Losing your job and/or looking for one during a pandemic is stressful at best. Just like millions of other people, I was on the hunt for work while I was working to get my company off the ground.
It was exhaustive and overwhelming and what made it worse was that most companies never even gave me a response. It sucked.
One of my favorite job boards, Indeed, did streamline the process so applying wasn’t as tedious as the rest but it still came with a lot of cons that heavily outweighed the pros.
1.Taking the Tests are a Waste of Time
These tests are an abomination. Even if you meet all the criteria and pass all the tests, 90% of the time you won't even get a response let alone a first interview. Most interviews I got were for the companies that adamantly stated they required the tests to be completed and ended up calling me anyways because my qualifications were good enough without it. I'm also a terrible test taker so I'm not wasting my anxiety on something that won't compare to the qualifications I have.
2. Never Include Interview Times
They will never cold call you at those time anyways and by the time you get a response those days/times will have long lapsed. If they want to hear from you they will reach out and schedule directly.
3. Don't Answer Any Questions That are Not Required such as "what about this job interests you?" Or "why do you think you are the best fit?”
These questions really piss me off. This job interests me because I need a job. I have bills, I am hungry, I am thirsty, I need feminine hygiene products, I would like to not drown in credit card debt, we are in a pandemic, I need money and to get money I need a job. If my application, submission, qualifications and experience don't outright impress or show that I want the job then why would 2-3 sentences of me making something up make any difference.
4. Do not Provide References Even if it is Required to Complete the Application
I never give away references and if the questions is required I respond with, "Will provide after first interview." This job needs to be worth it in order for me to hand out someone's information to a complete stranger, especially if they have agreed to vouch for me. Always remember that interviews are a two way street, you have to want to work there too and vibe with the people. Why waste a good reference on a crap job with worse people.
5. Never Apply to Jobs Paying you Less than $20 per hour and *Require* a Bachelor's Degree+ and 5+ Years of Experience:
This is a SCAM. If you have experience and a degree and meet all the qualifications AND you are ok with getting paid less than what you deserve, then you have every right to do that. But if you are not, don't bother, this is just a way for companies to get top tier talent for low cost during a pandemic. It's a scam and not worth settling. It is a clear sign they don't value you even before you put in your application.
6. Report any Response from a Company Giving you a Job Without an Interview or Asking you to Respond to an Outside Email
There are two types of scams on Indeed:
1) They will announce you got the job even without an interview. Wow go me! But in reality it is just a way to get your personal information on “formal” onboarding and direct deposit forms and you will never hear from them again. As soon as you see this email report them
2) The second type will be this exact email, and when I say exact I mean they match to a T, misspelling and all. They will simply ask you to respond to a separate email account for hours, salary, benefits or whatever. As soon as you see this, report it.
7. 50% of Job on Indeed are Scams
I'm not joking that more often than not, the jobs I have applied for, about 50% were a scam and sadly, the only ones that will respond in a timely manner. Criminals have no patience.
While this isn’t the most positive article, I am not here to to bash Indeed. I have had a lot of luck with really amazing companies but you really do have to dig through a lot of mess to weed out who is real and who is trying to scam you. This is probably the same anywhere you go, Indeed just so happens to be where I got hit with it left and right. My only advice is, don’t give up hope, the perfect opportunity will come your way. Stay positive and stay safe!
