How to spot fake job postings

Thanks, Marsi, for directing our attention to this article from LinkedIn.com:

A Review Of: Fake Postings And Your Job Board - from http://reCareerd.blogspot.com

by Jeff Dickey-Chasins, The Job Board Doctor. Jeff is a consultant to job boards themselves, and provides an eye opener to candidates who often complain about the number of “Fake” job postings on the major job boards.

"Fake job postings definitely are out there, from my personal experience. Here's some ideas how to best deal with them.

In my prior life as a recruiter, my offices were required to have a minimum number of jobs posted each week…even if we didn’t have enough current job orders. This requirement was audited as part of our offices performance, and reported all the way up to the President of the company.

In addition, even if we had job orders, we were required to post additional ads for “typical” jobs that we often filled…even if there wasn’t a current need in that area. Part of what drove this requirement was my company’s relationship with CareerBuilder. My prior employer was one of CareerBuilder’s largest advertisers, and purchased an unlimited advertising package with them. This encouraged our corporate office to encourage (insist on is a better description) fake job ads to drive a pipeline of candidate resumes.

I can understand how candidates can be upset by this practice.

On a positive note, we found many of our best candidates by this method, which Jeff refers to as “Future Hiring”. On the flip side, many of the candidates who replied to fake ads weren’t good matches for job orders – if they optimized their resume it was to a generic ad, not to the real one.

Direct hiring companies run fake ads also, but for some additional reasons than just using pre-purchased advertising. Direct companies, sometimes using recruiters as middlemen, run fake ads to test the market determining what type of skills are available, and at what cost. Sometimes this is done before a headcount addition is even approved, so the manager can get a good idea of market value for skill sets. A good recruiter will often sniff fake job orders out by asking the right questions…a rookie might not.

Here’s some tips to spotting fake ads:

1. If the ad sounds general, and doesn’t list the hiring company, it’s probably a “fake”
2. If the ad lists very broad and general requirements, it’s probably a “fake”
3. If you see the same ad repeated week after week, it’s probably a “fake”
4. If the ad lists hiring manager contact information (not HR, and not recruiter) it’s probably real
5. The more detailed the requirements are, the more likely the ad is real

And some tips in responding to fake ads:

1. If you respond, just don’t put a whole lot of customization or time into it – Don’t use Resume Search Optimization ( http://recareered.blogspot.com/2008/04/how-to-rise-above-resume-hell.html )
2. Don’t include a cover letter ( http://recareered.blogspot.com/2009/12/is-your-cover-letter-obsolete-tradition.html )
3. If it is a stretch for you, don’t reply unless your strategy is mass marketing to “see what sticks” ( http://recareered.blogspot.com/2008/03/tip-of-day-send-fewer-resumes.html )
4. If the company or recruiter posts a similar job with more detail (a “real” job), send your resume again, but this time use Resume Search Optimization ( http://recareered.blogspot.com/2008/03/how-to-search-optimize-your-resume-pt-1.html ) to tailor your resume. "