Be safe when jobseeking

What should I know?

Most efforts to find work are straightforward. You see a job opportunity in your Jobcentre Plus office, on the Internet or through a newspaper advertisement and you apply. However, no matter how the job has been advertised, it is always your responsibility to protect your own safety. There are a few simple common-sense rules that you should remember when applying for jobs or when going to interviews. Keeping to these rules should help to keep your search for a job safe and trouble-free.

What you should do

• Find out as much as you can about the company before the interview, especially if there are no details in the job advert.
• Always be careful about applying for jobs that seem to offer a wage that is over and above the going rate for that particular type of work.
• For jobs that offer accommodation with them, always make sure you check out the accommodation before accepting the job. If possible, don't go alone, even if this means a friend or family member has to wait outside for you.
• Try to arrange for someone to collect you from the interview, especially if it takes place outside working hours.
• Tell a friend or relative where you are going and what time you expect to be back.
• Make sure that the interview takes place at the employer's premises or, if not, in a suitable public place.

What you should not do

• Never give an employer your personal financial details until you actually start the job.
• Don't agree to continue an interview over drinks or a meal, even if it seems to be going very well.
• Don't let the interviewer direct the conversation towards personal subjects that have nothing to do with the job.
• Don't accept a lift home from the interviewer.

 Help with job interviews (146.76kb)

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