Do Not Get Played in Your Job Search

Before investing more time in an opportunity, make the next step a verification step.

A job search asks you to evaluate the role, the person contacting you, and the process. Keep a short record of what you have confirmed and what still needs an answer. This makes follow-up more focused and gives you something concrete to review before a consequential decision.

Check the role and the contact

Look for the role on the employer’s own careers site. Confirm the recruiter or hiring contact through information you find independently. An absent listing or incomplete profile is a reason to investigate; neither is enough on its own to determine whether an opportunity is real.

Ask questions that help you assess fit

Why is the role open? What would the person be expected to accomplish? Who makes the hiring decision? What happens next? Notice whether the answers remain consistent as the process moves forward.

These questions also help you connect your experience with the work. Your value story is stronger when you can explain the contribution this particular role needs.

Pause around financial requests

The Federal Trade Commission warns against paying for the promise of a job and against depositing an employer’s check and sending money onward. It also recommends researching the company and discussing an offer with someone you trust. See the FTC’s guidance on job scams.

Use the checklist to guide further questions

The free job-search checklist organizes your observations about the posting, contact, and process. It cannot verify an employer or guarantee an opportunity. Use it to identify what you still need to confirm through independent sources.