Source
r/AskNYC•
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Recruiters from New Jersey: is this a scam?

I've been looking for an entry-level Python or Java developer job (I'm switching careers), and so I've been using all of the websites I know. I often get calls from unenthusiastic-sounding, [supposedly] NJ-based recruiters whose accents I can barely understand about jobs I never applied for that require experience I don't have for technologies I've never used. I'm okay with commuting from Brooklyn to Jersey City, and there's nothing wrong with accents, but it's a bit suspicious that every recruiter from NJ that I have spoken to has a foreign accent and is offering jobs I never applied to. I've given information to three or four of these guys, and I feel like that has just led to me receiving spam.

Is this a scam, and if so, what is the scam? And how do I find a real entry-level job and avoid these folks? Should I just ignore anything that's in New Jersey?

Posted Feb 22, 2016, 5:46 PM UTC

410
No1Asked4MyOpinion•

Oftentimes it's a scam. Oftentimes it's tech recruiters not caring at all about what you're looking for or your qualifications; instead of actually trying they simply send a stream of applicants hoping one of them sticks (going quantity over quality).

3
PHC_Tech_Recruiter•

Piggy-backing off of this; if it's a new or shitty recruiter, they'll do a search based off key words scraped off your resume and hit a list of buzz words to check off their list. A new/shitty recruiter who has no relationships on the client/company side can/may/will throw whoever they can, but if they really value the time of themselves, the candidate/job-seeker, and the client/company then they won't do this.

They/we will do a tech screen call, to determine your techstack/skills, communication skills, and any other relevant info for us to construct a profile/narrative when you've expressed interest in a client/opportunity; essentially we're making the introduction and "selling" you on why they (the client) should/need to speak to you.

As a recruiter, very rarely, does a company have to use a recruiter to find any entry level candidates, since they get them by the boat-loads. It's only when they are tight on time, need to hire immediately and need to wade through the mountains of resumes and profiles and find a few good profiles quickly and efficiently.

If you have any questions and want to pick a junior recruiters brain, feel free to contact/PM me!

Good luck with your search!

1
DayPass•

Sounds like they are phishing. How much of your personal info did you give out?

There are job recruiting scams so be careful: http://www.bbb.org/blog/2015/08/fake-job-offer-is-really-a-phishing-scam/

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burlap_pterodactyl•

There are real tech employers in NJ, especially Jersey City. There's a tech temp agency or two there. I haven't heard anything good or bad about them, I just know they exist.

However if all of the calls you're getting from there seem fishy, it's safe to ignore them. There are way more jobs in NYC anyway.

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sokpuppet1•

Never pay any money up front for a job and never provide your bank account or social security number until you've actually been hired and are confident the request comes from the HR department of a real existing company.

2
g0pats•

Tech recruiters are real

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Convergecult15•

To piggy back, New Jersey is also real.

4
tilapiadated•

People keep saying this yet they're never willing to post proof.

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potatolicious•

Probably not a scam, just low-end recruiters - there are a lot of low-rent warm-body software consultancies in NJ that trawl the bottom of the tech industry for people willing to work long hours for shit pay on temp contracts, and a halo of recruiters that serve them.

As a developer also, some possibly unsolicited advice: there are two sides of tech, "top tech" and everyone else. Once you end up in the latter bucket it's very difficult to jump to the other side. These low-rent consultancies are very, very firmly in the latter camp. Beware.

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hessproject•

Do you have your resume on dice or similar sites? If so, get used to these.

"Hello!!! and greetings! I have requirement for great super JAVA DEVELOPER POSITION IN (insert city). Please contact with update resume to ([email protected])" and they'll usually leave a voicemail too.

These recruiters just spam resumes and typically don't have many connections with industry people. A GOOD recruiter can be a really great tool in finding a tech position though so if they actually personalize their call ("hey I saw this on your resume/linkedin/portfolio and I think it would be a fit for a position we have that also requires such and such experience but they're looking for younger talent, give me a call back") it's probably legit. If it's a generic ("Hello I have position!") it's probably not worth your time

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