Is that remote job real? Check these 3 things before you apply
If you've applied to a pile of remote jobs and heard nothing back, it isn't always you. Some postings stay up long after the job is filled. Some are copied from one job board to another. And some were never real at all.
You can't fix that, but you can stop spending your evenings on them. Before you apply, take two minutes to check three things.
1. Find the job on the company's own careers page
Look the company up yourself, not through a link in the posting or a message, and find its careers page. If the job is there, with a normal way to apply, that's a good sign.
If it's only on a job board, be careful. It might be old, copied from somewhere else, or not real. Scammers sometimes borrow the names of real companies, so finding the company isn't enough. Find the job.
2. Check when it was posted
A posting that's a few days or weeks old is normal. One that's been up for months, or keeps getting reposted, may not be hiring at all. Some companies leave postings up to collect résumés for later, or just forget to take them down.
An older posting can still be real. It's just worth checking the careers page first, and keeping your hopes in proportion.
3. Check where it says you can live
"Remote" doesn't always mean "from anywhere." Plenty of remote jobs only hire people who live in one province or state, or a short list of them, usually for tax and employment law reasons.
Look for the location in the posting, often near the bottom. If it doesn't say, ask in your first conversation:
"Which provinces or states can this job be based in?"
"The role is remote" doesn't answer that question. Keep asking until you know where you're allowed to live while doing the job.
If anyone asks you to pay, walk away
Real employers don't ask you to pay for equipment, training, a background check or software. They also won't ask you to deposit a cheque and send some of the money back.
Here's the kind of message to watch for:
"Hi! I'm a recruiter with a well-known health company. Remote role, $45/hour, flexible hours. No interview needed. A small equipment fee is refunded with your first paycheque."
Almost everything in it is a red flag: it came out of the blue, the pay is high for no interview, and there's a fee. Don't reply. Look the company up yourself and check its own careers page.
Other warning signs:
- A "recruiter" texts you or messages you on WhatsApp or Telegram about a job you never applied for.
- The recruiter uses a personal email address instead of the company's.
- You're pushed to decide quickly.
If you think you've seen a job scam, you can report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or the US Federal Trade Commission. Both also explain the common job scams to watch for.
Check the next one
Save this, and run the three checks on the next remote job before you apply. A few real applications go further than a pile of ones that were never open.
The posting, the company and the message in the video are made-up examples.
From the course: these checks come from Pursue and Confirm in the Remote Escape Plan, where you find a few real opportunities and ask the questions that matter before you commit. The first step, Reflect, is free.