Advance Your Career Archives - Page 49 of 125

Over 40 & Struggling To Get Hired? Follow These Job Search Tips…

March 27, 2023

If you are over 40, have a big skill set, and are struggling to get hired, you’ve come to the right place. I work with thousands of people who have big skill sets and can’t get hired. What’s going on? What can you do to stand out in the hiring process and land a job?

When you’re networking and interviewing as a seasoned professional, you’re probably giving employers the wrong impression because you’re sitting there telling them all your skills, all the things you can do for them, and making it sound like you’re a Jack or Jill of all trades. And while you think that’s what they want to hear because you’re thinking, “I’m the best bang for the buck,” that’s not what they’re hearing. What they’re hearing is that you’re narcissistic. You’re a know-it-all. You’re going to be difficult to work with, and you’re probably going to leave for more money anyway.

Employers don’t want that headache.

Now, here’s how you fix that…

Best Tips For Job Seekers Over 40

@j.t.odonnell Replying to @luvmy2goldens over 40 job search tips! #over40 #over50 #careeradvice #jobsearch #interviewtips â¬ original sound – J.T. O’Donnell

1. Ask, don’t tell.

You want to listen twice as much as you talk in your interviews. The way you do that is by asking great questions.

Examples:

How does this job support your work?
What about your work is keeping you up at night?
What would I need to do in this job to make your life easier?

You really want to get at their pain point and how the job supports them. But you’re also sending a message, and that message is, “I get it. I’m the service provider. You’re the customer, You’re the leader. And I’m going to make sure that you’re happy.” That’s the mindset they need to hear.

2. Make it clear that it’s an equitable partnership.

By “equitable partnership” I mean you need to point out all the things they have to offer that you really want because you don’t want them worrying that you might leave. You need to talk about the skills you’ll be able to develop there, the knowledge you’ll gain, and the opportunities you’ll have that you won’t have anywhere else. You need to hype them up and say, “You have so much to offer me here. This is the place I want to be. You are at top of my bucket list. This is the place I want to spend years at.” And you’ve got to make them see that as well.

Between asking great questions so you’re not overselling yourself and also making employers realize that they’re exactly what you want, that’s how you’re going to get the results that you’re looking for. Those are my best tips for job seekers over 40. Give them a try.

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Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

6 Basics You Should Know Before Considering a Career in Accounting

March 26, 2023

While it may not sound like the most exciting job (to some, at least), being an accountant comes with a wide range of perks. For one, the job is in high demand as more people turn to entrepreneurship and solopreneurship. Plus, the job market for accounting professionals is expected to continue growing in the coming […]

The post 6 Basics You Should Know Before Considering a Career in Accounting appeared first on Jobacle.com.

Summary Sunday: Issue #514

March 26, 2023

During times of uncertainty, we all need to take steps to prepare for what comes next – even if we don’t know exactly what that is. In this week’s summary, you’ll find articles that will help you get ready for a possible job search or improve what you are currently doing in your job search. […]

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How To Correctly Follow Up After An Interview

March 24, 2023

How you communicate with employers after an interview is an important, but often understated, step in the interview process. Most of the career advice surrounding job interviews discusses how to land an interview, and what to do when you get one.

We’re here to help you in that difficult (and sometimes lonely!) stage after a job interview when you’re not sure where you stand in the employer’s eyes.

Here are two ways you should follow up with an employer after a job interview:

1. Send A Thank-You Note

This piece of job search advice is common. Yet, executing a good thank-you note is harder than it looks.

You should send a thank-you note to a potential employer within 24 hours after your job interview. And, since the hiring manager is probably really busy, it’s best to send an email, not a handwritten note.

In your note, it’s not enough just to say “thank you.” You should also explain why you’re thankful for the opportunity to interview at the company. Mention specific details from the interview if you canâabout the company, meeting members of the team, and the position itself.

During the interview, make it a goal to remember the names of everyone you shake hands with. Then, you can drop the names of the people you met in your thank-you note.

This will show the employer that you pay attention to the details and have already connected with the people at the company you’d be working with if you get the job.

Lastly, end your thank-you note by reiterating why you believe you’d be a great fit for the job, and express your excitement about the opportunity to work there.

A well-written and thoughtful thank-you note like this will definitely stand out to hiring managers.

2. Send A Follow-Up Email

After you send your thank-you note, the waiting begins.

It’s in your best interest to follow up one to two weeks after your interview. The only exception is if the employer gives you a certain time frame of when to expect to hear back from them. If given a time frame, don’t follow up before then.

When you do decide to follow up with an employer, a short, concise email is the way to go.

Ask if there’s anything else the hiring manager needs from you. Reiterate your excitement for the opportunity. And finally, close the email with a forward-looking statement, and another “thank you.”

Communication with a potential employer after a job interview is an integral part of the hiring process. You don’t want to annoy them, but you need to convey your enthusiasm and excitement for the opportunity at the same time.

By following up in these two ways, you’ll stand out as an eager and proactive applicant, one with communication skills that will help you shine in any position.

Need more help with your job search?

Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

This article was originally published at an earlier date

Finding The Right Match When It Comes To Inclusive Employment

March 23, 2023

Location matters As Forbes notes,Â hybrid working is here to stayÂ – and that means that location matters. Employees need to work in cities that have good inclusivity, for instance on matters concerning disability – cities with poor public infrastructure, inadequate social support networks, and expensive healthcare will represent a bad deal.Â Conversely, some of the bestÂ U.S. cities […]

The post Finding The Right Match When It Comes To Inclusive Employment appeared first on Jobacle.com.

How To Show Integrity In The Workplace (Plus Examples)

March 23, 2023

Understanding integrity in the workplace is important for a couple of reasons: First, it can help you put your best foot forward and be a model employee. And second, you might be asked to share your personal definition during a job interview! This guide goes over what integrity is in a workplace setting and gives […]

The post How To Show Integrity In The Workplace (Plus Examples) appeared first on Career Sherpa.

Program Management vs. Project Management: What’s The Difference?

March 23, 2023

If you are confused about the differences between project and program management, don’t worry, you are not alone. Many people use these terms interchangeably, but they are two methods organizations use to oversee projects and achieve business objectives. Although project and program management are interrelated, each plays a unique role in handling projects and has different objectives. Let’s start by first defining what we mean by each term.

Project management is the process of planning, executing, monitoring, and closing a specific project within a defined time frame, budget, and scope. A project is a temporary endeavor that produces a unique product, service, or result. Examples of projects are developing a new software application, launching a marketing campaign, or building a bridge.

Program management coordinates and aligns multiple related projects with a common goal or benefit. A program is a group of projects that are interdependent or complementary to each other. Examples of programs are implementing a new business strategy, improving customer satisfaction, or expanding into new markets.

Project Management: The Benefits, Challenges, Best Practices, & Tools for Success

Ok, now that we have defined each term, let’s compare and contrast each of these disciplines in terms of their benefits, challenges, best practices, and tools. We’ll begin with project management.

Benefits of project management:

Improved efficiency and effectiveness in delivering project outcomes.
Enhanced communication and collaboration among project team members and stakeholders.
Reduced risks and uncertainties associated with project execution.
Increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Challenges of project management:

Managing multiple tasks and dependencies within a project.
Balancing competing demands for scope, time, cost, and quality.
Dealing with changes and issues that arise during project execution.
Ensuring alignment of project objectives with organizational strategy.

Best practices for project management:

Defining clear and realistic project goals and scope.
Developing a detailed project plan that covers all aspects of project delivery.
Establishing a robust governance structure that defines roles, responsibilities, and decision-making authority.
Monitoring and controlling project performance using appropriate metrics and tools.
Closing the project by ensuring all deliverables are accepted, and lessons learned are documented.

Tools for project management:

Project charter: A document that formally authorizes a project and defines its objectives, scope, stakeholders, assumptions, and constraints.
Work breakdown structure (WBS): A hierarchical decomposition of the project scope into manageable deliverables.
Gantt chart: A graphical representation of the project schedule that shows the start and finish dates of each activity.
Risk register: A log that identifies potential risks that may affect the project outcomes along with their probability, impact, and mitigation strategies.

Program Management: The Benefits, Challenges, Best Practices, & Tools For Success

Let’s now go through the benefits, challenges, best practices, and tools for program management. You will now see the similarities and differences between project and program management.

Benefits of program management:

Provides a holistic view of the program’s progress, performance, and outcomes.
Enables better decision-making based on real-time data and insights.
Facilitates communication and collaboration across project teams and stakeholders.
Simplifies resource allocation and prioritization across projects.
Enhances quality assurance and risk mitigation at the program level.

Challenges of program management:

Requires a high level of leadership skills and stakeholder engagement.
Involves managing multiple scopes, schedules, budgets, and deliverables simultaneously.
Demands a flexible and adaptive approach to deal with changes and uncertainties.
Entails a more significant amount of documentation and compliance requirements.

Best practices of program management:

Define a clear vision and scope for the program that aligns with the organizational strategy.
Establish a robust governance structure that defines the program’s roles, responsibilities, processes, and standards.
Develop a comprehensive program plan that covers all aspects of the program lifecycle: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure.
Implement effective communication strategies that keep all stakeholders informed and engaged throughout the program.
Monitor and control the program’s performance using key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics that measure progress, quality, and value.

Tools of program management are:

Online program management software that can help coordinate the management of multiple projects in real time, such as Wrike or Asana. These tools allow program managers to create program governance groups, assign and schedule work for project teams, track and visualize project interdependencies, and generate reports and dashboards for analysis.
Gantt charts can help break down programs into phases and drill into their project components to the task level. These tools allow program managers to use real-time data as input for their decision-making process, which is a program management best practice.

Project Management vs. Program Management: Which Is Right For You And Your Organization?

Project management and program management are different but related processes that help organizations achieve their desired outcomes through the effective initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure of various initiatives.

Each process has its benefits, challenges, best practices, and tools that require different skills, knowledge, and competencies from the managers involved.

Improving organizational performance requires professionals to understand the differences between these processes and apply them appropriately relative to the nature, scale, and complexity of the company’s strategic initiatives.

For detailed information about project and program management, please visit the Project Management Institute website to learn how to become a certified practitioner in these areas, join a local chapter, and much more.

P.S. If you like this article, check out this previous article in the series that explains the difference between digital transformation and change management.

10 Mistakes That Can Ruin Any Interview

March 23, 2023

Your cover letter and resume have made a positive impression on a potential employer, and they’ve called you in for an interview. Now, you need to ensure the employer stays impressed with you and your potential in their organization.

There’s an old saying first impressions countâand there’s no better instance of the truth to this than the impressions made during a job interview. A variety of factors are in effect. It may include the way you are dressed, how you communicate, your personality, and a number of other considerations.

It takes a lot to develop a positive impression, and very little to leave one that does not work in your favor during a job interview.

Here are 10 common mistakes that can ruin any job interview (if you’re not careful):

1. Arriving Late

Everyone’s time is valuable. Show respect and do not waste other people’s time.

Of course, sometimes things pop up and cause unexpected delays. Try to plan ahead so you don’t arrive late. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the interview location. Make sure you have an outfit ready the night before, so you’re not scrambling five minutes before you’re supposed to be heading out the door.

If there is an unexpected delay, at the very least, give a call to apologize and inform your contact of your expected arrival time.

2. Jumping Into The Discussion Of Pay And Benefits

There will be a time for this discussionâgenerally not in the first interview, unless the employer brings it up themselves. You do not want to appear as though all you care about is, “What’s in it for me?”

At the same time, approaching the topic of salary is especially risky. You may end up putting yourself in a position where you are asked to present a desired salary and fall under what the company hadn’t anticipated. Learn more about the position and conduct research before going into the salary discussion.

3. Answering Your Phone

Show respect by letting your employer know this interview is more important than any call, text, or notification. Turn off your cell phone. If you forget and it rings, apologize and turn it off.

4. Talking Badly About Your Previous Or Current Employer

Regardless of the reality of the situation, never talk badly about your current or previous employer(s). It brings to question if you will do the same with this potential employer in the future.

If they ask why you are leaving your current job, be honest, take ownership of the situation, and focus on the future.

5. Being Brief, Hiding From Questions, Or Talking Too Much

Just as you want to learn about the employer, the employer wants to learn about you. At the same time, you don’t want to be the only one talking throughout the interview. You also don’t want to be too brief with your answers. You’ll come off as unenthusiastic and uninterested in the position.

Learn to listen and have a balanced conversation where you both have a chance to receive information and ask questions.

6. Not Asking Questions

Regardless of how thorough the interview discussion is, when asked, “Do you have any questions for me?” always have a question. Preferably two or three.

When you do not have a question, it may come across as though you are not sincerely interested in the opportunity.

7. Dressing Inappropriately

Your appearance includes not just what you wear but how you groom yourself. Employers will not be impressed with a sloppy appearance. You need to appear and dress the part of what is expected of the position.

We recommend dressing one level up from the employees who work at the company. If the workplace culture is casual, wear something that’s business casual. You should look like you want the job, while also appearing like you’d fit in.

8. Being Unprepared

Conduct research so you have at least a general sense of the type of business the company is in and what the position you are applying for is about. The hiring manager will know right away whether or not you’re clueless about the job you applied for.

With thorough research, you will be able to better tailor your questions and answers during the job interview.

9. Lying

False information can lead to immediate disqualification and exemplify your weaknesses. You will most likely be blacklisted by the company, too.

Lying on your resume or during a job interview is never a good idea.

10. Being Inattentive

Carefully listen to what the interviewer is saying and show you are attentive. You do not want to appear disinterested and come off as inattentive. It is not a desirable characteristic for any position.

If you’re not interested in them, they won’t be interested in you.

Most candidates will only receive one opportunity to make a good impression. Make sure the one you leave is as positive as possible by avoiding these 10 common mistakes during your next interview.

Need more help with your job search?

Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Are You Running Or Leading Your Company? (Intent Doesnât Count)

March 22, 2023

I was excited to catch up for some coffee with a CEO friend of mine at their request. We had met a month or so ago when they were really âstuckâ at taking steps to prepare for the future while also preserving the company during the current uncertainty.

We talked about the importance of strategy, an action plan, resources, skills, and incentives to accomplish what she wanted to do. She actually seemed lifted up out of a fog when we finished. In fact, as we departed our last meeting, she said, âThanks for hearing me out and helping me clarify what steps to take, and how to make choices with ROI in mind. I cannot wait to meet with my leadership team in a couple of days to discuss. They will be thrilled that we are finally taking action.â It was almost like she knew she was holding them back.

As we sat down with our coffee she immediately jumped in with how she had wanted to meet with her team and start to figure out their strategy and so on but can you believe this banking situation? How she and the team had been discussing it and the same with her key clients and so on. She went on to explain how she had been consumed by and before she went much further, I SMILED. Her face turned red and she said, âWhat is so funny?”

“I thought you banked with J.P. Morgan Chase bank?”

She said, “Yeah, I do. We switched to them a couple of years ago so we are in great banking shape and they are going to be fine, and wow, thank god I do because can you imagineâ¦”

I put my hand up.

I asked her, “What is holding you back from attacking the game plan we discussed a month ago?”

As she dropped her head, she said, âI know, I know. I just have never had to do it before and wonder if I am up to the task or not.â

Look… Intention isnât good enough as a CEO and/or business owner. Action trumps it.

I also realized that as an executive coach and facilitator, maybe I was playing a role in this and because she is a friend, I had a blind spot so I stepped back myself and thought further about how to help her move forward in a more confident way.

Here are my thoughts that I shared with her and will share with any/all CEOs of SMBs that are wondering what is the best way to proceed.

First and foremost, just because you are the CEO doesnât mean you have to be in the driver’s seat behind the steering wheel for everything. It is worth considering having a professional facilitator who knows your space or works with companies of your size and scale.

I would be asking myself the following questions to decide how to proceed:

Do I lead it or have it facilitated or are there other CEOs I could connect with in my market?
How will I measure ROI?

Facilitator Considerations

Facilitators bring an outside perspective: A facilitator can offer a fresh perspective on your organization and its priorities. They are not bound by the same biases or assumptions as your team and can help you identify blind spots or areas for improvement.

Facilitators can help manage group dynamics: When a group is trying to prioritize initiatives, there can be a lot of competing opinions and emotions. A skilled facilitator can help manage these dynamics, ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard and that the discussion stays on track.

Facilitators can bring structure to the process: Prioritization discussions can quickly become overwhelming and unproductive if there is no clear structure in place. A facilitator can help design and facilitate a process that is efficient, effective, and aligned with your organization’s goals.

Facilitators can help drive consensus: It’s important that your leadership team is aligned around your organization’s priorities. A facilitator can help drive consensus and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Of course, bringing in a facilitator comes with a cost, and may not be necessary for every organization. However, if you feel that your leadership team could benefit from an outside perspective, or if you’re struggling to make progress on prioritization discussions, it may be worth considering.

Peer Advisory Groups – There are several of them in every market place so exploring the right fit for you takes some time but is well worth it. I wish that when I was a CEO someone gave me that advice! When you join a CEO peer advisory group you will be working with a group of people who are demonstrably committed to learningâpeople who dedicate significant time, effort, and money to being regularly challenged by their peers, speakers, and chairsâall in the service of becoming better leaders and better people. It doesnât get much better than that. It is the only safe, confidential space for business owners and CEOs to validate their decisions, recognize gaps in their thinking, or gain new exciting ideas they didnât think of on their own.

Measuring ROI

$Patrick Lencioni\u2019s Six Geniuses$

When a CEO is deciding to prioritize certain projects over others, it is important to measure the return on investment (ROI) of each project to ensure that the projects being pursued will have a positive impact on the organization. In my experience, I would ensure my finance lead or CFO (depending on org size) had this responsibility. The two of us would talk it over and they would help me decide how best to measure the ROI. Below are some things to consider.

Define the goal: The CEO should define the desired outcome of each project, such as increased revenue or improved efficiency.

Estimate costs: The CEO should estimate the costs associated with each project, including both direct and indirect costs, such as labor, materials, and equipment.

Forecast benefits: The CEO should forecast the potential benefits of each project, such as increased revenue, improved customer satisfaction, or reduced costs.

Calculate ROI: The CEO should calculate the ROI of each project by dividing the projected benefits by the estimated costs. This will provide a percentage that indicates the potential return on investment.

Prioritize projects: The CEO should prioritize the projects with the highest ROI to ensure that resources are allocated to projects that are most likely to generate a positive return.

Monitor progress: The CEO should monitor the progress of each project and adjust priorities as needed based on actual results.

When you are ready (note the prep work below), I would bring your team together and ask them the three most powerful words outside of I LOVE YOUâ¦

I need help.

Set clear goals and expectations: Before you can prioritize tasks, you need to have a clear understanding of what your goals are. Take some time to articulate what you want your team to achieve and communicate those goals clearly to your team.

Define what is important: Know the big from the small and you will have to learn to be aggressively patient. (Move fast on some things, slow on others.) Once you have your goals, it’s important to determine what tasks or projects are critical to achieving them. Make a list of these items and share them with your team.

Collaborate with your team: It’s important to involve your team in the prioritization process. Hold a meeting or brainstorming session where everyone can contribute ideas on what should be prioritized. Encourage open and honest communication to ensure that all perspectives are heard.

Assign ownership: Once you’ve prioritized your tasks, assign ownership to specific team members. This will help ensure that everyone knows what they’re responsible for and that the work is distributed evenly. This is one of the most important steps in all of this because it establishes buy-in.

As a side note, I would also suggest looking at Patrick Lencioniâs new Working Genius tool (see image above) because it does an amazing job helping you and your leadership team identify your gifts as individuals and as a team. You will quickly see where maybe certain team members’ gifts are not being leveraged. Great story in Chief Executive magazine.

When you have total alignment it requires preparation and planning but, done well, you deliver optimum results! Strategy (without you get confusion), set the action plan (false starts without), have the right resources (frustration without), make sure you have the skills/competencies (or you create anxiety, and finally have incentives aligned (you will get only gradual change).

Top 6 Tips For Resume Formatting

March 22, 2023

Resumes are still the main âcalling card” used by job seekers and there are various schools of thought about the formatting of this document.

Here are a few tips for formatting your resume that may help you beat the blank screen blues if you’re creating a new resume from scratch (or updating one you haven’t touched in years):

1. White Space Is Important

Most resumes have at least a half-inch margin, but a full inch is preferable. If your margins are smaller, you risk losing content if the document is printed by the hiring manager. Plus, a resume that lacks a one-inch margin is harder for the reader to peruse and may look cluttered or chaoticâtwo qualities that are not often sought by employers.

Readability is key when formatting your resume. Keep this in mind if you’re using a resume template, or adding bullet after bullet of new information to your already-existing resume. It’s a delicate balance between too much and too little information. Never underestimate the power of white space in your resume.

2. Don’t Leave Empty Fields

If you’re going to use a resume template, ensure all of the fields are completed with your personal information. Nothing looks worse than seeing “insert job information here” on a candidate’s resume. A glaring resume mistake like this may tell the hiring manager you lack attention to detail or other basic skills needed for the job.

The better choice may be to look at a variety of resume formats and combine styles based on your level of experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities.

3. Use Spellcheck & Have A Human Edit Your Resume

Spellcheck is great, but it doesn’t catch all grammatical and typographical errors. It’s helpful to have someone else review your resume. Ask for that person’s feedback on the style of your resume and the resume’s readability and content.

Where do their eyes look first? Did you quantify your work experience? Are your skills relevant to the position you’re applying for? Does the resume prompt them to want to learn more about you and your qualifications?

A good resume format doesn’t mean a thing if you have spelling and grammatical mistakes. Having another person review your resume could save you from some embarrassing job search fails. It’s definitely worth the extra time and energy.

4. Cut The Fluff

Your resume should be clear and concise. Almost all people applying to jobs nowadays know how to use Microsoft Office programs and email, so there’s no need to have a technical skills section on your resume unless you have skills that set you apart from the competition.

There’s also no need to list “references available upon request.” If employers want to check your references, they will ask for them.

Resume fluff only hurts your chances of getting the job. Nowadays, it’s about quality, not quantity. A one-page resume with quantifiable accomplishments and work experience is always better than a two-page resume with irrelevant information.

So, cut the fluff and get clear on the value you bring to the table.

5. Be Consistent With Your Style

Keep fonts and font sizes the same throughout your resume. You should also consider using a similar heading on all pages of the document if your resume is more than one page. This is a good precaution in case the pages become separated.

Any inconsistencies will be distracting for the hiring manager. Choose a clean font, pick a font size, and keep the same style in each section of your resume, including section titles.

6. Determine If Your Page Length Is Appropriate

Most resumes are one to two pages. However, if you have more than 20 years of experience and/or a number of academic or professional publications, your resume may be longer.

Keep in mind that a longer resume doesn’t equal more review time by the recruiter or hiring manager. Your most important information should still be at the top of page one. This is where all your hard skills (and transferable skills) should be, as well as your most relevant work experience.

When in doubt, ask yourself if the information you want to include on your resume makes you a better candidate for the job. If not, it’s probably not relevant to the position and can be removed.

Resumes are not static documents, so even if you think you’re finished with crafting a great one, you will want to revise it slightly for each job you are applying for and add to it as you obtain more experience. Since more and more recruiters are using social media, you will also want to update your LinkedIn profile to match your new resume.

With the right resume format, you’ll catch the eye of hiring managers everywhere. We hope you use these resume formatting tips during your next job search. You’ll be surprised by how much of a difference it makes.

Need more help with your job search?

Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

13 Executive Assistant Interview Questions & Answers

March 21, 2023

There are a number of interview questions for executive assistants that come up all the time. And because of that, itâs important to be ready for them if youâre serious about getting hired for this kind of position. This list will help you understand what interviewers are looking for when asking these questions, and how […]

The post 13 Executive Assistant Interview Questions & Answers appeared first on Career Sherpa.

4 Ways To Tell If A Job Posting Is Fake

March 21, 2023

The job search process is already difficult enough. Now, throw in the fact that job seekers have to be on the lookout for fake job postings. This is an unfortunate fact of life for those looking for a job in today’s market, but luckily there are some simple ways to spot these fake postings.

You don’t want to fall victim to one of these fake postings. Not only is it a waste of your valuable time, but spammers and scammers are trying to gather your email address and other personal information to potentially steal your identity.

In some rare instances, established employers post fake openings as a way to collect resumes, or to see if any of their current employees are applying for jobs elsewhere.

In order to make the best use of your time, here are four easy ways to spot a fake job posting:

Your Research Comes Up Empty

A simple search of a company on the internet should contain a diverse wealth of information about a company, including a link to its website and other third-party websites that contain information about the company, such as Glassdoor, Indeed, and LinkedIn.

This is especially true now with so many companies focusing their efforts on good employer branding. Companies are pushing digital content through third-party websites, and their company websites and social media accounts, to tell their stories and give job seekers some insight into what it’s like to work at the company.

If your research on a company comes up empty, then that may be the most obvious red flag of all.

In addition, you should also be able to easily find a contact in human resources to send your materials to or reach out to with any questions. If that information isn’t included in the posting and is impossible to find, that should set off even more alarm bells.

The Posting Contains Multiple Typos And Grammatical Errors

Reputable companies take the process of recruiting new talent extremely seriously. They’re going to spend a lot of time crafting the job posting, and they’re going to make sure it has been proofread.

If a job posting has multiple typos and grammatical errors, you should be very suspicious. Look at it this way: Employers will throw out a job seeker’s cover letter or resume for such errors, so job seekers should hold employers to the same standards.

The Posting Gets TOO Personal

Whenever you apply for a job, there’s always some basic information that you must give, but there’s some information you should never give out from a job posting.

Bank Account Information – With so many people working from home now, a common job posting scam will ask job seekers to give out their routing numbers so “the company” can pay for equipment to help them do their jobs. Sound suspicious? It should, because it’s bogus. The exchange of money or banking information should never be involved in a job posting.

Social Security – Most job postings don’t ask for a Social Security number right off the bat. That usually comes much later in the process.

The Posting Sounds TOO Good To Be True

This warning sign may be a little more subjective than the others, but you should keep a reasonable amount of suspicion if the job seems too perfect.

If you’re applying for a job, there were obviously things about it that made it attractive to you, and it’s not uncommon for employers to list some perks in their job postings to entice top talent. However, if a job posting is littered with perks and promises, and has very little information about the actual job, then it’s trying too hard to attract a number of candidates, instead of the right candidates.

If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

One last thing to look for: Job postings by staffing companies may not always contain the name of the company the job posting is for. In those cases, you’ll want to research the staffing agency to make sure it’s a reputable company, not a fake posting.

By keeping your eyes open for these warning signs, you should be able to avoid falling victim to a fake job posting.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.