12% of post-grads are unemployed: Here is what to look out for in job ads

Graduates are being warned to avoid red flags on job adverts and company websites when seeking new employment.

The business experts at Suited-Insure have revealed the most common red flags graduates should be cautious of when looking for post-grad opportunities.

Figures show over 96,000 post-graduates are unemployed each academic year, meaning 12% of those receiving their degree aren’t going straight into jobs.

Experts are hoping to help post-grads in their employment search by warning them not to be fooled by over-promising jobs ads with perks which are too good to be true.

Starting a new job and realising it’s not all it’s cracked up to be can be a deflating experience to deal with, but there are some tell-tale signs in the job adverts to look out for before hitting the ‘apply’ button.

If a company calls itself a “family” or they offer an unlimited holiday allowance, there’s a chance they’re presenting a false narrative in an attempt to rope in new employees.

Jana Kejvalova, from Suited Insure said: “It’s difficult enough for many to find a job in the current economic climate as there’s tough competition when going after desired job roles.

“But what can be even worse is being successful in securing a role only to discover what was originally offered is nothing but further from the truth.

“We want to help more graduates find new employment so we can lower the figure of unemployment post-university so it doesn’t reach over the 100,000 mark.

“We advise everyone to be cautious when applying for jobs, even when it comes to the post-interview stage as there are many red flags that can appear before you settle into the workplace.”

Here are nine employer red flags to be wary of:

Refer to themselves as a family

If a workplace says they work as a “family” it’s likely they’ve got something to hide. Not every working relationship is going to be perfect, but there’s no good sugarcoating it to make everything appear flawless.

Don’t let you aware the work is commission based until post-interview

If you get through to the interview stage and find out the money you’ll earn is commission based without knowing to begin with, it’s a definite red flag and not a great start to the company. This could result in further pay issues down the line.

A lack of workplace culture

The workplace is somewhere where you want to be comfortable and have solid working relationships that make you want to succeed and do well. Keep an eye on how their social pages are and whether any of the employees appear happy to be at the company.

Unlimited holiday allowance

The thought of unlimited holiday sounds like a dream at first. But some companies which offer unlimited holiday allowance have unwritten rules around responding to emails and internal messages whilst out of office. You could end up working even when on your unlimited holiday.

Ask highly personal questions at the interview

If the interviewer asks too many personal questions about your life outside of work it could be a sign the boundaries between the office and home will be blurred when you get into the role. This means they could ask you to work beyond your office hours.

Use standard holiday allowance as a perk

It’s great to have a standard holiday allowance, but if it’s represented as a perk and not a given requirement, then it’s not something worth bragging about.

Salary hesitancy

Not every job offer has the salary stated on the advertisement, but if it comes to post-interview and the company is hesitant to state how much you’ll be earning it can be an immediate red flag.

Apply for one role, end up doing 10 people’s job

If you apply for a specific role with clear requirements of what you’ll be working on and find out during the interview the role actually has a wide scope and covers lots of different areas of the business then it’s a sign you will be overworked and underappreciated.

Entry level role but they need three years of experience

If a job is advertised as an entry level role, the hiring manager should not also require the candidates to have years of experience within a similar field. This is a sign they are actually looking for someone more senior, but don’t want to pay the worker accordingly.