Keeping Yourself Safe with Job Applications
When you have been successful in gaining a job and start work, there are various things in place to ensure that you are protected, in the environment that you work in, regardless of its location. But you need to be vigilant, to ensure your safety even in the job application stage.
Job Applications
In the past you would hear people of a certain age say that they could walk into a business and be offered a job. Nowadays though, the job application process is much different, and most jobs require an online application and a CV to be uploaded. Employers need this information to make an informed decision about which candidates to short-list. But it is still crucial to stay safe online. There are several ways you can help to keep yourself safe online with job applications:
Visit Reputable Online Jobsites
Visit online recruitment sites that you know are trusted, such as LinkedIn, Indeed, and well-known companies: the NHS, local councils, Universities, Colleges and Schools etc. If the company is well-known nationally and has its own website, this can be trusted. When you use good trustworthy sites, you have a better understanding hat the job is legitimate, but if you have any feeling that something is not right, do not continue with the application.
Data Protection Rights
Do carefully read the site’s Privacy Policy to see what will be done with your CV and how the information on it will be stored and used after the job applications, you want to ensure that the information on it is not shared with anyone else (sometimes termed a third party).
Don’t Provide Unnecessary Data for Hackers
We naturally provide a lot of data online, and it often doesn’t raise any red flags or alarm bells for us; but always be alert. When you are applying for online jobs, there is personal data that job applications do not require. This can apply to things like your date of birth; gender; and your mother’s maiden name. You also shouldn’t need to include any financial information, until you have a firm job offer and they need to know that information to pay you. You will naturally be asked to provide contact details such as an address, email, and phone number, because they will want to check you live in the UK, and to have details to invite you to interview if shortlisted. But, if you are asked for anything that doesn’t seem right, then investigate this with them and online, to ensure they are a legitimate company.
Keep Track of Your Job Applications
When you are frantically job searching you can send out a lot of applications; but it’s good advice to keep track of these in a note-book or online documents. By doing this, when you are invited for an interview, you know for certain that it has come from one of the places you have applied to. If you are ever offered a job that seems too good to be true, then it most likely is a scam! Do ensure that you are constantly on the look out for this. Emails from scammers are often very informal in tone and may claim that they have got your details from a recruitment agency and that you seem a perfect fit for the role. Only attend interviews, where you are certain you have applied for a specific job there.
SAFERJobs
SAFERJobs has been created by the Metropolitan Police and gives advice to people applying for jobs to stay clear of fake job boards or illegal websites, it is supported by the government.
Apply for a Basic DBS Check
If you are applying for jobs, it could be worth your while to request a Basic DBS Check for yourself to take along to interviews, or to put that you have this on your application forms. It lets the prospective employer know that you are trustworthy and do not have a criminal background and could help with your job search. Dependent upon the job role, if you are successful, you may need to do a Standard or Enhanced DBS Check for the role once appointed.
It is vital when applying for online jobs, as with anything online, to always be alert, and only give information to trusted reputable sites, and only the information required. If you ever have any doubts, trust your instincts, and do not proceed with the application.
