What are some red flags to watch out for when browsing job postings online?

When the salary range posted for the job is ridiculously wide and unreasonable. I've seen salaries posted of late for HR roles with a range of $40k to $250k. For the same role. Beware for multiple reasons.

In my experience the largest red flags are unrealistic promises around compensation and earnings. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Sadly - much of what we consider a "bad job posting" does not equal a poor employer, It just means they have a bad hiring process. I know many awesome companies with bad hiring processes.

Vague job descriptions: If the job posting lacks specific details about the responsibilities, qualifications, or expectations for the role, it may be a red flag.

Check the employer's name on the job posting. Look for contact information like an email address. Verify the company's location if provided. Visit the employer’s website for more details. Be wary of postings without company details. Lack of information could be a red flag. A reputable employer showcases their brand. Professional communication is a good sign. Legitimate postings provide clear contact details. Protect yourself by researching the employer.

When the "job description" describes the title of the role in generic terms – and does not in any way offer specific initiatives you'll be working on, specific deliverables of these initiatives, and what a "great performance" looks like (and is measured), be very wary: The company likely has no formal way of assessing a person, relying solely on subjectivity and bias. If you can take out the company name out of the description, substitute in the name of a competitor, and it then looks like the competitor's job, it's a bad job description.

The job description does not match the job title and the company has made postings in multiple locations. Also another red flag is the person who posted the jobs has a spotty or short LinkedIn profile history or the company appears to be relatively new with an AI-generated logo.

Unrealistic salary or benefits: Job postings that promise unusually high pay or perks without justification may be misleading or potentially fraudulent.

While this is a valid point, I would suggest not to rule it out immediately but try to research the company. Many smaller companies in Europe (or other non English speaking parts of the world) are going through a time of transformation and trying to build a more international image. Job posters often rely on translation tools which can sometimes read as unprofessional to the native speaker. Though this is not very common, there are some examples out there.

Spelling and grammatical errors: Poorly written job postings can be a sign of unprofessionalism or a lack of attention to detail.

Request for personal information: Be cautious of job postings that ask for sensitive information like Social Security numbers or bank account details before you have been hired.

Be cautious if asked for personal information before an interview. Never share your social security number upfront. Avoid giving out bank account details early on. Don't provide credit card information in initial communications. Requesting ID documents before hiring is a red flag. Such requests can indicate identity theft risks. Phishing attempts often seek personal data early. Fraudulent postings might ask for sensitive information. Legitimate employers ask for these details after job offers. Always verify the employer's request through secure channels.

You mean the InMauls we regularly receive on this platform? There are more reasons that an employer, sourcer, or recruiter will contact you – and this contact can be via LinkedIn, your email, via text, or by calling: You've applied, you've applied in the past, you aren't necessarily looking but we want to find out if you'd be interested in a conversation about a role. Inasmuch as I rail against insufferably bad recruiter outreach, it's not as if early career recruiters are being trained to write engagement messages in the style of "War and Peace." It takes mentoring, A/B testing, and continuous learning to become a truly engaging recruiter – and even then, engagement and response rates on the LinkedIn platform is extremely low.

Automated follow-up using WhatsApp or phone calls with pre-recorded messages after applying are red flags. Normal recruiters would typically send a follow-up email with additional communication reconfirming your preferred means of contact.

Reviews are important, a review is not. Don't focus on one negative review, focus on trends in reviews, when they were posted, and how they relate to you. If one review says nepotism is the key to getting promoted, that person may have just been upset about being passed over. If 20 reviews focus on the promotion of friends over more qualified coworkers, there may be a problem. If the reviews from 5 years ago are bad, but the last 2 years are great, there may have been a change in leadership/strategy that has improved things. Also look at market conditions at the time, do the reviews complain of layoffs during an economic downturn. What some might see as a negative at a company you might not. We are not all looking for the same things

When the pay is advertised and the pay rate is higher than normal for that particular function - scam or very broken company.

Lack of company information: If a job posting does not include the name of the company, its website, or contact information, it may be a scam or illegitimate opportunity.

Beware of job posting from SPARK for a Brand Manager Remote job. They wanted my credit score info. I was emailed the next day by [email protected] and asked to submit within 48 hours, ASAP. Such a scam, please do not apply for this fake posting.

If the job is marked as PROMOTED on LinkedIn and has over 150 responses, it's either been filled and they forgot to take the req down or they're doing a DEI hire for a purple unicorn non-binary lgbtq+ military veteran to meet a contract requirement of .gov

Other red flags to consider are if the same job has been posted repeatedly over a long period of time, this can indicate high turnover. But, it is important you confirm that it is indeed the same job not an "evergreen" job posting used to hire people for multiple identical job openings.

Pressure to apply quickly: Job postings that urge you to apply immediately or within a short timeframe without giving you time to review the details may be a red flag. Pyramid schemes or multi-level marketing opportunities: Be wary of job postings that require you to recruit others or invest money upfront, as they could be pyramid schemes or MLM schemes. Misleading job titles or descriptions: Be cautious of job postings that promote unrealistic job titles or make exaggerated claims about the position to attract applicants. Lack of response or feedback: If you apply for a job and receive little to no response from the employer, it could be a sign that the job posting was fake or misleading.