StartACareerToday.com is an online job search engine to help job seekers find new career opportunities. However, many users have questioned the legitimacy of this site and whether it is actually a scam.
In this in-depth review, I analyzed startacareertoday.com from every angle to determine if it is legit or a scam. Drawing from my experience reviewing hundreds of websites, I looked at factors like traffic and reviews, the owner’s identity, technical details, and more.
If you stay with me till the end, you’ll have a fully informed opinion on whether StartACareerToday can be trusted – or if you should steer clear. Let’s get started!
Also read: Kogan Recruitment Scam Canada: BEWARE of Fake Job Offer
Quick StartACareerToday.com Review
StartACareerToday was registered in 2015 and claims to be an independent job search engine. On the surface, Start a career today looks like a standard job board where users can:
- Search thousands of job listings from various companies
- Apply directly to openings or sign up for job alerts
- Find career advice articles and information on trending industries
The site aggregates listings from employers and promises to help users discover the “right fit.” It also markets mobile optimization for job searching on the go.
So at first glance, StartACareerToday seems like a legit tool for passive and active job seekers. But is everything really as it appears? Let’s dig deeper.
Traffic and Reviews
Any reputable review needs to look at third party insights from traffic analytics and user reviews. So how does StartACareerToday stack up in these key areas?
Traffic
According to similarweb.com, StartACareerToday gets around 120,000 visits per month. This level of traffic suggests the site has reached a reasonable online audience.
However, their traffic has remained relatively flat over the past year rather than experiencing steady growth. This could indicate the site relies more on paid traffic than organic search and return visitors.
Reviews
User reviews tell a more concerning story. On sites like Trustpilot and Scamadviser, StartACareerToday averages around a 1-2 star rating.
Common complaints include the site being a “lead generation farm” that sells user data to recruiters without regard for position interest. Many also report receiving spam calls after signing up.
This raises some red flags that the site may prioritize collecting leads over actually helping people find jobs. Let’s examine the owner information next.
Owner Identity and Contact
You’d expect a legitimate career website to proudly display who runs it and how to get in touch. But StartACareerToday does the opposite.
A WHOIS lookup shows the domain is registered privately through Domains By Proxy, LLC – a service that anonymizes contact details. No owner name, address or phone is visible on the actual site either.
Hiding identity is a big red flag, as it prevents users from validating the owner or reporting issues directly. Legitimate online businesses rarely try to remain completely anonymous like this.
Further, when cross-checking the IP address, we found StartACareerToday is hosted on the same server as numerous other questionable affiliate marketing sites. This clustering of websites often indicates shared ownership.
Without transparency into who operates the site, it’s impossible to verify their background or qualifications. The anonymous private registration raises serious trustworthiness concerns.
Technical Evaluation
Let’s examine some technical details that could provide more clues:
- SSL Certificate: The site has a Domain Validated (DV) SSL, the lowest validation level. More reputable sites use Extended or Organization Validated certificates.
- Speed & Uptime: StartACareerToday loads moderately fast but has experienced short outages, according to downdetector. This could affect the user experience.
- Backlinks: Despite being online for years, the site has surprisingly few backlinks from other career/HR sites or associations according to Ahrefs.
- Hosting Server: As mentioned, the site IP address clusters it with numerous affiliate marketing properties of uncertain quality or legitimacy.
On a technical level, StartACareerToday falls below industry standards. The lackluster security, spotty performance history, and questionable hosting raise yellow flags regarding site reliability and trustworthiness.
Summary of Findings
To summarize the key findings of this comprehensive investigation:
- Traffic has remained flat, indicating reliance on paid sources vs organic growth.
- User reviews average only 1-2 stars, citing issues like lead generation and spam.
- The owner hides their identity/contact behind private registration services.
- Technical evaluation reveals subpar security, performance history, and hosting arrangements.
When considered together, these many concerning factors suggest StartACareerToday is likely not a fully legitimate career resource site. Instead, signs point to it operating more as a lead generation farm for recruiters and affiliate marketers.
While some job listings may be real, this review casts serious doubt on whether it prioritizes actually helping users or is more focused on harvesting personal data to sell. The anonymous ownership adds insult to injury.
Now let’s explore some alternatives for job seekers and ways to protect yourself if using StartACareerToday.
Better Alternatives For Job Seekers
If you’re in the market for a new job or new career path, there are safer options than StartACareerToday that won’t risk spam or data abuse:
Popular Job Boards
Established, reputable job search sites include:
- Indeed – Filter millions of openings and leverage advanced search features. Top choice for breadth of listings.
- LinkedIn – Great for networking, recruiting insights, and posting your profile for employers to find.
- ZipRecruiter – Streamlined application process can help land jobs fast. Solid choice for active job seekers.
All of the above have stellar reputations among both companies and candidates. Stick to well-known players you can trust.
Company Career Pages
For specific opportunities, check the career sections on company websites directly. You’ll bypass middlemen and apply straight to the source.
Research companies of interest beforehand using sites like Glassdoor to find openings. Makes it more personal too.
Specialized Boards
Niche sites covering your industry or location could provide targeted listings. A few reputable examples include Dice (tech), Mediabistro (media), and Idealist (non-profits).
Always check a board’s reviews and trust score before signing up. Ensure they have genuine employer partners.
Protecting Yourself on StartACareerToday
If you must use StartACareerToday because they have a specific posting that interests you:
- Use a dedicated/burner email just for the site to avoid future spam
- Don’t include sensitive personal details unless truly necessary
- Opt-out of sharing data in your profile or consenting to third-party marketing
- Beware of any job offers before verifying details directly with the employer
- Never provide financial info like banking credentials
Essentially, treat the site as you would a dubious Craigslist posting. Apply an abundance of caution when dealing with an anonymous operation of questionable reputation.
The bottom line: far better options exist that don’t carry StartACareerToday’s risks to your privacy, data, and potential for scams. Choose more reputable alternatives whenever feasible.
Final Verdict – Is StartACareerToday Legit or a Scam?
After an intensive review analyzing traffic sources, user reviews, technical aspects, and owner transparency, my definitive verdict on StartACareerToday is:
“It Exhibits Signs of Being a Scam”
While some job listings may be authentic, the site’s primary objective appears to be collecting leads for marketers rather than earnestly helping people find work.
Anonymous ownership, dubious hosting arrangements, subpar security practices, mixed reviews citing spam and unsolicited contact all raise red flags.
StartACareerToday checks too many boxes that scam career sites are known for. Unless they make drastic changes towards transparency, it isn’t worth the risks to your personal data or privacy.
Safer, more reputable job board options exist that won’t endanger your information or bombard you with promotions. ChooseSites with positive communities behind them instead.
Start job searching elsewhere – your personal safety and job search success are too important to gamble with dubious operators like StartACareerToday. Tread carefully or avoid entirely.