If you've been unemployed in the past decade, you've probably surfed, scanned, or studied a job board at one point. Job boards, the current generation of classified ads, are an open forum for employers to broadcast openings at their company.

Job boards such as Monster, Indeed, Craigslist, and CareerBuilder are incredibly popular amongst job seekers, employers, and, unfortunately, scammers.

Being a job seeker puts you in a vulnerable spot. No matter how much you may want the job, investigate the job posting and company before you apply. You must seriously consider the information that the application is requesting of you. How can you protect yourself from scams and job postings that are simply too good to be true?

Check out these four signs that you should look out for when considering applying to a job posting:

No details

If a job posting says nothing about the job itself, you might have a job posting scam on your hands. These types of job postings are known for broadcasting high salaries and convenience without listing any responsibilities or qualifications.

Asks for a lot of info

It's not uncommon for job applications to require personal information, writing samples, or anything else that a company might need in order to consider you for a position. However, if you feel uncomfortable answering any question, go with your gut and don't give away the information. If this posting is legitimate, a hiring manager will follow-up with you.

Requires investment

This is a big one: if a job posting requires a fee or any kind of investment in order to work, you need to be on high alert. Job board scams and pyramid schemes take a large chunk of change from unsuspecting people every year.

Negative or no Google results

When in doubt, try Google. Search the company name, any recent news, or the position itself. What are other people saying about it? If you can't find a company website, nothing at all, or all you see is negative chatter, spare yourself the hassle and move on.

What do you think?What other red flags are out there for bad job postings? Have you ever fell victim to a job board scam?


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