Perhaps I\u2019m just really jaded. Maybe super suspicious. It could be that I have no faith in my fellow man. Or that I have too much faith in how shitty my fellow man can be. I don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n
I have a \u201cJob Offer\u201d. You’d think I\u2019d be whooping and hollering about it. The pay is good, the list of benefits is generous after a 90-day probationary period. They pay weekly! Nobody does that anymore.<\/p>\n
And yet\u2026<\/p>\n
Something \u201cfeels\u201d off.<\/p>\n
Granted, I spent a lot of time on their interview test and, according to the AI I ran it by, scored very highly from an AI\u2019s perspective. But I have yet to speak directly with someone, nor have I had any form of interview aside from their interview test.<\/p>\n
They offer a stipend to set up my home office. They sent a list of equipment that they call their setup.<\/p>\n
Trouble is, they\u2019re saying once I get their stipend I should buy these items locally. That\u2019s weird and their list is incomplete and specifies two items that are no longer available.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But they do list a Wi-Fi router.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Obviously, I have internet since we\u2019ve been communicating. What they don\u2019t specify is a required internet speed to connect to this router they think I don\u2019t have. In fact, I\u2019ve got no less than 3 routers, 2 of which are not in use. They specify a backup device but don\u2019t provide any specifications for that either.<\/p>\n
Their \u201cList\u201d specifies a $1600 Apple monitor, but does not specify a keyboard or mouse, and the computer they list doesn\u2019t come with either. Even the model printer they list is discontinued. The computer is a top-of-the-line Apple Studio or was two years ago. It\u2019s been superseded by two or three M-Series chipsets. And why that particular model? An Apple mini, or for that matter, a recent MacBook Air would be just as capable. Hell, my MacBook Pro is one chip generation beyond what they\u2019re listing.<\/p>\n
The thing is, most corporations are going to go as cheap as possible, and they\u2019re going to be Windows-based. M-Series chips are fantastic, they\u2019re fast, run generally cool, and are insanely powerful. But like it or not, the world runs on Windows. So why call for a very powerful Mac machine?<\/p>\n
A Mac Studio machine is, in every way, overkill for a simple QA job. Unless they expect compiling of software and perhaps load testing of a product in multiple instances of the application to be done locally.<\/p>\n
Even so, my MacBook can do what the M1 Studio could do, and I\u2019ve got maximum memory and hard drive in this unit.<\/p>\n
They wouldn\u2019t know that, and they\u2019ve never asked what my setup here is. \u00a0For all they know, I\u2019m running a dial-up modem at 1200 baud. Even my 4-year-old Epson ink tank printer is superior to the printer they listed. I can overlook that because a lot of people don\u2019t have printers these days.<\/p>\n
The list is woefully incomplete. It demonstrates a lack of understanding of what\u2019s needed or why.<\/p>\n
I could accept all of this as just another HR screwup dealing with technology people.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But there are other things that seem \u201coff\u201d.<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t find the original Application record. Based on what this company does, I could see myself applying, but I can\u2019t find the confirmation email saying that I did.<\/p>\n
Trying to figure out if they were legit, I went to the corporate website. It\u2019s real and belongs to a 100-year-old company. The company has offices worldwide. Okay, so that\u2019s legit.<\/p>\n
One \u201cRED Flag\u201d is that the domain names don\u2019t match. That\u2019s not surprising if they wanted to use a subdomain to partition their HR issues away from the corporate domain. I\u2019ve seen companies do that. But the domain name that I\u2019ve been sending email over doesn\u2019t appear to be tied to the company. It also appears to simply be parked, meaning it\u2019s got no web page or redirection to the main corporate domain or even the existing career subdomain.<\/p>\n
Even the AI I asked to analyze the email header suggested inconclusive results and caution. That was actually kind of funny. The AI\u2019s analysis matched mine exactly. Nice to know I haven\u2019t lost a step when it comes to technology.<\/p>\n
From the email header, it looks like the email originates in Germany. Even that isn\u2019t strange since the company has 3 or 4 facilities in Germany.<\/p>\n
The domain though was only registered\/activated 7 days ago. Another potential \u201cRED Flag\u201d there, but it could be legitimate if they just did the HR split or are in the process of contracting their hiring practices out to another firm.<\/p>\n
They want the offer letter signed, scanned, and sent back to them with a copy (front and back) of my driver\u2019s license. \u201cRED Flag\u201d! Germany and many EU countries don\u2019t or didn\u2019t accept scanned signatures. Does an American company hiring an American citizen in America have to follow EU rules at their facilities in the EU?<\/p>\n
The rest of the email header suggests that the actual email services are being provided by Google, and that the email likely originated on Google workspace. That would be legitimate, but there are some email security features that are not in use, suggesting that something isn\u2019t configured correctly. \u201cYELLOW Flag\u201d.<\/p>\n
This morning, I tried calling the actual corporate offices in Ohio. I started with their employee verification line. I figured the fastest way to check was to ask if the individual named as a contact was actually a current employee. The verification people were contracted. They were another company entirely and wouldn\u2019t answer the question because I wasn\u2019t a subscriber.<\/p>\n
What flashed through my mind was, \u201cThen what purpose do you serve?\u201d I didn\u2019t ask it. I thought verification services were to say John Doe, works for Company X. Or Joe Doe worked for company X from date 1 to date 2. No other information should, or needs to be shared.<\/p>\n
The lady was nice and gave me a phone number to the HR department of the Company in Ohio. I called that number and well, it was strange. It would ring several times, then pause, then ring several times again. Not like English phones, but like the phone system was trying different extensions. Eventually, the system disconnected and I got a message from my carrier that the call couldn\u2019t be completed at this time.<\/p>\n
Weird. So I called the main corporate number, and a nice operator connected me to the HR director. She was out. I left a voice mail but have not heard back and honestly don\u2019t expect to. Her outgoing voicemail was \u201cGarbled\u201d in a specific and identifiable way. (Think, a non-synthetic Jasmine Crockett.) She\u2019s HR and isn\u2019t going to return a call because she\u2019ll perceive that as a liability. (And God forbid she might break a nail dialing the phone.)<\/p>\n
Maybe she\u2019ll surprise me on Monday, but I’m not holding my breath. Fridays in HR departments are often very busy.<\/p>\n
I really want this to be legitimate. A job, especially a remote-only position, would be a dream come true and couldn\u2019t come at a better time.<\/p>\n
But, and this is the real concern. Suppose this is some kind of phishing email. Even the shitbox company I worked for last sent the offer letter and onboarding instructions via FedEx.<\/p>\n
I know they\u2019re going to want my ID and Social Security number for right-to-work verification. Plus, they\u2019re going to need W4 documents and all the other hiring bullshit. Most importantly, they\u2019ll want to direct deposit, which means giving them access to my bank account. I could open another account and provide them with that account number. Transferring on the back end wouldn\u2019t be an issue and might not be a bad idea in any case.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m going to let it stew over the weekend. I\u2019ll try to reach someone at the actual company on Monday.<\/p>\n
On the one hand, it might be legitimate, and maybe they\u2019ll respect me for being cautious. On the other hand, maybe they don\u2019t know someone is working a scam using them as cover. Either way, I\u2019ll have an answer.<\/p>\n
If it\u2019s all bogus, I\u2019ll console myself with the knowledge that I\u2019ve got a good boilerplate interview answer sheet. And perhaps some scumbag scammer will be wearing a nice set of nickel-plated bracelets.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I just wonder if I\u2019m too cautious, too mistrustful, and too suspicious for my own good.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Perhaps I\u2019m just really jaded. Maybe super suspicious. It could be that I have no faith in my fellow man. Or that I have too much faith in how shitty my fellow man can be. I don\u2019t know. I have a \u201cJob Offer\u201d. You’d think I\u2019d be whooping and hollering about it. The pay is … <\/p>\n