Online Resume: What Types of Jobs Do Recruiters Offer?

This blog entry concerns some types of jobs that recruiters are contacting you about when you post your resume online. Over a period of one week since posting at CareerBuilder, I got some unusual job prospects. By unusual, I mean careers that I had never considered and a couple that seemed improbable at best. The discussion here focuses on two interesting careers and three careers that were really scams. One disadvantage to making your resume searchable is that you will immediately get more junk mail in your inbox. Therefore, you will have to be very critical in evaluating the opportunities that come your way.

The first three opportunities were questionable, but only two felt like scams. The first two were filling out Google forms and becoming a financial agent for an international company. The new Google recruitment ads even appear in local newspapers as nationwide opportunities. Though I haven't had the chance to investigate this offer more fully, it is a little less challenging than most people would want for a work-at-home job. The financial agent is a scam that has been going on for several years over spam email. A company asks you to provide them with your name, address, and other stats. Then your job is to "receive" payments from their company and deposit them into your bank account. Then you earn a commission off of every transaction. Even without considering the Patriot Act, this scam should raise many red flags. If you don't want the FBI or the IRS knocking on your door, it is advisable to delete such emails. A general rule of thumb is that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

The third opportunity that grabbed me was to become a world news reporter for World Voice News. I did some checking on the web and this is a scam. Although it sounds like an interesting career, you should avoid giving them your personal information. Whenever you get approached for an online job, it is hard to know if you are being contacted by a legitimate employer.

Many people across the world have the goal of using the Internet to get out true messages to everyday people and thereby circumnavigate traditional media outlets. The Internet has been a useful tool for accomplishing this goal in some instances. However, the problem with the Internet is that you don't know what news you can trust and which writers you can believe. There are genuine social media reporters working in the blogosphere and other web arenas, but you have to develop a feel for the reliability of their information.

The next two opportunities were a bit more appealing. One was a local company who I did speak with and it was a legitimate job. This local company seeks people looking to establish a long-term, financially rewarding career. I was contacted by a well-known brokerage firm to become a financial advisor. The company sponsors you to study for 90 days and then take the Series 7 exam. The catch is that you need to have cash in excess of $500 to buy your test prep materials. If you can afford that, the company will put thousands into your career during your first year as an advisor. You will work full time, and the company will pay for networking opportunities like business lunches several times a week. The nice part is that if you pass the exam, you are guaranteed a job.

The second opportunity was someone recruiting for an Alltel wireless store in Mississippi. I am not sure why someone thought it was feasible for me to work there since I live three states away, but it was an interesting recruitment. The nice part about the searchable resume is that you can attract the attention of employers in other states. If you find a real opportunity and want to relocate, the online resume is a tool that can bring you together with the future employer.

This online resume experience is not my first. However, it is encouraging to find that more employers are searching than when I tried about 3 years ago. Certainly, tools like the online resume, the blogosphere, and the new social media outlets are increasing the available information to the American public. The social media are bringing many voices together. Everyday Americans are no longer isolated, and there is some comfort in that.