The level of high unemployment rate in South Africa is an opportunity for scammers to exploit and abuse citizens who are desperate for employment. Some scammers manipulate individuals seeking job opportunities into paying them money, with the belief that they will be employed after paying the specified amount. In the worst case scenario, some job seekers become victims of the abduction syndicate. In this article, we are going to explore some of the aspects that may possibly assist you in determining whether a job is legit or not.
LANGUAGE:
Job posts are supposed to be written in a professional manner. It is vital that you pay attention to sentence construction, grammar and the use of punctuation. Job posts with the use of slang are a big red flag. It does not matter what kind of a job or level you are applying for. For example, whether it is an entry level or senior level position; or general work or accounting. The type of communication and interaction between a recruiter and candidate always has to be professional.
FORM OF COMMUNICATION:
Your first interaction with a recruiter is the most crucial moment. A recruiter needs to use some form of communication to make you aware that you are one of the shortlisted candidates. One of the most common professional forms of communication, is a call from a landline followed by an email with the company’s domain. A recruiter will call you to confirm your personal details and possibly invite you for an interview at the particular company’s address. However, since Covid-19 some companies conduct telephonic interviews. After the call, the recruiter will most probably send you an email with specific details about the interview, the company’s location and the basic recruitment procedure of the company.
However, nowadays a lot has changed. Some companies now use SMSs to communicate with potential candidates. To be on a safe side, do not depend on one form of communication. For example, if you receive a text message, analyse the text message. Analyse the kind of language used and the information contained in the text message. Do your research and do not depend of one form of communication. If you did not receive a call, search for the company’s landline number and try to find out more information. Confirm if the landline, the email address and the company’s physical address are similar to what appears on the company’s website. It is important that you find a link and similarities in all the forms of communication that a company uses.
SALARY AND BENEFITS:
In every country, there is the public and the private sector. In South Africa, if you are looking for employment in the public sector, it is easier to know and estimate the salary and benefits level expected. This often depends on the level of the position and the location/municipality. However, if you are looking for employment in the private sector, it becomes a challenge to estimate the amount of salary a company is willing to offer or the amount you deserve, depending on work experience and academic qualifications. This then, becomes an advantage for scammers.
Scammers are well aware that citizens of South Africa are desperate for employment. They take advantage of the fact that, citizens need to put bread on the table, which results in increased vulnerability. It is very likely that scammers will promise you a salary and benefits that are relatively high, to persuade into doing what they want. It is of high significance that you have an idea of a market related salary of the position you are applying for. This will make it easier for you to distinguish scammers from legit employers.
