{"id":2947,"date":"2022-10-27T13:54:52","date_gmt":"2022-10-27T13:54:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/?p=2947"},"modified":"2023-02-27T14:24:07","modified_gmt":"2023-02-27T14:24:07","slug":"6-job-scares-to-look-out-for-this-spooky-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/6-job-scares-to-look-out-for-this-spooky-season\/","title":{"rendered":"6 job scares to look out for this spooky season"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether it\u2019s a toxic boss or being ghosted by a recruiter, we\u2019ve all been spooked in the past at work or when we\u2019re jobseeking.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

666 might be the number of the beast, but we\u2019ve found 6 spooky scares to look out for in the job market. Rather than just leaving you spooked, we\u2019ve found some spellbinding advice to help you this Halloween.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Phantom jobs<\/h3>\n

These are jobs that don\u2019t even exist, and they\u2019re a way for scammers to get your personal information.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2019t seem legit? Then these are probably fake jobs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes these scammers use a real job that they\u2019ve seen with a company, but they\u2019re actually directing you to the wrong place to apply.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However they choose to get you, there\u2019s one main reason why – money.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They make money in three main ways. They\u2019ll sell your information, they\u2019ll ask for a \u201cregistration fee\u201d in order to apply for the job, or they\u2019ll give you a job that actually involves illegal activity such as money laundering.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a scary world out there.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2019t know, and always apply either directly to a company or via a job website like <\/span>Adzuna<\/span><\/a>. Remember, you should never have to pay someone an administration fee, and you certainly shouldn\u2019t be using your own bank account to move a business\u2019 money around.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

Ghostly recruiters<\/h3>\n

When applying for a role, it\u2019s always reassuring to receive a call or an email letting you know the stage of your application, especially if you\u2019ve interviewed for the role.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sadly, when loads of people have applied, or there are lots of open roles at a company, jobseekers can often get ghosted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When you\u2019ve interviewed for a role or spent hours on an application it can be really demoralizing when you haven\u2019t had any feedback, and without feedback (good or bad) it can be impossible to know what to do next.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2019re much more likely to be noticed and much more likely to get feedback.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a general rule, don\u2019t email more than once without a reply. But if it\u2019s 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\u2019ve done an interview, send an email after the interview, simply thanking them for their time, and once they\u2019ve passed the decision-making point, drop them another.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although you won\u2019t get much feedback from an application beyond a no, if you\u2019ve gone further and been interviewed you should be able to expect detailed feedback. Ask for a call with a hiring manager if you\u2019ve been unsuccessful – even 10 minutes of their time could really help your future applications.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re just getting ghosted time and time again by a company, recognize that they probably won\u2019t be a great employer anyway.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

Wickedly underpaid roles<\/h3>\n

Do you know your worth? Or are you being paid a lot less than your colleagues?<\/span><\/p>\n

Pay can be a pain point for so many of us, and there\u2019s nothing worse than feeling undervalued for doing a great job.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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 <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>, is a great way of seeing how your resume stands in the current jobs market. It\u2019s also worth speaking to your colleagues (if you feel comfortable doing so) to gauge if you\u2019re at similar salaries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Outside of work, one top tip is to speak to managers in other companies that are in your network, and frame it as \u201chow much would you expect to pay someone with this role\u201d? 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are underpaid, it might be time to ask for a raise.<\/span> Our guide to asking for a raise<\/a> can help you do exactly that.<\/span><\/p>\n

But what happens when you\u2019re 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At Adzuna, we\u2019re 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sign our petition now.\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

Toxic colleagues<\/h3>\n

Full-time workers spend around 35 – 40% of their waking hours each week with their work colleagues, either online or face-to-face. It\u2019s therefore really important to have a good work environment and for everyone to get along.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019re all human though and sometimes your work colleagues or even your managers might not be your favorite people<\/span><\/p>\n

When they’re toxic, things can feel unbearable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Make sure you have clear boundaries in place between work and life. This can be even harder if you\u2019re 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\u2019t let this impact your precious free time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If things are escalating and bullying or harassing behavior is taking place, then don\u2019t be afraid to speak to Human Resources. They should be able to help you, and if they can\u2019t, maybe it\u2019s time to <\/span>look for another role<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

A zombie industry<\/h3>\n

Ever watched a zombie movie and been frustrated that zombies seem to stagger rather than run? Well, some workplaces stagger too!<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2019s because the whole industry is slow-paced.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If the brains of your peers and the managers are long eaten it\u2019s time to consider a sideways move. Don\u2019t 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\u2019s all about how you craft your resume.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s time to search for jobs in an industry with <\/span>brains<\/span><\/i>. Start your search <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

When you\u2019ve got skeletons in the closet<\/h3>\n

Now if you\u2019re Jeffrey Dahmer, then you\u2019re in the wrong place – we\u2019re only talking about metaphorical skeletons!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It can be really scary applying for a job if there\u2019s something on your resume that you\u2019re worried about. Perhaps you have a gap in your resume, left a role because you didn\u2019t like your boss, or aren\u2019t proud of some test results.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to embrace the skeletons and tell the truth. There\u2019s nothing worse than getting caught out later down the line especially if you claim you\u2019re really good at something when you aren\u2019t.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you faced challenges at a previous role, don\u2019t slate the boss or employer but think about saying that it wasn\u2019t the \u201cright cultural fit\u201d and why that was. This can be a really great conversation starter to open up in an interview about exactly what you\u2019re looking for. Employers will respect your honesty and your focus, it\u2019s nothing to be scared of!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"?\"\u00a0Read more: 13 jobs to get you spooked this Halloween<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Visit our site<\/a>\u00a0to find out more about our campaign to #MakeSalariesMandatory on all job ads.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Whether it\u2019s a toxic boss or being ghosted by a recruiter, we\u2019ve all been spooked in the past at work or when we\u2019re jobseeking.\u00a0 666 might be the number of the beast, but we\u2019ve found 6 spooky scares to look out for in the job market. Rather than just leaving you spooked, we\u2019ve found some Continued \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[157],"tags":[140],"class_list":["post-2947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-just-for-fun","tag-featured"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2947","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2947"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2947\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}