ALT-1 How Work at Home Gimmicks Interfere with Online Job Searches
Unfortunately, the Internet has created a variety of job gimmicks including work at home scams, earn money overnight scams and a variety of other opportunities that might be less than appealing to many job searchers. Most of those who are searching for online jobs now know that these “opportunities” are not legitimate and that they should never be pursued. However, these work-at-home gimmicks interfere with online job searches for legitimate work and often, they are higher ranked in the search engines than their legitimate counterparts.Finding an online job is already fraught with problems, but when advertisements for gimmicks start hampering a job search, many job seekers begin feeling frustrated and sure that there are no legitimate jobs online. Even large job boards like Monster and others are likely to have some of these people submitting what appears to be legitimate offers through their sites.Generally what happens is that users who have mastered the art of deception have found ways to place what appear to be legitimate opportunities in a manner that does not set off red flags to many users. These sites often have discovered the secret of strong keyword domination and they take advantage of them. In some cases, these companies that prey on those looking for online jobs are willing to spend a few dollars to purchase advertising on Google and other high-profile sites. It is important to remember that while they may need to pay for these advertisements, the cost is generally minimal enough that it can be recouped if only one person falls for their gimmick.Some of the companies that promote work at home gimmicks also use sites that collect resumes for a source of new leads. Many of these pose as legitimate employers to gain access to resumes. Some users find that they are getting solicitations for sales of insurance, sale of products or other sales related jobs even though they posted a resume in a different category. This is because those who are promoting multi-level-marketing programs often prey on those who are out of work and interested in making money quickly.Another frustrating thing that often occurs when searching for work online is finding advertisements for “local writers” only to find out that the compensation area says “no pay” or “exposure” or some equally foolish statement. These “jobs” are not jobs, they are fishing expeditions that interfere with real jobs.Whether we like it or not, there are almost always going to be people who have one thing in mind - that is to take advantage of the vulnerabilities of others. For this reason, it is probably good to assume that work at home gimmicks will continue to interfere with online job searches and to remain vigilant during a search.Focusing on job opportunities that are verifiable is not always possible. Freelance sites, job posting boards and even blogs all have some people who are able to work around the measures put into place and post a gimmick in the place of a legitimate job offer. It is up to the individual who is searching for work to not only avoid these gimmicks but also to take whatever steps are available for reporting them.
