How do I know if the recruiters calling me are dodgy, or legit?

February 27, 2026 — 2:01am

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Since being made redundant just before Christmas, I have been approached by several recruitment agencies which sound fishy, including overseas recruiters claiming to be filling roles in Australia and a local recruiter who wanted me to get a private security clearance even though there was no requirement for me to have one.

This has become so bad that I am now guarded whenever I speak to someone who claims to be a recruiter, so I end up sounding tense and reluctant to sell myself over the phone. How do I overcome this?

Your scepticism is well-founded, but so is your reluctance to throw your hands in the air and entirely ignore any job opening with a hint of the unorthodox about it.

In such a difficult job market, where well-credentialled, diligent candidates often get no response to their applications, any form of contact can feel like a huge relief. And nobody wants to let a good job pass them by simply because a recruiter or hiring team lacked polish.

I asked Dr Carol Kulik, a professor at the University of South Australia’s Centre for........

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