Is This New York Job Ad Trustworthy? Ask These Three Questions Before Sending Your Résumé

It's eleven on a Friday night, and the 7 train is heading toward Flushing.

Xiaolin comes across a post: 「Manhattan store hiring. Up to $22 an hour. Leave a comment and I'll pass along your résumé.」

(Xiaolin is a hypothetical character, and this post is hypothetical too. Neither refers to any particular store.)

Her thumb hovers over the comment box while two voices argue in her head. One says, that's a big jump from what you're making now, and you wouldn't have to send out applications one by one. So easy. The other says, isn't this a little too easy...?

Three stops later, she still hasn't typed anything. She takes a screenshot first.

That's already a good move. Posts can be edited or deleted. A screenshot is a record of 「what it actually said at the time.」

1Familiar faces in the comments

Over the past six months, New York job-hunting posts on Xiaohongshu have had something in common: the comments under posts warning about bad experiences are often livelier than the job ads themselves. Scroll through them, and a few situations keep coming up.

Someone asks, 「What store is it?」 Instead of an answer, they get blocked.

Someone travels for hours to a trial shift, only to find out on arrival that the owner has asked two people to come and plans to pick one.

Someone works a two-day trial, receives no pay, and never hears back.

An internship promises, 「Do well and we'll make you permanent.」 After three months of full-time work, the next batch of interns takes over.

Then there's a newer version: before the offer arrives, the scammer does. Someone on LinkedIn calls themselves a recruiter, exchanges a few messages, and then asks you to enter your Social Security number and bank account details.

These are the posters' accounts of their own experiences. None of us can verify what happened at any particular store. But when the same stories keep appearing, it suggests that asking a few questions beforehand really can save you trouble.

If you're short on time, remember just three things. When you see 「up to,」 ask about starting pay. When you see 「leave a comment and I'll pass along your résumé,」 ask who the employer is. Once you've agreed to start work, ask for a written notice stating your hourly rate and payday.

The rest of this piece follows Xiaolin as she works through those three questions.

2「Up to $22」: ask about starting pay first

「Up to」 works much like 「up to 50% off」 on a shopping app. The number in big letters is always the most attractive end of the deal.

So this is the first message Xiaolin sends.

Is $22 the top of the pay range? What would my starting hourly rate be?

Suppose the reply says the starting rate is $17, rising to $22 after a full year.

New York City's minimum wage in 2026 happens to be $17 an hour. In other words, she'd have to wait a year for that eye-catching number in the post to apply to her.

Let's do a little math. At 40 hours a week and 52 weeks a year, that's 2,080 hours. A difference of $5 an hour adds up to $10,400 a year.

More than ten thousand dollars, tucked behind the words 「up to.」

Honestly, plenty of jobs start low and gradually pay more, and taking one to get your foot in the door can make perfect sense. What matters is whether 「it'll go up to $22」 is an actual agreement or just a promise dangled in front of you. So ask one more thing.

When would I move up to $22, and what does it depend on? Could that be in writing?

You might worry that being so direct will make you seem difficult.

There is a basis for asking. New York City requires employers with 4 or more employees, including the owner, to state the minimum and maximum pay in job ads when the work will be performed in New York City, even if only part of it will be. The range must reflect what they genuinely intend to pay. This rule took effect on November 1, 2022 (NYC Commission on Human Rights explanation).

Of course, don't rush to accuse anyone of breaking the rules. Small businesses with fewer than 4 people generally aren't covered by this provision, with exceptions for employers of domestic workers and employment agencies. Tips, bonuses, and commissions aren't included in the 「range,」 either. 「How much you could take home in a month with tips」 and an hourly pay range are two different things.

3Who is the person 「passing along your résumé」?

At noon the next day, Xiaolin sends a private message instead. The reply arrives faster than a food delivery.

Hey girl~ Send me your résumé first. I'll pass it along, and if you make it through, I'll tell you where the store is.

Hand over your résumé first, then find out who you're dealing with. That order is a bit like someone saying, 「Give me your ID first, and then I'll tell you who I am.」

She doesn't send her résumé. She asks three short questions instead.

Could you tell me the business name and address? Who will I be meeting? Is this a direct hire, or through an agency?

For an owner who's seriously hiring, these aren't hard questions to answer. Some owners don't want to name the store in a public post because competitors might see it. That's common enough; they can tell you privately. But if they refuse to say even in a private message, insist on getting your résumé first, or won't tell you until you're at the door, that's a different matter. You're not losing out by skipping a place that won't even give you its name.

Suppose this time they readily send the name and address. Xiaolin spends five minutes checking three places.

• Does it exist? The New York Department of State has a public Corporation and Business Entity Search Database covering registered entities such as corporations and LLCs. The page lists entities such as corporations, LLCs, and partnerships, but doesn't mention sole proprietors, so not finding a business there doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong.

• What do other people say? Search the store's name together with scam, review, or complaint. This is a method recommended in the FTC's job scam guidance.

• Is the business advertising the job itself? Check its website or official account to see whether the position appears there.

If they say, 「We're an agency,」 remember this: according to New York City's consumer tips, employment agencies need a license and cannot charge you before they find you a job. You can check whether an agency is licensed at nyc.gov/dcwp or by calling 311.

Now, about that 「recruiter」 on LinkedIn. In a 2023 alert, the FTC described scammers who build a fake 「onboarding portal」 and ask for your Social Security number and bank account details, supposedly to set up payroll. The FTC advises contacting the company using official contact information you find yourself, not the details the other person hands you. Until you've verified who they are, you don't need to enter any of that information.

If you see any of these three situations, don't hesitate—move on.

• They want you to pay before you can get the job. The FTC puts it plainly: legitimate employers won't ask you to pay to get a job.

• They send you a check and then ask you to send part of the money back.

• They start you off with a few simple 「tasks」 and a little reward—the FTC says usually $5 to $20—then require you to put in your own money to keep going, often in cryptocurrency. This is what the FTC calls a task scam.

Some other phrases in job posts aren't red lights so much as yellow ones. After a few days of scrolling, Xiaolin puts together a little table.

This table isn't accusing anyone of lying. Often, these are simply missing details that one question can fill in. If they still won't answer after you ask, that itself is an answer.

4Interviews and trial shifts: ask in a message first

On Wednesday evening, they arrange to meet at the Manhattan store at three on Saturday afternoon.

Xiaolin wants to go, of course. She just adds one sentence to her reply.

Thanks! Will anyone else be trying out for the same position that day? I'd like to plan my time.

This gets back to the situation mentioned earlier: traveling for hours, only to discover that two people are trying out at the same time. In the comments on similar posts, some people say a reasonable owner tries people out one at a time and explains beforehand if someone else will be there. Asking ahead isn't rude. At least it can save you a wasted trip.

An interview goes both ways. They're choosing an employee, and you're choosing a job. You can bring up these questions naturally as the conversation goes along.

• What does a typical day look like?

• How many hours a week, and how is overtime paid?

• When will I hear back?

There is a basis for asking about overtime. The state Department of Labor's overtime guidance says most employees must receive 1.5 times their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a week, with exceptions for certain positions, including managerial and professional roles. That's how you find out what 「hardly」 means in 「hardly any overtime.」

Halfway through, the interviewer smiles and asks, 「So, how much are you making an hour now?」

In New York City, that question actually isn't allowed. Since October 31, 2017, employers have been prohibited from asking you, or your current or former employers, about your salary history. If you don't want to answer, you can gently bring the conversation back.

I'd rather focus on this role. What's the pay range?

They can ask what you expect to earn, but not what you earned before. If you volunteer the information yourself, the employer can take it into account. Whether to share it is your choice.

Then there's the trial shift.

「Come in for two days, and if it works out, you can stay.」 That sounds all too familiar. The New York State Department of Labor's hospitality industry page includes this line: No unpaid tryout or training period. Another guidance document on internships (P725) says employers should not use an unpaid internship as a trial period for job candidates. These are general statements on official websites, not rulings on any particular case.

So when you hear 「trial shift,」 ask this first.

How long is the trial, and is it paid?

A short, paid trial agreed on in advance is reasonable. The owner wants to see how you work, and you want to see what the store is like. Once you've agreed, send a message to confirm it and keep a record.

Just to confirm: a two-hour trial, paid at the hourly rate, correct?

For office jobs and internships, one of the most common recent complaints is being strung along with the promise of a permanent position. Someone on Xiaohongshu summed up three things to ask or check at the interview stage, and I think they're useful. How many people have been hired for this role in the past six months, and where are they now? What are the criteria for becoming permanent, and is there a written policy? Then search the company on LinkedIn to see how long previous interns stayed. If you're on OPT, follow your school's international student office's guidance on requirements such as working hours and whether the job relates to your field of study.

5Your first day: ask for three things

On Monday, the message arrives. Welcome aboard. Come to the store at nine on Wednesday morning and ask for the manager.

On Wednesday, Xiaolin arrives ten minutes early. The manager gives her an apron and shows her around the shelves. When there's a quiet moment, she asks the question she'd saved on her phone.

Could I get my pay rate and payday in writing, on the Notice of Pay Rate form? And will I get a pay stub with every paycheck?

Suppose the manager pauses for a moment. 「Oh, that form. Let me find it.」 Some small-business owners may be hearing about it for the first time; they aren't necessarily withholding it on purpose. You don't need a long explanation. Just open the Department of Labor's Chinese template on your phone and show them.

There are three things worth getting clear on your first day.

1. A written notice stating your hourly rate and payday. State Labor Law §195 requires employers to give new employees this notice when they are hired and retain the employee's signed copy. The Department of Labor's template page says it should be provided in the employee's primary language when a version in that language is available, so you can ask directly for the Chinese version. Read it before signing, then ask for a copy to keep.

2. A pay stub every time you're paid. It should show the work dates covered, hourly rate, gross wages, deductions, and net pay. Where overtime applies, it must also show the regular and overtime rates and the hours worked at each rate.

3. How often you'll be paid. According to the Department of Labor's pay frequency guidance, employees whose work is primarily physical—more than 25% of their time spent on physical labor—must be paid weekly, no later than 7 days after the end of the workweek. Other employees must be paid at least twice a month. Exceptions include executive, administrative, and professional employees earning above a certain weekly threshold, and large employers authorized by the Department of Labor to pay semimonthly or biweekly.

There's one more thing, and you don't need to ask anyone about it. Use a small notebook or your phone's notes app to record when you start, when you finish, and how long you take for meals and breaks each day. It isn't a flashy habit, but on payday you'll have your own record instead of relying on memory.

6Payday: check first, then ask if something doesn't match

Two weeks later, on Friday, the first pay stub arrives. Instead of looking straight at the total, Xiaolin opens her notebook and checks it line by line.

She stops at the third day. Her notebook says she worked until seven that evening, but the pay stub only counts her hours through four in the afternoon. Three hours are missing.

At a moment like this, two instincts can kick in: say nothing and swallow it, or march over and argue. Xiaolin does neither.

First, she gathers everything: the screenshot of the post—yes, the one from the 7 train—her messages, her own record of hours, and every pay stub. Then she asks politely, in writing, so there's a record.

I checked my hours and the pay doesn't seem to match. Could we go over it together?

Suppose the other person looks through the schedule and says, 「Oh, we missed that. We'll add it next time.」 And that settles it.

Asking first is the simplest approach. If they ignore you or keep putting you off, these are the official channels for questions and complaints.

• Incorrect wages, deductions, or overtime pay: State Department of Labor, complaint form LS 223 (process); information line: (888) 469-7365 (contact page)

• No written notice or pay stub: State Department of Labor, or the state Attorney General's employment complaint page

• No pay range in an ad, or questions about salary history: NYC Commission on Human Rights, (212) 416-0197

• An agency charging fees or operating without a license: NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), nyc.gov/dcwp or 311

• A job scam: The Job scams category on the state Attorney General's complaint page; when checked on October 21, the federal ReportFraud.ftc.gov site said services were suspended because of the government shutdown

You might hesitate: can I file a complaint with my immigration status? Separate two questions first. 「Am I entitled to be paid?」 and 「Am I legally allowed to do this job?」 aren't the same question. On the first, the state Attorney General's explanation is clear: workers have labor rights regardless of immigration status. The second depends on your visa and work authorization. If you're unsure, ask your school's international student office or a reliable immigration lawyer first.

7Three 「buts」

「But I really want this job. Will all these questions annoy them?」

That's understandable. When you've just arrived in New York and need the money, every opportunity can feel like your last. But starting pay and working hours are things you're supposed to ask about. Ask one question at a time, calmly, as if you're arranging a schedule, and it usually won't come across as making trouble. If they stop replying after one question, that tells you something too. You've saved yourself a wasted trip.

「But my English isn't good. I won't be able to say it in person.」

Then you don't have to ask in person. Send a private message, text, or email, one sentence at a time, with a record built in. If you don't understand what someone says, there's a useful lifeline: Could you say that again, or text it to me? If you need to call a government department, 311 offers Chinese-language service. Call and follow the prompts to choose Mandarin or Cantonese.

「But the comments say never to work for owners from certain places.」

Every so often, someone in the comments lists a whole set of 「places whose business owners you should avoid.」 I understand the anger after being mistreated. But one person's experience is with one business, not an entire group of people. Instead of focusing on where the owner comes from, look at simpler things you can verify: are the numbers written down, are promises recorded in writing, and have you received the documents you're supposed to get? If all three are there, where the owner comes from matters much less. If none is there, it's worth being more careful, whoever they are.

8Back on that 7 train

What happened to Xiaolin in the end?

We don't know. She's made up, and you get to write the ending. Maybe she got the job, started at $17 an hour, and really did reach $22 a year later. Or maybe she got to the second question, they stopped replying, and she moved on to the next post.

Either path is fine, as long as she knows what she's agreeing to at each step.

Writing this brings to mind an old economics story. In 1970, Akerlof wrote a paper about the used-car market. Sellers know more than buyers about the quality of a car, and the market can end up overrun with bad cars. He later shared the 2001 Nobel Prize in Economics with two other scholars for work on this kind of 「information asymmetry.」

Hiring works much the same way. The employer knows the hourly pay and what things are like when it gets busy; the job seeker doesn't. Every question you ask closes that information gap a little.

So the next time your thumb hovers over the comment box, ask a question first.

Do just one thing tonight: save these six sentences in your notes app.

9Six sentences to save in your notes

1. Is $22 the top of the range? What's the starting hourly rate?

2. Which company is the employer, and what's the work address?

3. What does a typical day look like, and how many hours a week?

4. Will anyone else be trying out for the same position that day?

5. How long is the trial, and is it paid?

6. Could I get my pay rate and payday in writing?