Participation in Action: Film highlights the hidden risks of online job hunting

Provider: Fitzrovia Youth in Action

Name: The Interview

There is a plethora of free listings web sites advertising job vacancies. Unfortunately, not all of the postings will be legitimate and can pose a danger to young people.

A young user at Camden-based charity Fitzrovia Youth in Action (FYA) became subjected to an assault after she applied for a job advertised on a free listings website as a personal assistant to a film director.

Following the incident, the 19-year-old woman reported the matter to the police and has since worked with a group of young people at the youth action charity to create a short film called The Interview, which aims to warn other young people about the risks involved when applying for job vacancies whose existence might be difficult to verify.

"Before my horrible experience with this job interview I was unaware of some of the dangers involved in applying for jobs online," says the woman. "I told my story to a small group of young people who decided to make a short film with me to raise awareness about this issue.

"FYA have a youth media project that gives young people a platform to raise awareness of the problems facing young people today and we felt it's a great way to tell our story."

Based on the actual events that occurred – but toned down to be suitable for a younger audience – the film's characters are acted by FYA members, alerting young people to any warning signs when applying for a job and attending an interview.

Shipon Hussain, youth participation officer at FYA, says the young people behind the making of the film thought the story needed to be told.

"It is not something that people are having a lot of conversations about and there is not much awareness," he says.

The film opens with a young woman applying for a job online before telling a friend about it, who warns that it looks "too good to be true". However, the woman ignores her friend and attends the interview but the address turns out to be a man's private accommodation.

He tells her that he needs someone to help with his work and that she may have to "stay over" some nights, while touching her hands, legs and shoulders. Realising she has made a mistake, the woman invents an excuse to leave and gets away. A list of safety tips and guidance for young people then follows.

Some of the tips include warning young people to research jobs before applying; make sure company names and details are legitimate; never send in a CV or details if not 100 per cent sure the vacancy actually exists; and remember that if it sounds too good to be true, "it usually is".

The young people involved in making the film helped prepare, plan and organise its entire production. They researched the best approach to take, prepared the script and locations then contacted a professional filmmaker to help.

Nineteen-year-old Fama Sene Ture, one of those involved in making the film, says: "It was important for us to get the message across in a very informative and creative way where it is suitable for all ages. I believe the message from this film is very strong as it shows what some young people can do when they are really desperate for a job.

"It is really competitive out there when applying for jobs, especially for young people as we don't have enough experience to compete. So when an offer comes our way we just hope it's reliable but we can put ourselves at risk."

Camden Council funded the seven-minute film through the FYA's employability programme. It will now be promoted through the charity's employability workshops, which help more than 150 young people every year.

"The workshops help young people identify all the skills they've gained within the project and we help them articulate that in an interview situation," Hussain says.

The young woman whose experience prompted the project, adds: "I really hope it will help young people think about keeping themselves safe when applying for jobs online."

View the film at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44M7LwrXEho&feature=youtu.be