The University of Louisiana at Monroe
Career Connections & Experiential Education

If you're an alumnus of ULM, please read this information first.

Off-Campus Job Posting Disclaimer

The University of Louisiana Monroe Career Connection & Experiential Education resources are provided free of charge to employers and to student job seekers. All hiring and compensation for work performed by student employees is handled directly between the student and the employer. Career Connection & Experiential Education does not perform background checks on students applying for jobs, nor on employers posting job opportunities. Employers and students are encouraged to request reference information from each other as needed to establish qualifications, credentials and overall fit between the employer and the student applicant.

All job listings are posted at the discretion of Career Connection & Experiential Education. We will not post jobs that appear to discriminate against applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, national origin, disabled or Vietnam Era veteran status, sexual orientation, disability, or gender. Career Connection & Experiential Education reserves the right to refuse to post jobs that do not support the interest of the University.

The University of Louisiana Monroe makes no representation or guarantee about positions listed by Career Connection & Experiential Education. Career Connection & Experiential Education provides a referral service. We are not responsible for safety, wages, working conditions, or other aspects of off-campus employment. It is the responsibility of the student to perform due diligence in researching the integrity of the employers when applying for or accepting private off-campus employment. The student is advised to use caution and common sense when applying to any position with an organization or private party. It is suggested students do not go alone to a residential address to apply for a job and not put themselves in a vulnerable situation. Even the best job opportunity is not worth jeopardizing personal safety.

Many job seekers can be vulnerable to con artists and scams, especially those who have been looking for a long time. You may have heard the term phishing. Phishing scams usually involve a con artist posing as a legitimate business in order to obtain personal or financial information. Unfortunately, many people have fallen into such scams. Follow these general principles to conduct a safer job search. We’ve included some tips and information on jobs search scams and some things to watch for to protect yourself:

How to identify a scam

• You must give your credit card or bank account numbers, or copies of personal documents - but you get nothing in writing.
• You must send payment by wire service or courier.
• You are offered a large payment or reward in exchange for allowing the use of your bank account - often for depositing checks or transferring money.
• You receive an unexpectedly large check.

Visit www.privacyrights.org for more details.

Protect Your Personal and Private Information
You should not provide your credit card number, bank account number or PIN number over the phone or on-line. Many job applications will ask you to provide your Social Security number and date of birth, but this information is not solicited over the phone or email. This information is typically a part of a formal job application that candidates complete in writing, often on the day of their first in-person interview.

Always know who you're sharing personal information with -- and how it will be used. If someone asks for this sensitive information, get the person’s name, the company they work for and the phone number. You can then research the company to see if they are legitimate. Many people check through websites like the Better Business Bureau and local Chambers of Commerce. If you contact the company directly, you can ask if the person actually works there. Don't share personal information unless you are confident that the person and the company they work for are legitimate.

Protect Your Money
Most recruiting services should be of no cost to you, so if someone asks you for money in exchange for finding you a job, keep in mind that job leads or a job itself, should not be of cost to you. If you decide to use a career coach, resume writer or background-checking service, understand that there will likely be a fee involved with this and that you need to check references and get the agreed-upon fee in writing. Also, be very cautious of work-at-home scams that require an upfront financial investment or fee.

What happens if you discover you’ve been scammed?
You want to take action immediately. If you have shared sensitive information that may allow someone to steal your identity or access your finances, contact your bank and credit card companies immediately. You should also call the major credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. You will also want to file a police report at your local precinct. If you've been "phished," contact the "real" company and inform them that someone has been posing as a representative of their company.

These scams can be found in e-mails and posted on websites. The ultimate goal of these scams is to make money for the scammers. They can achieve this goal by:

• Selling the information they collect from you to spammers and identity thieves.
• Getting access to your bank account so they can take money out of it.
• Your cooperation in an illegal activity for their benefit, like receiving and then re-shipping stolen property.
• Having you send/transfer your money to them.

Unfortunately, this is not a complete list of scams as new ones come up regularly. Any website or job search/posting site could potentially have scammers using it. Some scammers are very good at what they do and can be hard to spot. The resources below can help you get more information on job search scams, how to spot them and how to avoid them.

Job Scam Resources

Job Scams - from Pam Dixon's World Privacy Forum
Scams and Schemes in Work and Employment Services - from Margaret Dikel's RileyGuide.com
FBI:
Internet Crime Schemes
Internet Crime Complaint Center - to report a scam
BBB:
BBB - Avoid Online Job Scams
BBB - 7 Red Flags Searching for Jobs Online
FindLaw - Job Search Fraud
FakeChecks.org - a fun, but useful approach, from the National Consumers League
Better Business Bureau
Federal Trade Commission
National White Collar Crime Center and
Your local Chamber of Commerce .

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