Job Seekers Beware: 4 Ways To Identify A Scam

By Sera Kazungu

“Thank God I chose to ignore that job. They had asked me to send 5K for medical tests. I found it strange because I had not even been called for an interview. When I searched the company, it led me to a series of warnings on the scam. I am so relieved,” writes Joy Kinyua via email.

Job scams are not uncommon in the Kenyan job market. The cons are capitalizing on the fact that most job seekers are desperate to get jobs and cheat them out of their money.

The latest job scam going around is that of EastMatt Supermarket. The management has posted a public notice in the Daily Nation Pg 9, warning job seekers that they are  currently not doing any recruitment.

How then, do you as a job seeker avoid being cheated out of your hard earned cash? Below is a list of ways to identify a job scam.

How to Identify A Job Scam in Kenya

1. You are offered an unrealistic salary
You may see a job that has a salary that does not quite make sense. E.g. an internship that offers to pay 75K plus incentives. The salary clearly does not match the job that is being advertised.
To be a smart job seeker, you have to remember that the salary being offered is usually equivalent to the duties and responsibilities that come with the job and what kind of job it is.

2. You are asked to pay a fee
If you receive a job alert and are asked to part with some money before you are even called for an interview, your red flags need to go up.
Do not be lied to that this is how recruitment firms work. What most job seekers do not know is that in most cases, the companies that are the ones that pay recruitment firms.

3. You see Strange looking email addresses.
Usually, known companies have official email addresses. You would not for example, expect a UN job to provide a Gmail address for applications.
The best way to know whether the link provided is genuine or not is to click on it and carefully scrutinize whatever site it leads you to.

4. The job is from a company you have never heard about
This is a bit tricky because in some cases, you may find that some adverts are real. However, research is key to deciphering between genuine and fake jobs.

In a case scenario where you cannot tell the validity of a company, watch out for the signs that have been listed above

Be a smart job seeker. Do not allow your need to get a job push you into being swindled out of cash. Job searching takes time, hard work and persistence