer is a good match for you:
Do your homework: Check with the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) to see if any complaints have been registered against a company you’re interested in. If so, investigate the nature of these complaints. Even if they don’t specifically relate to staff treatment, do you really want to work at a place where customers have cause to frequently gripe?
Exercise caution with work from home opportunities: These jobs are a great match for some job seekers, whether they’re stay-at-home moms or someone looking to take on a second job. And while SnagAJob.com features some of these work from home opportunities on our website, we caution all job seekers to read the full terms and conditions before pursuing these opportunities – that includes the fine print! Some of these jobs require you to make initial investments or perform other tasks that aren’t normally associated with traditional jobs; be sure this is something you’re comfortable with before pursuing these opportunities.
Get a little help from your friends (and family): We find that many SnagAJob.com job seekers have been referred by family and friends who’ve successfully landed jobs with our help. Make sure to ask them about what made their job search experience so positive – and be sure to pass on your SnagAJob.com experiences to family and friends, as well. We greatly appreciate it!
Be protective of personal info: Never give out passwords, social security numbers, and other personal or financial information to someone sending you an email, even if the person or company sending the email has a familiar name. Also, do not respond to, and immediately delete, any suspicious emails. If a suspicious email contains an attachment or file, do not open it. Read more about security precautions.
At SnagAJob.com, we place great importance on ensuring that all our jobs are safe and credible opportunities. But with more than 100,000 jobs currently on our site – a total that grows daily – we also welcome our job seekers’ questions and comments about the employment opportunities advertised through our website. We’ll look into these issues and respond as soon as possible. SnagAJob.com closely follows all job seeker feedback to identify patterns of complaints and take any needed action with employers. Click here to contact SnagAJob.com.
Good luck in your job search. Landing a job is an exciting reward for your hard work and patience. By conducting a safe and responsible job search, you’ll ensure that there won’t be any unpleasant surprises.
About the author
Mike Ward is the Senior Online Editor for SnagAJob.com, America's largest hourly job website. SnagAJob.com features more than 100,000 active job postings in industries including: restaurant, retail, hospitality, homecare and more. With SnagAJob.com’s quick ZIP code search, you can easily find and apply to part-time, full-time and seasonal jobs right around the corner – without ever leaving home. They'll even email you new job alerts. SnagAJob.com also has job tips to help you land your dream gig and thrive on the job. It's all free – and they're open 24/7.