Like any technology, the Internet, job search websites, and new social networking platforms have benefits and drawbacks. On one hand, finding work opportunities and connecting with recruiters has never been easier or more efficient than it is nowadays. But the accessibility of these new outlets for employers can allow false postings and other scams to permeate more general job and internship boards.
The Marist College Center for Career Services screens each employer and posting that is published in our FoxQuest database before Marist students and alumni can even contact a company representative or view and apply for a position. If you choose to look outside of FoxQuest for any type of work experience, here are some signs that point to a fraudulent posting. Only General Information is Provided The job description does not list detailed tasks and collaborations or uses the phrase ‘other duties as assigned’ as an explanation. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), fraudulent postings often do not require applicants to be enrolled in a specific degree program and are open regardless of work authorization or degree level. Opportunities may also be listed as nationwide rather than in a precise geographic location. Contact Information is Inconsistent The company’s listed city and state may not match up with the zip code provided in the address. Make sure to look up the full address in Google Maps or other similar search engine and get a street view of the area. Addresses associated with fraudulent posts will give you photos of abandoned buildings, large fields or even private property rather than an office building or public space. Email addresses with personal domains such as Gmail, AOL or Yahoo should also be treated with extra caution. There may be some cases, such as with entrepreneurs, where the company does not have a registered domain name and members of the business must use a personal email account for communications. But all recruiters for large organizations should be using a company registered email account for outreach and receipt of applications. Multiple Errors Exist in the Text, Email and Web Address Domains in fraudulent email addresses will often be one letter off from the company name to make the contact information seem legitimate upon the first quick glance. If a web address is secure, it will have the https prefix, but the ‘s’ will be missing for a web address that is not secured. Capitalization, spelling and grammatical errors will be common in all areas of a phony posting. Your Personal Information is Requested Never provide any employer with financial information such as credit card or bank account details. Fraudulent employers may require you to wire money to an address in an obscure foreign country or meet up in person before you send your application. For this reason, we recommend that you do not include your full street address on your resume. Providing the city and state will be enough. For additional research on a job or internship posting beyond a Google or LinkedIn search visit Glassdoor, a website where employees and former employees anonymously submit reviews of their overall experience working for the company. Multiple reports of fraudulent actions should not be ignored. There is endless information in today’s digital space, so make sure you are equipped to sift through it with curiosity and skepticism during your job or internship search. If you come across a fraudulent posting by an employer or company representative please let us know by emailing us at [email protected] so we can be on the lookout for them.
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It’s no secret that internships provide real world experience in a student’s field and give them a good idea of the pros and cons of a particular position. In the Marist Class of 2017, 83 percent of students participated in one or more internships by the time they graduated and many students credited their internship as a primary reason they were hired for their first job out of school. But like any form of work experience, internships come in many shapes and sizes: paid, unpaid, credit bearing, required, and elective are just a few. More recently, a combination of the growing U.S. labor market and lower unemployment rates have decreased the number of unpaid internships. 43 percent of internships were unpaid in 2017 compared to about half in 2012 According to a survey conducted by the National Association for Colleges and Employers (NACE) cited in a recent Wall Street Journal article, 43 percent of internships were unpaid in 2017 compared to about half in 2012. Furthermore, the average hourly internship wage increased by 3.7 percent in 2018. In 2014, the average hourly wage for an intern was $16, while now it has jumped to $18.73.
The United States Senate recently put in a bid to allocate $5 million to pay its interns. If approved by the House of Representatives, the money will become available at the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1. In January 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor rolled out a primary beneficiary test to determine if an individual can be classified as an unpaid intern. Factors considered in the test include the extent to which the internship provides training that would be similar to that given in an educational environment and the extent to which the internship is tied to the intern's formal education program by integrated coursework or the receipt of academic credit. From the recruiter’s perspective, the goal of some internships has evolved from low cost labor into ensuring a pipeline of young talent for entry level positions. Paying interns can also lead to retaining talent in a certain geographic location and attracting more economically diverse students. Economic demands on students can discourage them from applying to or accepting an unpaid internship regardless of the prestige of the company or value of the experience. Many unpaid internship programs often involve relocation, which is difficult for such a short period of time. If students cannot find dormitory or other temporary housing or stay with a friend or relative already living in the area, they are out of luck. Some employers provide a stipend for commuting, food, or other living costs, but even that doesn’t cover most of their financial needs to live in a city or surrounding suburbs. Students also often pay out of pocket to receive academic credit for their internship, which is a steep price if they are not under scholarship. If they feel determined enough to seize an unpaid internship opportunity, students may take out loans or work part-time second jobs just to break even financially. Despite the national decrease in unpaid internships, companies may still only offer internships for academic credit rather than any form of financial compensation. The Marist College Center for Career Services does not recommend accepting an internship that is neither paid nor for academic credit. Interning under these circumstances would make the student ineligible for the college’s or employer’s insurance policy. Either way, from a legal perspective it is the student’s responsibility to make sure their internship is registered with either the employer or the college. The staff members in the Center for Career Services are available all summer long to assist you with internship planning for the upcoming academic year. Use these guides for reference when registering your internship in FoxQuest. Note that international students should follow a slightly different process. This post was produced with the help of an article by Chris Enstrom, Federal Jobs: Working for Uncle Sam, which has been featured in the Marist College Center for Career Services Career Planning Guide. The guide is produced annually with the help of College Recruitment Media. The last 4th of July fireworks have been set off and maybe you have a long weekend ahead of you. While celebrations of the United States of America are likely to continue for the next few days, it’s a good time to consider searching for and applying to a job within the federal government.
The U.S. federal government is the largest employer in this country, offering career opportunities to create new technology and shape policy, programs, and services that have a worldwide impact on diverse group of people. With hundreds of agencies nested under branches of the government, there is usually a high demand for federal employees that hold degrees in various fields. Positions are often available in multiple locations. Federal jobs are divided into competitive service and excepted service positions. Competitive service positions are subject to civil service laws passed by Congress and applicants are awarded points based on education, experience, and other predetermined standards. Similar to the private sector, excepted service positions have their own qualification requirements set by the agency itself. Many positions in the Federal Reserve, Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency are excepted service positions for example. Regardless of the category, most types of federal jobs offer valuable benefits such as health insurance, life insurance, flexible spending accounts, social security, and more. Typically, the federal hiring process can stretch out for two to six months so we recommend that you apply for federal jobs at least two semesters before your graduation date. Here are some tips to guide you before and during the federal job application process. Know What You Want The federal government offers a wide variety of positions across multiple fields. What factors are most important to you in a job? What skills do you have to offer a federal employer? Does your personality and work style align well with the environment and workforce conditions associated with the position and agency? Exploring these questions will help you utilize the search filters on websites with federal job listings and find a position that truly excites you. Search a Variety of Websites The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has a lot of information for anyone interested in applying for federal jobs including employment trends, salary ranges and benefits. USA Jobs is a portal for federal employment and contains thousands of job listings. All competitive service positions must be posted on USA Jobs and many excepted service positions are featured on this website. Also consider visiting websites of other agencies that are not directly associated with your field of study. Check out a list of other resources for finding a federal job on our website. Follow Instructions Closely Make sure you meet the qualifications for both the agency and position. Federal job postings are often longer and more detailed than those in the corporate or non-profit sector, so make sure to read all of the sections carefully. Working within a system and following a defined chain of command is paramount in any federal job, so keep that in mind throughout your application. You may need additional documents, clearance, or evaluations from other groups in order to proceed, and your application may not be processed if you do not follow every requirement in the order in which it is presented. Make Sure You Have a Clean Record Additional security clearance is often needed for applicants to advance to the next round of interviews or other evaluations. Federal employers will not consider someone they deem even the slightest risk to their operation. And, as always, keep your social media accounts and online presence pristine. Your digital space will be thoroughly examined and form a first impression with federal officials. Be Patient There are additional hiring steps within the federal government to ensure an equal and fair assessment for all candidates. The sheer number of applicants may also cause delays in the initial hiring timeline, but hopefully it will be worth the wait. |
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