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I've been running into a weird situation lately with job applications. Most seem to stem from resumes etc. submitted to fairly generic job listings on Craigslist, so maybe the following events aren't completely inexplicable... but.
A few days later, I get a plausible but often suspiciously badly-formatted and misspelled response, offering an interview for the [completely generic position name]... on Google Hangouts. I sent back one or two polite responses that I didn't recognize the job from the email description, and noting that I didn't feel GH was an appropriately professional conduit for a job interview. (These are not for retail sales or the like, where hiring might be mostly teens and 20s). Never any response, surprise surprise.
But they keep showing up, and it's always the same format of an "assistant" who wants me to talk with Joe Somebody, senior recruiter, on GH... and they often sign off as from a reputable local company, but with a 'reputablecompany AT gmail' sort of address. They resemble nothing so much as those trash dating-service replies where someone is desperate to meet you... after you register with their "safety service" or whatever on some skeevy .ru website.
Eventually they'll ask for some money for something or another.
That's my working theory - that I will turn out to be just the most incredible candidate they've ever interviewed, and some fantastic job is waiting, and all I have to do is pay their evaluation/app/finder fee and away we'll go.
If I have time, maybe someday I'll follow up with one to see.
If anyone actually knows what's behind this, I'd love to hear the stories.
ADDENDUM: I guess one question would be... why in th'ell Google Hangouts?
A few days later, I get a plausible but often suspiciously badly-formatted and misspelled response, offering an interview for the [completely generic position name]...
Sounds like a scam.
Quote:
But they keep showing up, and it's always the same format of an "assistant" who wants me to talk with Joe Somebody, senior recruiter, on GH... and they often sign off as from a reputable local company, but with a 'reputablecompany AT gmail' sort of address.
Companies that offer high paying jobs don't usually use webmail to recruit. They usually have their own domains.
Quote:
It's a scam - has to be. But what/why/how?
Yes, it is a scam.
There are several types.
* Shipping mule. You get to receive (stolen) property by mail. Your job is to reship it to the scammers. The police come and knock in your door, and arrest you for receiving stolen property - meanwhile the scammers are long gone, using a mailbox at one of those private services that provide mailboxes (oops, their fake check bounced). They'll "pay" you with fake checks.
Typical job title "Shipping manager" "Shipping clerk" "logistics manager" "logistics coordinator" "Shipping coordinator"
* Payment processor. You'll get checks, which are fake, and you deposit them and wire money (you "keep" a 5-10% fee for yourself) to the scammers. The checks bounce and you're on the hook for the losses because the banks take the money out of your account. Some use stolen credit cards, put the money in your bank account, you do the "wiring money" thing above and when the credit card owner charges back, your account is nuked into the ground with a nice huge negative sign.
Typical job title: "Finance manager" "payment processor" "accounting clerk" "payment manager" etc.
* "Mystery shopper" Combination of both of the above.
Although I agree with your choice OP, I just want to react to these two sentences in your post, since they're crucial to the thread topic (as defined by the subject).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Quietude
I didn't feel GH was an appropriately professional conduit for a job interview. (These are not for retail sales or the like, where hiring might be mostly teens and 20s).
I interviewed for a professional job over Google Hangouts, and it's a legit videoconferencing tool for the workplace. (First interview was over GH. Second interview was at the employer, in-person.) I agree with you that I probably wouldn't do it for an employer I'd never heard of, but this employer I interviewed with is well-respected and using the Google ecosystem for their email and document sharing.
The annoying part of Google hangouts is it can confuse people if you are using Zoom too and have the Google hangouts numbers along with the Zoom link and numbers. I have experienced that.
Companies that offer high paying jobs don't usually use webmail to recruit. They usually have their own domains.
That's the biggest red flag, to me. (I have spent decades convincing small businesses that they really can't run off a webmail address... it's unbelievably hard to get some of them to understand the lack of professionalism a Yahoo address conveys.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bo
I interviewed for a professional job over Google Hangouts, and it's a legit videoconferencing tool for the workplace.
Huh. Well, if the company making the inquiry seemed legitimate, I'd be less put off, but as everything about these offers screams SCAM!, it's just one more fairly unprofessional point, IMHO.
Anyone else use GH in any kind of professional/corporate setting? Past 20-something startups?
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