“The Resume Is Dead” was written on the t-shirt of Vrijen Attawar, Founder and CEO of Careerspan. His company helps job seekers develop their professional story through conversational coaching and tailored resumes.

Vrijen started as a career coach, and along with his co-founder of Careerspan, saw the need to address the problem of the blurred lines of fake and ghost jobs. During our conversation, one thing he made clear: the resume is a vulnerability in today’s job application process.

While we don’t delve into the details, we brought into focus the prevalence of job scams, including fake jobs, ghost jobs, and the use of AI in hiring scams.

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

* Careerspan helps job seekers develop their professional story through conversational coaching and tailored resumes.

* Fake jobs are explicitly fraudulent, often used for data collection or to scam money from applicants.

* Ghost jobs are legitimate postings by real companies with no intention to hire, often used for data collection or "cream skimming" rare candidates.

* A significant percentage of HR professionals are aware of or condone posting ghost jobs for various reasons.

* Job seekers are especially vulnerable to scams due to stress and desperation, which scammers exploit.

* Resumes are a major vector for personal data exposure, making job seekers targets for identity theft and scams.

* Companies sometimes use informal channels (like Telegram or WhatsApp) for hiring, which is a red flag for scams.

* Job seekers should use traditional verification methods (Glassdoor, Better Business Bureau, LinkedIn) and be skeptical of AI tools for job validation.

* Critical thinking, cross-referencing job postings, and direct communication with current or former employees are essential for avoiding scams.

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