If you’re seeking a career in online marketing, then it’s essential to understand what makes a good job and what you should look out for. There are plenty of online marketing scams out there, so make sure you’re not being tricked by looking out for these common signs of a phony job offer.

The Job Offer

The first and most important step to take before accepting any job is to make sure that the job offer isn’t a scam. One easy way to determine if an online marketing job offer is legitimate is to look out for a boilerplate job offer template filled out by the sales team. As a rule of thumb, anything that is automated or typed out by a computer is probably a scam. So if the email you received didn’t come with a greeting from a real person and the job offer didn’t make any sense out of context, then there’s a good chance that it’s a scam.

The Training

If there’s one thing that scammers often fail to mention in their marketing emails, it’s that the job you’re applying for doesn’t contain any form of training. Even if you have a brand new car that you’re trying to sell, you’re going to need training in order to drive it effectively. The same goes for any job in sales. You’ll either need to learn the ropes on the job or get a formal training program. Having no training in a field is also a sign that the job offer is a scam. It’s the best scenario for the employer if you don’t have any previous experience in the field and they don’t need to train you, as you’ll be able to hit the ground running and produce results right away.

The Role

Another important factor to consider when judging the legitimacy of an online marketing job is the role that you’ll be expected to play. Every job in online marketing is going to be different, but you’ll always have exposure to sales, lead generation, and marketing.

If they don’t tell you what kind of work you’ll be doing upfront, then it’s probably a scam. It would be a pretty big red flag if you don’t know what your role is in the company, or if they don’t mention at all that you’ll be doing any marketing or sales work.

The Bonuses

The final piece of evidence that you should look out for is any kind of additional compensation, whether it’s in the form of money or another product. Sometimes legitimate companies will throw in a small bonus for doing something special, like getting the job done quickly or generating a certain amount of sales. If the job offer doesn’t mention any bonuses or commission, then it’s probably a scam. On the other hand, if they do mention some form of bonus or commission, then that’s a good sign that the job is legitimate.

If you see any of these signs and you still want to pursue a career in marketing, then there’s no need to be concerned. Just make sure you do your research and put your trust in legitimate job offers only.