In a tough economy, many job seekers look for an edge in obtaining a quality position with a good company. That search can lead individuals to educational improvement opportunities and skill training programs that enhance hirability. Sometimes, it can also lead to companies that peddle hiring materials already offered for free by the chosen employer.
Study guides usually contain useful information to help a person obtain employment. A company interested in bringing new people into the fold will generally provide guidelines and sample material to prepare applicants for the hiring process. Other, unrelated companies can obtain that material, package it with a list of currently available job opportunities with benefits and the promise of getting hired, and sell the combination as a job-winning success package. The only success in these programs is the money the company rakes in from people buying their material.
If a company is hiring new employees, they will make that information available for free to interested individuals. It isn’t necessary to buy a list of current openings. If someone is interested in job opportunities with the Postal Service, all they have to do is go to www.usps.com/employment to find out what’s available. There are no hidden fees or charges for access to the information, and there are free study materials available to help with the testing process.
Always keep in mind that there is no source of information offered for sale that can guarantee a job opportunity or high test scores. Use this as a gauge to determine if any particular offer of information is a scam.
What other potential employment scams have you come across?
Your Postal Blog 
Grannybunny
/ April 12, 2013I don’t agree that all fee-based programs to assist applicants in obtaining employment are scams. When I wanted to become a career employee at USPS — I was a Casual for 18 months before the Battery 470 was offered — I first attended a 1/2-day free test preparation seminar sponsored by a for-profit organization and recommended by the Hispanic Emphasis group (but open to all). It was so good that — as a result — I took an extensive course from that same group, at a cost of $495.00, with a guarantee that we would “ace the test,” which was defined as making a score of 90 or better. For that price, we got an additional, extensive, one-day seminar, voluminous study materials in hard-copy, cassette tape and videotape formats and an 800 number to call anytime for assistance in qualifying for employment. The preparation was excellent. I live in a major metropolitan area and had to take the test 7 times, in order to qualify for all of the surrounding suburbs in which I was willing to work. My scores ranged from 93.4 to 99.5, and I was very quickly interviewed in 3 separate towns and hired in the one of my choice. In my new employee orientation were many of my co-students from the study program. All my life, I have had a major mental block about memorization, and — without the skills taught in this course — I never would have passed the address-memorization portion of the exam. I still have the materials and have used them several times to help prepare other prospective Postal employees, all very successfully. The organization, however, is no longer in business.
Jonn
/ April 19, 2013I wish we didn’t have to worry about scammers out there so that we can actually trust people and businesses looking to sell their stuff without worrying about getting taken advantage of.
Do you folks think that will ever change? I certainly hope so. If the scammers would just take a fraction of the effort they put into scamming and put it into something that contributes to society, I think the world would be a lot better off.
Aldwin Seromines
/ April 25, 2013Always keep in mind that there is no source of information offered for sale that can guarantee a job opportunity or high test scores.These is great looking forward to read more.