Whether it’s a toxic boss or being ghosted by a recruiter, we’ve all been spooked in the past at work or when we’re jobseeking.
666 might be the number of the beast, but we’ve found 6 spooky scares to look out for in the job market. Rather than just leaving you spooked, we’ve found some spellbinding advice to help you this Halloween.
Phantom jobs
These are jobs that don’t even exist, and they’re a way for scammers to get your personal information.
Ever seen a job advertised in an unusual place like Facebook or Craigslist that seems too good to be true? Or been contacted out of the blue by a recruiter that doesn’t seem legit? Then these are probably fake jobs.
Sometimes these scammers use a real job that they’ve seen with a company, but they’re actually directing you to the wrong place to apply.
However they choose to get you, there’s one main reason why – money.
They make money in three main ways. They’ll sell your information, they’ll ask for a “registration fee” in order to apply for the job, or they’ll give you a job that actually involves illegal activity such as money laundering.
It’s a scary world out there.
Keep your eyes peeled for jobs that seem too good to be true, and do your own research. Google the person speaking to you, Google their company, and check that emails and web addresses match up. Never give your vital information out over the phone to someone you don’t know, and always apply either directly to a company or via a job website like Adzuna. Remember, you should never have to pay someone an administration fee, and you certainly shouldn’t be using your own bank account to move a business’ money around.
Ghostly recruiters
When applying for a role, it’s always reassuring to receive a call or an email letting you know the stage of your application, especially if you’ve interviewed for the role.
Sadly, when loads of people have applied, or there are lots of open roles at a company, jobseekers can often get ghosted.
When you’ve interviewed for a role or spent hours on an application it can be really demoralizing when you haven’t had any feedback, and without feedback (good or bad) it can be impossible to know what to do next.
Regardless of whether recruitment is in-house, or via a recruitment company, keep in touch throughout the process. Ask questions about the process, ask how long things might take, and even ask simple questions like who you should address your application to. All of this means you’re much more likely to be noticed and much more likely to get feedback.
As a general rule, don’t email more than once without a reply. But if it’s been a week or so, feel free to send a follow-up. Stay polite and friendly, and emphasize how interested in a role you are. If you’ve done an interview, send an email after the interview, simply thanking them for their time, and once they’ve passed the decision-making point, drop them another.
Although you won’t get much feedback from an application beyond a no, if you’ve gone further and been interviewed you should be able to expect detailed feedback. Ask for a call with a hiring manager if you’ve been unsuccessful – even 10 minutes of their time could really help your future applications.
If you’re just getting ghosted time and time again by a company, recognize that they probably won’t be a great employer anyway.
Wickedly underpaid roles
Do you know your worth? Or are you being paid a lot less than your colleagues?
Pay can be a pain point for so many of us, and there’s nothing worse than feeling undervalued for doing a great job.
Before bringing this up with your boss, you should spend time investigating how much you actually are worth. Our Value My Resume tool, which you can access here, is a great way of seeing how your resume stands in the current jobs market. It’s also worth speaking to your colleagues (if you feel comfortable doing so) to gauge if you’re at similar salaries.
Outside of work, one top tip is to speak to managers in other companies that are in your network, and frame it as “how much would you expect to pay someone with this role”? This can give you some really valuable insights. You can also try searching for your job, paying particular interest to direct competitors, and seeing where you sit.
If you are underpaid, it might be time to ask for a raise. Our guide to asking for a raise can help you do exactly that.
But what happens when you’re applying for a job in the first place? How do you avoid being paid below the market rate? A lot of the above is still really important.
At Adzuna, we’re working hard to help jobseekers avoid salary scares by calling on the US government to show us the money! We want it to become law in the US that all employers should include the salary when they advertise a role, regardless of location.
Toxic colleagues
Full-time workers spend around 35 – 40% of their waking hours each week with their work colleagues, either online or face-to-face. It’s therefore really important to have a good work environment and for everyone to get along.
We’re all human though and sometimes your work colleagues or even your managers might not be your favorite people
When they’re toxic, things can feel unbearable.
First things first, do not get sucked into the drama. The more you lean into it, the worse it can reflect on you! Getting involved in office politics can reflect poorly on you and could even lead to disciplinary action.
Make sure you have clear boundaries in place between work and life. This can be even harder if you’re working remotely or hybrid, but make sure you draw a line at the end of the day. If a toxic colleague has wound you up, step away from your screen and put those thoughts aside. Don’t let this impact your precious free time.
If things are escalating and bullying or harassing behavior is taking place, then don’t be afraid to speak to Human Resources. They should be able to help you, and if they can’t, maybe it’s time to look for another role.
A zombie industry
Ever watched a zombie movie and been frustrated that zombies seem to stagger rather than run? Well, some workplaces stagger too!
Slow-moving, stuck in the past, without the brains to innovate – these can be really boring employers. You may find that you start to feel like a zombie, just from pure boredom. When a company is like this, then sometimes that’s because the whole industry is slow-paced.
If the brains of your peers and the managers are long eaten it’s time to consider a sideways move. Don’t feel stuck in your industry, and spend time thinking about how your transferable skills can be used elsewhere. A marketer in one industry has plenty of skills to work as a marketer in another industry of their choosing, it’s all about how you craft your resume.
It’s time to search for jobs in an industry with brains. Start your search here.
When you’ve got skeletons in the closet
Now if you’re Jeffrey Dahmer, then you’re in the wrong place – we’re only talking about metaphorical skeletons!
It can be really scary applying for a job if there’s something on your resume that you’re worried about. Perhaps you have a gap in your resume, left a role because you didn’t like your boss, or aren’t proud of some test results.
It’s important to embrace the skeletons and tell the truth. There’s nothing worse than getting caught out later down the line especially if you claim you’re really good at something when you aren’t.
If you faced challenges at a previous role, don’t slate the boss or employer but think about saying that it wasn’t the “right cultural fit” and why that was. This can be a really great conversation starter to open up in an interview about exactly what you’re looking for. Employers will respect your honesty and your focus, it’s nothing to be scared of!
Feeling ready to attack these scares head-on? We think a spooky movie and some Halloween snacks sound like the perfect job scare-slaying reward!
Read more: 13 jobs to get you spooked this Halloween
Visit our site to find out more about our campaign to #MakeSalariesMandatory on all job ads.