Warning: Avoid the dangers of online job search

Online job search can be a convenient and quick way to look for career options. However, because the Internet is so difficult to police, it's up to job seekers to do due diligence and check out the job sites they are going to use
ahead of time. It's important to know that you absolutely don't ever have to pay for job listings. Here are some things to watch out for when you are looking into job search sites:

Check Out the Site Before You Sign Up

Before you sign up for any job site that charges a fee, take a few minutes to check it out. Check the RipOff
Report, Google the company name along the words "scam" "credit card"
and "fraud." Check the fine print in the user agreement to see how and
when you can get a refund. Check how easy - or difficult - it is to
cancel.

Bad Job Site Warning Signs

Sites That Charge a Fee. You don't need to pay a fee to access job listings online. Just about every job posting there is online is
available absolutely free. So, be very cautious about sites that charge
you for job postings.

Promises Exclusive Listings. Promising exclusive listings from company websites doesn't make a whole lot of sense. First of all, the
job is obviously posted on the company site for anyone to see. You can
find it that way and there's nothing exclusive about it. You can also
use a free
job search engine to find those exact same "exclusive" job listings
- direct from the company site.

New Job Postings Every Minute. This one they can do. But, so can any other job search engine, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other resources. New
jobs are posted all the time, and they are indexed online as soon as
they are listed. Again, you don't need to pay for that service.

Promises You a Job - Fast. A site that suggests that job seekers can find a job within a day or two is one to watch out for. The hiring
process usually takes significantly long than that, and it's a rare
occurrence when a candidate gets hired that quickly.

Locks You into a Service Agreement. Getting taken advantage and having to pay for job listings you don't need to is bad enough. It's
even worse when you're locked into a monthly service agreement that can
be difficult to cancel. Imagine having to cancel any online agreement
by phone, when you signed up online? There are sites, really, where you
have to call to cancel.

The Fine Print. Lots of fine print in the user agreement can be a job site red flag. When there are lots of terms and conditions for getting a refund, for cancelling the service, and for using the
service, read them carefully - before you sign up.

What You Find on Google. When you search Google using the job site name and come up with lots of bad stuff like RipOff Report warnings from
users who can't cancel, who get extra charges billed to their credit
card, or who can't get refunds, pay attention to those warnings.

Source: http://jobsearch.about.com/od/jobsdatabases/a/badjobsites.htm