It can be hard enough looking for new office support jobs in London; it’s even harder now that you have to navigate the myriad of scams that pop up in the process. It seems to be particularly prevalent with temporary jobs in the capital, but there’s no escaping the fact that you need to have your wits about you as you decide what’s genuine and what’s trying to hook you in for all the wrong reasons.
What should you be wary of?
1. No company name, no recruitment agency
Someone’s traceable name should be on that advert! Blind postings are possible, but a company tends to use a recruitment agency in this instance. It’s not unheard of for seemingly blind job adverts to be a way of getting you to submit personal data for the purpose of identity theft. You should definitely know exactly who the company is before an interview.
2. Unprofessional email addresses
Are you being encouraged to submit your application to a Hotmail, Yahoo or other generic address? If there’s a company name but the contact details provided don’t fit, then something is probably amiss.
3. They offer you the job with lightning speed
You’ve sent off your application and you’ve been offered the job before you can so much as think “interview”. It’s not real. If it feels too good to be true then the chances are it probably is. No respectful company is going to offer you a job without some sort of vetting.
4. There’s money being sent here, there, and everywhere
Scammers may want to “verify” your payment details under the guise of paying your future wages. They suggest making a payment and then ask you to transfer funds on. It’s not appropriate and a sure sign of dodgy dealings. If someone is asking for your card details then avoid, avoid, avoid.
5. There’s no money coming
It’s an unfortunately common scam for individuals to be promised payment after the fact. It’s very normal for employers to pay in arrears, so it’s easy to fall for this one. However, if you aren’t in a proper business with payroll established, then you should always get deposits paid. For example, if you do a bunch of data entry, you should be paid in advance or in staged payments.
6. They ask for a free sample or free trial
One thing that people in office support jobs need to avoid is doing gig-style work on a trial basis. You’re asked to do a free sample or free trial, but you should really be paid for the work.
7. Filling in dodgy forms
Phishing occurs under the guise of job vacancies. If you don’t feel comfortable with the personal data you’re being asked to share, then back off. Do some Googling and find out if this is genuine.
When you’re doing all of the legwork of your own job search, it can be very difficult to avoid scams. They seem to come at you from every angle, and without careful thought you can unwittingly hand over your details.
Choose a recruitment agency that will protect you from scams and ensure you only ever put effort into applications where you have a good chance of success with real, genuine jobs.
Love Success is a leading London PA & office support recruitment agency.
Our expert recruiters can help you find permanent and temporary jobs in London.
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