Not all recruiters but dude I’m sick of the ones that resort to high pressure sales tactics
First off, there are COUNTLESS job scams out there but they’re especially common if you’re looking for remote work so my guard is ALWAYS up.
Well Im currently applying and a recruiter called me (from an unknown number obviously).
From firsthand experience, I’ve learned to be EXTRA skeptical if I get a call from a recruiter for a job I did NOT apply for. Red flag #1
And look, I don’t mean to be unkind, but English was not his first language, which is fine by me but I could not understand him and had to ask him to repeat himself multiple times. It was extremely awkward and difficult to communicate with him. And the harsh reality is that a language barrier is not great for building trust or rapport.
Then he tells me about a job opportunity but is very obviously trying to “close the deal” by getting me to apply. I’ve done sales before and he was trying to “impulse” me into wanting this job. The language barrier combined with him rushing me was red flag #2
I didn’t immediately say no because I wanted to keep my options open. I just went through with the first steps of applying so I could review the opportunity later and get off the phone.
After thinking about it, I started to seriously question whether I wanted to pursue it any further. The pay would’ve been great but the whole thing seems like a scam, no health benefits and it’s in the real estate industry, which I don’t want to work in.
In hindsight, I should’ve just emailed him “never mind please withdraw my application” but I still hadn’t fully decided.
The next day, he texts me “Hi [My name]” which I found unprofessional for a recruiter to send such an informal text like that?
And then immediately calls me to schedule an interview. I said “I thought about it and don’t want this anymore” and then he WOULDNT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER.
He seemed SO UPSET and was like “you’re not going to find another job that pays this much in this market”
And I’m thinking to myself “No shit Sherlock! This job is obviously a scam. If the company is able to offer that much $$ then they should be able to offer benefits and use an experienced recruiter who doesn’t pressure people through the application”
I’m sure he’s following a sales process that the recruiting company teaches him, and his behavior is prob “normal” in the recruiting world but I don’t think this shit should be normal.
This is my career. This isn’t a phone plan or used car. Stop trying to sell me a job and push me into a decision.
And also it should NOT be normal for recruiters to text/call applicants out of the blue without sending an email first. It’s pushy because they call and then you feel pressured to give them an answer right there on the phone.
Well I learned some lessons from it. If a recruiter calls me out of the blue, I’ll just ask them to send an email so I can review on my own.