I’m currently unemployed, so like most people without a job, I wake up each morning, grab my laptop, plop down on the toilet, and trawl through bookmarked job sites. Sometimes I’ll remember to pee.

Either way, my day begins with a lot of shit. The job postings, I mean.

There is so much that is so wrong with how most companies throw together employment ads. You can imagine some HR woman—of course it’s a woman!—writing an ad, struggling to find the right words for the 14th bullet point. After staring at her screen for an hour, it finally hits her! Her normally abnormally pursed lips broaden into a wide smile; her eyes dance in delight. “You go, girl!” she whispers to herself, flinging back her hair as if in a Pantene commercial, and feverishly taps those keys:

• Must be proficient in Microsoft Word

I feel bad for her, and her employer, but mainly, I feel bad for myself. No one should have to start a day this way.

I recently stumbled upon this bullet-less Craigslist ad, which began:

Are you a writer with intermediate to advanced writing skills?

You know it! I have a blog!

Can you convey your thoughts about the positive aspects of a consumer product?

I’m a miserable person who feigns happiness daily. Sure!

If you answered yes, you are a perfect candidate for a task that can be repeated unlimited times as opportunities surface. Our marketing agency handles online reputation for many large brands offering consumer goods. If you feel comfortable writing about products on consumer shopping portals, please contact us for more information. Most work takes less than 15 minutes to complete and pay is up to $30. Must have a Paypal account to accept payment.

I already had my suspicions, but I figured, what the hell? I fired off an enthusiastic email highlighting my commitment to potentially earning $120/hour creating great copy.

Here was the reply:  Continue reading “I Was Asked to Post a Fake Amazon Review” →