It's been a rough year for Callie Heim: Within a span of a few months, the 22-year-old lost her mother, moved back home, stressed over college graduation and then over the summer, in a nightmarish whirlwind, got scammed by a fake job listing.
"I was at my lowest of lows and felt like I was on the come-up of some good things," Heim told CNBC Make It in September of the job offer that ended up too good to be true.
After taking some time to emotionally recover, Heim candidly posted about her experience on TikTok to warn others about fake job scams.
That's when her luck started to change. Within days, Heim was flooded with an outpouring of support and legitimate offers to interview for a new job.
Even though her guard was up (how could it not be?), she ended up clicking with a hiring manager at a company in the aesthetics space and secured a new social media marketing job by October.
Heim was able to move with a childhood friend from Maryland into their own place near West Palm Beach, Florida, where she now spends her free time at the beach. Her story even got the attention of producers at the Dr. Phil show, and she was flown out to Los Angeles to tape an episode sharing her story and helping prevent others from making the same mistakes.
"I never thought this summer, when I was crying, this would be how my life would be," Heim says.
Below, Heim shares the four biggest lessons she learned after bouncing back from the experience of getting scammed by a fake job listing.
1. Slow down
Looking back, Heim recognizes that she was an easy target because she was so stressed about finding a job that she jumped at the first opportunity she got.
She says that urgency is probably common for other new grads and young workers like her, and it's not always easy to be patient when you're strapped for cash and just need a source of income.
But, Heim says, it's better do be patient and wait for the right opportunity where the company, the team and the job itself are a good fit for you. Understand what exactly you want from a job, and be as choosy as you can. Heim interviewed for a number of marketing jobs after going viral, but she held out for the flexibility of a remote job, good benefits and unlimited paid time off.
"The biggest lesson I learned is that your perfect job is out there," Heim says. "It's not always going to fall into you lap or be easy to come by .... Just take your time."
2. Do your research
Heim admits she relied heavily on LinkedIn's "Easy Apply" function, but limiting your search this way probably isn't the best strategy.
"So many small companies don't post on LinkedIn, so if you get out of the typical job postings, you'll find more opportunities to choose from," Heim says.
Beyond searching online job boards, experts recommend checking alumni listservs, college career centers, online community groups and the career pages of companies you admire for any potential openings.
Take time to research the company and each person you interview with, too, Heim adds.
The hiring manager at her current gig first reached out via TikTok and Instagram, Heim says, and so moving it to more professional channels like email and on-camera video interviews was a must. Heim also looked up her boss and other team members on Google and LinkedIn.
3. Don't skip the cover letter
While part of the beauty of one-click applications is bypassing the cover letter, Heim says she now understands how a little effort writing one up can really pay off.
It can be a good sign that an employer is legit if they ask for a cover letter and actually spend time reviewing it. And when done right, submitting one can be a pretty easy way to set yourself apart.
"It's not fun, but as long as you have base template of what you're trying to say, they're not too hard to write," Heim says.
Her approach: Because Heim was applying to the same type of social media marketing job at different companies, she could use the same details about her skills and tasks to discuss her background. Then, she'd tailor each one by adding in anecdotes or details about a specific expertise the company called for in the job.
4. Record your wins
Though Heim didn't lose any money by being scammed, it did take a toll on her confidence. As a small reminder that she is, in fact, a capable person, one of her 2023 goals is to document anytime she feels accomplished at work or does something correctly to have a running list of her successes, big and small.
"I know I'll have performance reviews coming up, and I think it's good to keep a journal of your talking points so you're not just being asked, 'How did you contribute?' and coming up empty," she says.
Check out:
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Americans lost $68 million to job scams this year—here’s what to look out for
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