Stage 1 · Lesson 3 of 7
Spotting fake offers and joining fees
target graduates in every country, and the warning signs are much the same everywhere. The interview happens only over chat. The offer arrives suspiciously fast.
The email comes from a personal address, not the company's own domain. Above all, someone asks you for money: for registration, training, a laptop, visa processing or "refundable" equipment. A real employer does not charge you to join.
Before you resign from anything or share bank details, do three checks. Find the job on the company's official . Confirm the on the company's own site or .
Call a number you found yourself, not one given in the offer. Scams peak before day one, when you are excited and least suspicious.
Common trappaying a small fee because the letter looked official.
A question to check yourself, an AI practice session and 1 cheat sheet entry come when you add the roadmap to your account. Add it
Resources for this stage
Start with· follow one of these
- GuideFreeJob Scams (FTC Consumer Advice)
US Federal Trade Commission
The warning signs of fake job offers and payment requests, useful wherever you live
- BookPaidThe Missing README: A Guide for the New Software Engineer
Chris Riccomini and Dmitriy Ryaboy (No Starch Press) · Beginner · $29.99 print, $23.99 ebook
Read the first two chapters before you start: what the first year looks like and how you will learn
Practise
Keep handy
Also worth your time
- The Pragmatic EngineerGo deeper
How tech companies work from the inside, when you want the wider picture of your new industry