Avoiding fake job postings when applying to jobs

As it happens, LinkedIn has an article on this.

6 Warning Signs A Job Posting Is Fake

The six common signs being:

1. Contact can’t be found in a Google search
2. No company information
3. Grammatical errors & spelling mistakes
4. Money is involved immediately
5. Personal information required immediately
6. Sounds too good to be true

With job hunting, research is everything and linking the advert to the actual online profile (LinkedIn, Glassdoor, etc.) is crucial. A lot of job adverts are posted by recruitment agencies (where the customer company is hidden, to prevent you from approaching them directly and bypassing the recruitment bonus), so research the recruitment company to make sure they're reputable.

Obviously, there's a ton of resources out there to aid in job hunting techniques.

Apply directly to a company.

Do your research of what companies are within your target interest range and monitor their openings. If something interesting pops up, spend the effort to create a well crafted application with a customized resume and cover letters and check your network to see if you leverage someone you know to get through the first screening process.

Linkedin and Glassdoor typically have low quality postings that generate 100s of low quality resumes. That type of scattershot doesn't work and creates just misery for everyone. You can use them to perhaps find interesting companies to research and explore, but its much better to apply with the company directly.

I you want to increase your changes, try improving quality non quantity. 5 well crafted applications have much higher chances of success than 100 scattershots.

The only way to avoid the fake job postings is to do some research and make a list of companies that share your vision and ideals for work-life balance. See if they have a careers page on there website or if you can find out who the head of HR is.

Just a quick email to the effect of Hi I'm _ . I'm a recent graduate and would just like to inquire as to what exactly your company's appetite for new hires is currently?

If they are open you take it from there if they are not you move on. This approach would be ideal for employers as it would enable them to fill a position without having to pay the recruiter 10% of your first years salary. Which already motivates them to place you. Which is good for you.