I got a message on LinkedIn about a job, it seems legit. The issue is as soon as I replied, she basically told me to apply as quickly as possible because it’s time sensitive.
I don’t know why this kind of rubs me the wrong way, I guess because I’m in a different time zone and I’m expected to literally drop everything for a job I might not even have an actual chance for.
Also she is the person who I would be working with, my potential future boss, and also the co owner of the company.
Am I overreacting? It just seems unnecessarily stressful idk. Also I’m very afraid of red flags now cause I ignored them at my last company and it was a nightmare.
Edit: I responded and asked some basic questions about the timezone/hours, and if applying in the next few hours would be ok, and she hasn’t responded in over an hour. Now I’m wondering if I should even bother applying :/
Rushing your decisions is a common red flag in scams. I’d say it’s probably enough of a red flag to stop talking with them. You can try to slow play things and if they continue to hound you then it’s almost certainly a scam. They’re probably going to do something like:
Ask you for money to purchase things you’ll need for your job (MLM/pyramid scheme)
Give you a large cheque, ask you to cash it, give a certain amount of the cash to someone, and keep the rest for yourself (cheque fraud).
I’m not really as worried about it being a scam, as I am about it being a toxic work environment idk … I’m very nervous
She is demanding before she is even your boss. It will only get worse from here.
See I was going to mention that but thought maybe it sounded egotistical. It’s weird that she is telling me what to do/commanding me before she is even my boss.
Idk if I have a problem with authority or something, or it’s just a red flag. I can honestly say I don’t know if I’ve ever had a boss that wasn’t at least a little bit sociopathic. The best one I’ve had basically just hid in his corner and let some nice lady supervise me.
It doesn’t sound like you do. Problem with authority and a problem with abused authority are two very different things. If you worked well under a kind boss then it’s clear you don’t have a problem with bosses, just with those that are demanding, commanding and micromanaging. Sounds to me like healthy boundaries for your mental health.
I wish someone would try the cheque one with me. I would cash it and keep it. I know usually the money gets pulled back but would be fun for a few minutes.
You know what, don’t ignore your instincts. Everytime I did I regreted.
Honestly, I feel like job interviews and applications always give me the fight or flight response. To be fair I’ve never really had a boss that wasn’t awful, so that could be why. Idk.
I think it’s a red flag because rushing you (without a valid, stated reason) is an attempt to override your instincts while pressuring you to take a certain action. Outside of safety-related situations, that kind of situation has never gone in my favor.
It’s either a scam or a hellscape.
Why not both 😃 ngl the job description seemed a tiny bit… PACKED if you will
#1 rule on LinkedIn when responding to recruiters - ask them what the pay, benefits and hours are before providing anything other than what’s on your public facing resume.
If the job offer is legit, they’ll respond quickly with real numbers. If they throw up some BS like “competitive pay dependent on experience”, then they’re either a scammer or someone who doesn’t have any real authority to actually hire you. They’ll try to string you along so you’re invested, and won’t balk when you find out their offer is below market rate. If they’re not up front in any way, or leave you hanging for basic information, let it go. They’ll just waste your time and energy, or put you in an untenable situation where you won’t be able to trust them if you do end up working for them.
Thanks for much for the advice!! She is basically trolling me at this point. I have (almost) no doubt it’s a legit company, they’re just complete pieces of shit. I guess if they weren’t they wouldn’t be separate double texting me then ignoring me for days lmao
I hope to god I can one day find a work environment that isn’t total garbage… not sure what fields that’s even possible in though. Even if the majority is good seems there’s always one bad apple that likes to stir shit up anyways.
The only time this happened to me (received the request via indeed) was when their current person was leaving (only one in that position and was integral for the company to run) and they would have to temporarily shut down if they didn’t have someone new in.
But they were very upfront about it and I had an in-person interview and tour of the place beforehand.
If the job is in the orange area, it’s likely a scam
If it’s in the red area, it’s very likely that you’ll get your papers taken from you, then sold to slavery (scam farms, casinos etc…)
Image: https://imgur.com/a/ZZ1VqTI
Not in those areas lol
It might occasionally be legit that an employer needs you to apply quickly.
But EVERY scam will say this.
You might just let this one go.
I got a message on LinkedIn about a job…
You can stop right there. That’s all the red flags you need.
My previous one was from someone reaching out via indeed. I only left because it was supposed to be a temporary thing while I found a career job. Worked out for what it was.
They may have a strict period when they are accepting applications. No idea about your employer but it happens quite often with public bodies and large corporations.
It’s more of like a small business/start up type of thing, but I guess they want to find the solution (employee) quickly for their client.
It sounds like they found themselves in a situation they are not prepared to handle, and they are attempting to rush you through a major decision to compensate. It may not be malicious or a scam, and it may be a fluke that is not indicative of the normal pace and handling of their business, but it does not signal a healthy well run organization. If you do choose to proceed, do so with some level of caution and awareness of that fact. Do not give them any money, and if they give you any information that alarms or frightens you, slow the process down to give your self more time to evaluate.
I’ve decided not to apply unless they respond at my basic communication attempt. I don’t want to work for someone that gets me excited about an opportunity and then doesn’t even bother following through at all.
I’ve found that jobs that are actually hiring move quickly. They move from applications to interview within a few days. Constant talking about within the hour seems excessive.
Tbh it’s weird cause last time I applied to a job like this they seemed super interested and I had the right experience but then they just ghosted me lol
I haven’t applied to anything in over a year
There’s so many different companies that are just resume hunting. Don’t know why really
Proceed with caution. It’d be a shame if you missed a good opportunity all because they just want to get you started soon, but keep an eye out for other flags, like having to pay for anything before you can start, or learning details about the job that don’t match the description in the job posting.
I’ve decided I won’t apply unless she responds to my basic attempt at communication. I don’t want to work for a boss like this.
Maybe they fired someone and want to replace them ASAP.
Ugh
It could also be that their hair is genuinely on fire and they need someone fast. You don’t always need to assume the worst. I’d be upfront and ask what the rush is. If they’re open about it and give sensible answers it may be OK. If they get pissy, walk away.
I mean they haven’t responded to me in over 2 hrs despite telling me to hurry TF up with my application so I guess they don’t need me anymore
maybe they just really need the help?
I mean… Idk it’s still sus. I’m leaning more towards they’re too picky and want the perfect candidate. The economic area they are based in is begging for job openings. I’m suspicious tbh, like what’s the catch?
The only thing I ever got from LinkedIn was scams. I’d bet this is a scam, sight unseen.
When they tell you the interview a teams-only text you’ll know for sure.
