SINGAPORE: A woman has taken to Reddit to ask why so many companies advertise seemingly normal job openings, only to offer her a financial advisor (FA) position instead.
In a post on r/askSingapore, she wrote that she was “sick and tired” of being shortlisted for roles she actually wanted, only to discover that the company was trying to recruit her as an FA.
“They won’t even bother to pretend to talk about the original job posting you applied for!” she exclaimed. “There are 100+ candidates who applied to the job posting. Are they scamming all of them?”
She added that some companies even reached out to her first, claiming to have positions that matched her degree and required “two years of experience.” “I’ve heard my friends all had this experience, and many people on Glassdoor have left similar reviews for numerous companies. Why are they doing this, and is there any way to ensure the job posting is legitimate? How do you spot these companies?”
“Usually, the listing will say ‘no experience needed, minimum 21 years old.’”
In the comments, one Singaporean Redditor said that, unfortunately, there is no foolproof way to determine if a job listing is legitimate. However, they can often spot suspicious postings just by examining the organization’s name.
“I’d say a good indicator is if the organization is named after someone, e.g., the John Tan Organisation or even MARYLIM Organisation,” they wrote.
Another commenter pointed out that the phrasing of a job listing can also be revealing. “Usually, the listing will say ‘no experience needed, minimum 21 years old.’ To me, that raises red flags that it’s an FA/FC posting. Generally, normal jobs will say something like ‘experience in XXX is preferred,’” they said.
A third Redditor listed additional warning signs job seekers should watch for:
- Listings that include words like “marketing” or “consultancy” in the title
- Promise a suspiciously high salary for an “admin role”
- Require no prior experience
“Google searching the location can also give some hints,” they continued. “Once, I Googled it, and the building turned out to be Prudential.”
Bait-and-Switch Tactic
According to Prevue HR, a leading provider of job-fit compatibility assessments, this practice is known as a “bait-and-switch” tactic. It refers to situations where the role offered differs significantly from what was advertised, often leaving candidates surprised or misled.
For example, a position may promise creative responsibilities but offer little opportunity for innovation, require far longer hours than stated, or differ significantly in salary and other key terms. In some cases, a listing may advertise a “marketing executive” role, only for candidates to be told during the interview that the position is actually for a financial advisor.
