Job Newsgroups
Part II
How can I tell what the topic is?
The addresses for newsgroups are arranged in hierarchies,
which give you some indication. For example, nyc.jobs.contract
is for contract jobs, nyc.jobs is for direct jobs,
and both are exclusively for New York City. On the other hand, some are not as
straightforward. While it's easy to see that pdaxs.jobs.computers
is for computer jobs, it is not immediately clear that the jobs are in Portland,
Oregon, until you visit the group.
Your newsgroup application may allow you to download descriptions for groups which supply them. But, many descriptions are vague. Funny how some moderators are so anal about what is posted, yet many have irresponsibly overlooked providing decent descriptions of their groups, if at all. They also fail to post frequently-asked questions (FAQ) often enough. In these cases, study the messages.
Be aware that there are some tactless people participating, who attempt to ruin it for everybody with moronic, profane and misleading messages, especially in the unmoderated groups.
What about privacy?
Newsgroups are valuable resources in the job hunt, if you know what
precautionary measures to take. They are generally wide open and unregulated.
Your message is available for all to see, so never give out your full name,
phone number and street address. For example, when posting your résumé,
provide only your email address. Recruiters and employers know to
contact you by email if they're interested.
Don't post your references either. If you violate their privacy, you may not have them as references for long! If employers want to see your references, they will ask.
As I mentioned earlier, opportunists and con artists post to newsgroups. Even if a group is moderated, some of these posts might slip through. Unfortunately, there are "job" newsgroups which allow scams and schemes, moderated or not. Think twice about posting or replying in these groups. Once the vultures have your email address, they'll distribute it all over the Net as a hot opportunity for thousands of spammers.
Speaking of spammers, posting messages to newsgroups makes you vulnerable. I guarantee that you will receive junk email, offering everything from hardcore porno to a Scottish Lordship; all for a fee, of course. Apparently, some spammers have never heard of target marketing. But email is cheap, so they don't mind wasting your time and Internet bandwidth.
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It's a good idea to use a second or temporary email address for posting to job newsgroups. Your Internet provider may offer an additional address for free. You can also apply for a free email account at sites such as HotMail. To find more, visit the Free Email Providers Guide. |
For information about combating spam, visit the links at the Directory of Spam-Fighting Information and Resources. For more information about privacy, visit Anonymity and Privacy on the Internet.
What are some job newsgroup scams to avoid?
Con artists take advantage of innocence, and thrive on our dreams and desires
for easy money and the good life. The most-common "opportunities"
offered in newsgroups (and resulting spam) are for multilevel
marketing (MLM), work-at-home jobs, and other fantastic-sounding schemes,
such as selling reports and distributing chain letters. You can generally
identify these rip-offs by the absurd income they
suggest you'll make, the wishy-washy "proof" they offer, the fee they
require, and the tacky, tabloid-style overuse of punctuation and uppercase
characters; e.g, Make $$$THOUSANDS$$$ AT HOME!!! But, some are more
cleverly disguised.
To protect yourself, assume all solicitations via the Internet are scams, because most are. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If it requires an investment or fee, ignore it. Only the creators of scams make real money. For you to make any money at all, you must suck in others, as you were sucked in. There is no "inside job scoop" worth a fee. Genuine employers and reputable recruiters do not charge job seekers, period. In fact, it is outlawed in some states.
For more information, see Internet ScamBusters.
Comments, suggestions or questions? Found a great career resource and want to share it? Want to network and discuss technical job searching, employment, and careers with others? Send feedback, or go to the chat room or bulletin board, all open 24 hours daily.
JSN
Job Searching - Technical supports
Equal-Opportunity Employment
Clipart courtesy of Microsoft
Clipart Gallery Live.
Copyright © 1998, J. Steven
Niznik. All Rights Reserved.
