Introducing Caz Crown. A pen doodler, LGBTQI advocate, proud weirdo and South African millennial. She is outspoken, observant and authentic. More importantly, she is relatable:
Listen up folks, financial year end is finished and kla.
A lot of companies who have seen growth over the past year will now start looking to employ new staff. Now I know the struggle has been real, and we’re all waiting for an opportunity to make some moola. But please be very careful when applying for jobs.
A lot of people prey on the unemployed and sell them offers that are too good to be true. In the end, the desperation to put food on the table feeds the decision to take the offer. There are so many missing people out there and human trafficking is on the rise. This is a real thing.
South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority reported that 235 adults and 13 children were victims of human trafficking between 2010 and March 2011. Of those victims, 132 were trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and 106 for use as forced labour.
One minute you’re here, the next you’re in a boot being transported to a shipping container. No joke, these things happen.
So here is a list of things to be aware of just to be safe:
🚫 Don’t apply to companies with public domain email addresses e.g. Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail. Legitimate and accredited companies don’t use these public domains because they know that it has a major effect on their business’s credibility and reputation.
🚫 Don’t apply for a job that requests for your pictures but won’t specify more details about the job. They ultimately want your photos, in this case, to see if you’re ‘suitable’ enough to be trafficked.
Wow I was really excited for my first adult job interview tomorrow and then I look reviews up and it is a complete sham. Why are there so many scams in the marketing and communications world!!!!!!
— dj rails (@aureliaalberto) February 9, 2018
🚫 Don’t apply for jobs that use a WhatsApp number as a means of communication. No company uses a WhatsApp number for applications. Let’s be real man. A ‘big’ company is going to have their HR department sitting and recruiting on WhatsApp?! No. Don’t be fooled by this.
🚫 Don’t apply for jobs using fax. Guys, it’s 2018. Who has time to use a fax number to accept applications as most companies prefer emails? Emails are efficient and instantaneous. And no paper is involved, we’re trying to save the forest! #EcoWarrior.
🚫 Don’t ever go to a job interview at a hotel unless you applied to a hotel. Remember taking off your clothes to guarantee a job is not on. It just shows the faux interviewer/ predator that you’re willing to do just about anything. People take advantage, don’t put yourself in that situation.
Wow, there are scams out there who ask for your sensitive information masquerading as a job interview. Sometimes people really disappoint me
— Winter (@Mx_Schatz) March 24, 2017
🚫 Please do your research about a company before applying. Check with the Department of Labour regarding any recruitment agency that you will be applying to. A lot of agencies are a front for trafficking and illegal escort services. Ask around, the more you know the better. Also, remember that legitimate recruiters will not ask for a fee when it comes to registering on their database.
I’m so tired of job interview scams😭 it’s so unfair. pic.twitter.com/rg4hbo0flw
— Nozipho🌻 (@Limpho007) August 16, 2017
🚫 Anything that’s too good to be true is probably just that- too good to be true! Boom! Any company offering a high salary for an entry-level job is a red flag. They use these tactics to attract anyone who is determined to start off working and already earn top dollars. You have to start from the bottom and work your way up. It takes time and effort. Be patient and don’t bite at the high salary. Also, research salaries and job descriptions.
🚫 Please inform your family and close friends should you go out for an interview. Safety in numbers folks! Give them all the details in case something happens to you. If possible take someone with you.
🚫 Don’t accept jobs offered via your DM’s. This is a new trend. Fake companies inbox a bunch of accounts and hope someone stupid will reply. Professional companies head hunt on sites like LinkedIn as they search based on your skills, not on how gorgeous your eyes look. Report all suspected scams to Scambuster: www.scambuster.co.za.
Next job interview:
“Why should we hire you instead of this person with 5x more experience?”“…I won’t click the obvious phishing scams?”
— Andrew King (@AndrewKingMLS) May 3, 2017
🚫 Check that the telephone number given in the job advert is in operation. If you are immediately directed to the fax line it is best to give the job a pass.
Please be very careful about your check-ins. Someone out there might be following you based on what you write on Facebook or how good you look in photos, or how close you are to them in distance. It’s a dangerous world, and you have to make the effort to keep yourself safe.
Follow your gut. When things start getting shady, run and never look back.
| Follow Caz on Twitter: @cazcrown01 |
[The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of TYI, or Independent Media.]
Terminology:
Kla – Finished/ over
Moola- Money
DM’s- Direct messages
