Editor’s note: This article was first published in April 2012, and its figures, 80% of Spaniards using the internet to look for work and 25% of online job offers being fake, are from 2012. The source institute, INTECO, has since been renamed INCIBE.
The internet is a magic door where you can find just about anything, good and bad. When it comes to jobs, it is becoming the tool Spaniards use most to look for work. According to the most popular job portals, 80% of Spaniards now rely on new technologies in their job search.
A nice figure, but it has a dark side too. Spain’s National Institute of Communication Technologies warns that 25% of the job offers posted online are fake, and in many cases they turn out to be scams. They are the ones that promise the moon for next to nothing.
As they say about laws, as soon as one is passed, someone finds a way around it. This time it’s the temporary employment agency Adecco that has drawn up a series of tips so that, on top of the misery of being out of work, you don’t get taken for a ride.
Safety tips for looking for a job online
Use official, reliable job sites, and avoid sites that don’t comply with the data protection rules in force in Spain.
Bank details and credit card numbers should never be given out online for job offers or anything similar.
No serious job offer asks for fees to take part in a selection process.
High salaries go hand in hand with previous work experience. Steer clear of job offers that promise big salaries to beginners.
Hiring over the internet or by phone practically doesn’t exist. Every employment contract involves at least one face-to-face contact.
Nobody pays you more than you’re worth. If you’re promised a high salary, be suspicious. Every contract is weighed against the worth of the individual. Nobody is going to pay a beginner what a star professional earns.
Be careful with your CV: it contains personal data. Don’t send it out en masse by email, and never save it as a document on public computers you don’t normally use. Someone could take information that matters to you.
Make sure the job offers you apply for are serious and genuine. Stay away from any that don’t feel right. Use your common sense.
Featured image: BrokenSphere, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
