10 Precautionary Measures To Take While Job-Hunting

In a country like Nigeria where there a continual rise in the level of scams, insecurity, and injustice, it is important to be cautious especially when it comes to job-hunting. A job hunter is a major prey to scammers, kidnappers, and a lot of evils, which in an ideal society should not be.With the high level of unemployment, most graduates will do anything just to get a job and the desperation overshadows reasoning that sometimes, one forgets to take safety measures or even see the signs of a job application/posting not being real or fraudulent. Unfortunately, not all job postings are legitimate.
Unscrupulous people may pose as hiring companies, using online job banks and classified ads to take advantage of naive job seekers.
For this reason, it is important to exercise caution and common sense when conducting your job search or going for job interviews. Follow these measures to protect your identity, finances, and wellbeing.
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Research Is Key
Ensure to carry out proper research before you apply for a job or leave your home for any job interview. Technology has made the world a better place, make use of it. Conduct a Google search, verify the company exists, look for blog entries reporting misconduct or associated scams. Look for a valid direct phone number associated with the organization, not just a cell number.
Look for a physical location, not just a P.O. Box. Addresses can be verified using Google Maps, which is now advanced to the point that when you put in the address/name of a place, it shows a zoom-in-image of the street it is on, the office itself, and surrounding buildings. Conduct proper research before leaving your home for any job interview.
Beware of Grammatical Errors
Another measure is, even before you start dressing up all corporate to leave your home for that job interview, go back and read through that job post, text message, or email again and check for grammatical errors. The absence of a professional job title, lack of specific job tasks, frequent misspellings, and grammatical errors definitely smells fishy.
Web addresses prompting you to enter your email address to be redirected to the company website and contact email addresses using free webmail services, such as Gmail or Yahoo may also be indicators of a less than reputable organization.
Once you see these signs just drop it. Sometimes even when you speak with the prospective employer and they can’t speak good English, be careful.
Meeting Employers
The moment you are called for an interview, even if you have spoken to the person or you might have even done a Zoom interview with them, make sure to drop the contact address and number with a friend or sibling.
An employer should not ask you to a deserted location, dinner, private residence for an interview if not for scam or other ulterior motives. Only agree to meet an employer in a public place that you are familiar with. If you have never been to the place suggested, investigate it first.  Always make your own transportation arrangements, let someone know where you will be, and take a phone and sufficient cash with you.
If the interview is not to be held at the place of employment, request an interview confirmation by email and ask that the location, time, date, and expectations of the interview be included.
Time yourself by telling someone, once it gets to this time and I haven’t called you, come and look for me at this place. Safety is very key especially in unfamiliar territory and in a country where security and human safety is poor.
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Beware of Unsolicited Contact from an Employer
Be careful when posting your resume to an online job board that may inadvertently disclose your personal information. The moment you know you did not apply for this job interview and you get a text message, phone call, email, that you are to come for an interview, my dear do not go. Most of the time it is a scam or a person(s) with an ulterior motive seeking you out.
Avoid Exaggerated Job Postings
Beware of job announcements requiring no experience or skills, but offering large salaries. In a professional setting, there is always the requirement of experience or skill needed for that participation position in the company. When what is requested from you is very little compared to what is required of you, run the other direction. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is not good.Do Not Apply If They Ask for Money
The moment they ask you to pay any amount of money, no matter how little, it is not a legit job or person, except for competitions. Legitimate recruiters are paid by employers, not by job seekers. While you may be required to pay union dues or licensing fees once you acquire a job, there should be no fees associated with applying for a position. There have been cases of people paying for a job application, then going for the interview only to realize that it is a scam or worse they get to the location and they are robbed, raped or even killed.
Protect Your Social Media
Consider information posted by or about you on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. Think about what you or others may be exposing and how this information may be viewed by prospective employers. Maintain a profile that presents positive and accurate content. You may want to periodically Google yourself to review what information has been made accessible about you. Likewise, protect your friends. Do not share contact information or post disparaging photos. Yes, you want a job but there are a lot of people who went job hunting and never came back home.
Professional Demeanor
Employers are expected to conduct themselves professionally, treat job seekers fairly, and observe equal employment opportunity and affirmative action principles. Recognize that flirtation, compliments about your attractiveness, suggestive remarks, or jokes are not a professionally acceptable part of the interview process. The heart of men is wicked, do not turn a blind eye to these signs. As a job hunter, be sensitive, quick-witted, smart especially when you step out of your home for a job interview.
Above all the measures that have been stated, listen to your GUT FEELING, your INSTINCT, they never lie or lead you astray. If you do not feel good about that job interview, test, or invite let it go. You are more important than any job out there.Trending video of the day:

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