# Phrases that tell you the company in the help wanted ad might be shady **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 18, 2002, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-tell-you-the-company-in-the-help-wanted-ad-might-be-shady/104324 "2002-04-18T15:05:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-tell-you-the-company-in-the-help-wanted-ad-might-be-shady/104324/21 "2002-04-19T04:59:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Green Bean \* > \*\ ***LOOKING FOR SELF-STARTERS** \*\* When I read the thread title (before I’d even opened it) this was the exact phrase that popped into my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-tell-you-the-company-in-the-help-wanted-ad-might-be-shady/104324/22 "2002-04-19T05:57:12Z")
\*\* Pump Action Gerbil \*\* worked for a company that advertised for a receptionist thusly: “Receptionist/secretary wanted. Filing, typing. Must be willing to pose nude. Fun job” The ad was read on the Tonight show. ---
**Author:** ![Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vinnie_Virginslayer)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-tell-you-the-company-in-the-help-wanted-ad-might-be-shady/104324/23 "2002-04-21T17:35:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by voguevixen \* > \*\*:blushing: > > I also interviewed with the “Rock & Roll Atmosphere” people…I wonder if they’re the only ones who use that phrase? I just wrote about it in the pit a couple of days ago. VERY VERY slimey. In fact they never actually told you what you’d be doing until your first day with a guy training you. Slimey. \*\* What was the job, or can you link me to your thread? ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-tell-you-the-company-in-the-help-wanted-ad-might-be-shady/104324/24 "2002-04-21T17:59:45Z")
All of the work-at-home ads. Especially the ones that advertise Web sites with URLs like “BeYourOwnBoss” or “EZMoney4U” and guarantee you’ll make $5,000 a month. I see those signs plastered all over the city every other week or so, always with a different URL. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-tell-you-the-company-in-the-help-wanted-ad-might-be-shady/104324/25 "2002-04-21T18:36:54Z")
> [@](#): > > I am continually surprised at how many otherwise legit-looking ads run in the paper each week that don’t include the company’s name. That’s quite common in my industry (oil & gas exploration) - it’s done to make the screening process easier (no phone calls to deal with). ---
**Author:** ![jacksen9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@jacksen9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacksen9)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-tell-you-the-company-in-the-help-wanted-ad-might-be-shady/104324/26 "2002-04-21T19:23:45Z")
Light outdoor labor - $27.50 an hour Do you want a job or a career? ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-tell-you-the-company-in-the-help-wanted-ad-might-be-shady/104324/27 "2002-04-21T19:49:34Z")
I’d like to take out an ad every week saying: “If the money was that good and the job that easy, these companies would not be recruiting in the newspaper.” ---
**Author:** ![hobgnoblin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@hobgnoblin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hobgnoblin)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2002, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-tell-you-the-company-in-the-help-wanted-ad-might-be-shady/104324/28 "2002-04-22T06:14:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ultrafilter \* > \*\*Pretty much anything out of spam. Got this one today: > > “Don’t worry about the recession, whose [sic] President now, or keeping your old job!” \*\* Besides, who wants to work with people who can’t spell? How about ‘management trainee’? “Hey, where’s my office?” “Yeah…right.” ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2002, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-tell-you-the-company-in-the-help-wanted-ad-might-be-shady/104324/29 "2002-04-22T12:13:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by voguevixen \* > \*\*I also interviewed with the “Rock & Roll Atmosphere” people…I wonder if they’re the only ones who use that phrase? I just wrote about it in the pit a couple of days ago. VERY VERY slimey. In fact they never actually told you what you’d be doing until your first day with a guy training you. Slimey. \*\* What was this job? I always wondered about that ad. I remeber seeing it at least 15 years ago. And the ones that say “Wild & Crazy Guys and Gals Wanted for Rock and Roll Atmosphere” I figured it was something slimey. Some kind of sleazy sales thing? ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-tell-you-the-company-in-the-help-wanted-ad-might-be-shady/104324/30 "2002-04-23T00:03:11Z")
“Must be unfamiliar with U.S. labor laws.” ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-tell-you-the-company-in-the-help-wanted-ad-might-be-shady/104324/31 "2002-04-23T00:24:54Z")
A guy trying to talk me into coming to work for him once actually used the word “trafficking” to describe what he did, which he repeatedly told me he couldn’t describe in detail unless I was “in.” I stayed out. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-tell-you-the-company-in-the-help-wanted-ad-might-be-shady/104324/32 "2002-04-23T00:42:08Z")
“Please indicate on application if you are a Law Enforcement officer.” ---
**Author:** ![Lux\_Fiat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bc79bd/32.png) [@Lux\_Fiat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lux_Fiat)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-tell-you-the-company-in-the-help-wanted-ad-might-be-shady/104324/33 "2002-04-23T01:17:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BiblioCat \* > I figured it was something slimey. Some kind of sleazy sales thing? Bingo. At least the one I interviewed for was. They went door-to-door in office buildings trying to sell posters and art prints. I had some guy with spiked-blond hair, smoking a cigarette in his office, dressed like a marketing director’s idea of an art-school kid (to be fair, many actual art-school kids dress like a marketing director’s idea of an art-school kid), giving me the standard “work work work make loads of money get people working under you within the month six figures inside of two years” sales job spiel. Either a horrifying exercise in cynicism and hypocrisy, or a young lad’s reminder that no matter how we comb our hair, we’re all whores when the rent comes due, depending on how I’m feeling when I tell the story. ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-tell-you-the-company-in-the-help-wanted-ad-might-be-shady/104324/34 "2002-04-23T10:20:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by biker \* > \*\*no phone number or address listed, only a friggin’ fax machine. \*\* Actually, quite a few legitimate companies do this also. My company just hired a paralegal this way: of course, we did advertise the fact that we wanted a paralegal with real estate experience. As the company receptionist, I was very grateful for this method. As someone else mentioned, there was no dealing with phone inquiries: I didn’t have to answer questions about hours, duties and especially salaries (thank gawd!), none of which I was even remotely qualified to answer, nor did I have to transfer inquiry calls every five minutes to the person doing the hiring. All I had to do was make sure the proper papers were together and that the fax machine was filled; about every ten minutes we’d go through a quarter ream of paper on resumes alone. Granted there are sleazy companies that used this method to sucker in the unwilling and unknowing, but as a front-line employee of a legitimate company, I found this invaluable in screening and saving time. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-tell-you-the-company-in-the-help-wanted-ad-might-be-shady/104324/35 "2002-04-23T10:26:45Z")
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