5 Ways to Avoid Entry Level Marketing Job Scams

Listen up college grads… don’t get caught wasting your time in an “entry level” marketing job scam.

1. If the company sounds fake and has a fake name… run.

The first way to figure out if a company is a scam is its name. Any agency that uses the word “Management,” “[city name] + Promotions,” or “Concepts” in its name… mighttttt be a scam.

The words Management, Promotions, and Concepts are fluff words, and are often used to attract young adults because it makes the company sound legit, important, and exciting. It’s scamming 101.

If you’ve never heard of this company before, there might be a reason for that.

Also – if it has anything to do with the “Sports Entertainment” industry… it’s 98% likely to be a scam sales position. Unless the company hiring is an actual brand (ESPN for example.)

2. If the job description sounds awesome and fits your background to a T – walk away.

You’re reading the job description and saying to yourself “wow, this job was literally meant for me!” Sorry to ruin your day, there is a reason it sounds that way. If it sounds like a great time, unlimited potential, growth, the sky is the limit… chances are it’s too good to be true, and you’re on your way to selling bulls^*t marketing campaigns door to door.

3. Do your research

Research the company before you even consider applying to this “dream job.”

Some things to consider:

• How long has this company been around for?
• How many employees do they show on LinkedIn?
• When was their Twitter account created? In the last 6 months.. and they have 15 jobs available because they are a GROWING FIRM!? Scam.
• Create a Glassdoor account and read up on reviews, salaries, etc. If the company has really bad reviews – chances are their reputation of being a scam and total waste of your time has caught up to them. But, watch out as they probably just changed their name to something else in the meantime.
• If all the positive reviews are within the last 4-6 months and they sound fake – they most likely are. If they use words like “unlimited potential for growth” or “great group of friendly people,” yet they only have 5-10 employees listed on LinkedIn… it’s a scam.
• If somewhere in the job description it says “make your own hours” it’s a scam.
• If the company has multiple job postings that all sound extremely similar… scam
• This is a marketing agency right? They should know how to grow a following on social. But, if they have less than 100-150 followers on ANY social account, it’s a scam!!! You know how easy it is to have a least 100 followers? Sheesh

4. If you made it to the interview and…

• The person interviewing is telling you they’ve already been promoted once or twice after just 3 months… it’s a scam
• If the person interviewing is doing more selling of the position instead of actually interviewing you… it’s a scam
• The office consists of 300-500 sq ft with a waiting room, conference room, and 1 or 2 “offices,” smells like it has new paint and a cool knock off logo when you walk in… you make the call on that one.
• If there are 3 -4 other people ages 21-23 in the office, dressed to the nine, waiting to be interviewed as well… just walk out.
• If the most senior person is younger than 25… it’s probably a scam
• If the position is 100% commission based… it’s s scam (you might as well start your own agency and work for yourself)
• If the whole interview process seems too easy... it’s a scam
• You hear back within 2 hours regarding a second interview. “Manager X loved your energy and they want to move you onto the next round…” it’s a scam
• The next round is you “going out in the field…” What??? Now you’re selling vacuums door to door, WTF I thought this was a marketing position. Scam..

5. The truth about the future of marketing agencies

Unfortunately, there is no barrier to entry for someone to start their own Marketing Agency. Because of this, the industry is EXTREMELY SATURATED.

In addition to that, a lot of big corporations and brands are making the shift to in-house marketing teams, leaving outside marketing agencies struggling to find new clients.

This being the trend, you may want to look for an internship with an actual company/brand, rather than start on the agency side. I have seen a lot of people in the industry make the jump from agency to brand, and it’s becoming more and more common to see.

Don’t get me wrong, there are PLENTY of legitimate agencies out there. Of those, almost all will have a list of clients and case studies. This is something you should be looking for when researching a company you’re looking to join.

Overall these companies are pretty easy to sniff out. But, if you get roped in and tricked… do not feel bad about leaving and walking out IMMEDIATELY!

Be careful out there…

Cheers!

Dan