How to Avoid Job & Internship Scams

Have you ever just taken any job or internship opportunity you received without second thought? You might be wondering, "What is there to think about? If you want to make money or gain work experience, you just apply, go to the interview, and take the job."

It sounds simple enough, right? But many don't realize the consequences of jumping on every opportunity they come across. I'm going to give you a couple of things to be mindful about the next time you go job hunting or go looking for internships.

1. Make sure the jobs & internships you take don't seem suspicious.

Avoid jobs and internships that schedule interviews past business hours. Most offices are closed by 5pm every day and closed on the weekends. If you found a job opening and got an interview at 6am on a Saturday, don't go! It's a scam.
Watch out for jobs that send you checks before you work. You get paid after you work and if you cash that check, your bank account will close.
Don't go with listings that sound too good to be true. It's unlikely you'll get paid $10,000 a week by doing a simple task, don't fall for it.

2. Be weary of Craigslist.

While there are a lot of sketchy ads on Craigslist and the job listings aren't always promising. You can use these alternatives:

Go to the Career Development Center at C-102. Ask for job and internship opportunities that have been approved by school and deemed safe for students to apply for.
Go on trustworthy websites. Examples are Indeed, Glassdoor, WayUp, and Internships.com

3. Do background checks.

Many jobs & internships are startups that many haven't heard of, while some companies are fake. To avoid walking into a dangerous situation, you can follow these tips:

Google the location. If the company address leads to something other than the business (such as an abandoned building), that's when you know it's a scam.
Do research on the company. Check whether there's information on the company, such as reviews, company social media, or pages on their founding members.
Check with the Career Center at school. They can verify whether a job or internship is trustworthy.

-Amanda Blando

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