This App Actually Pays You to Take Photos of “Help Wanted” Signs
I’ve been job-searching for about two months now.
It’s not because I’m leaving The Penny Hoarder (don’t panic, guys), but it’s because I’ve heard some buzz about Indeed’s Job Spotter app via our Facebook community group.
Apparently you can pocket some money by uploading photos of “help wanted” signs to the app.
So I decided to try it out and answer the question we all have: How much money do you actually make with this app?
What’s Indeed’s Job Spotter App?
Indeed’s Job Spotter website outlines the basic premise of the app: Take a picture of a “help wanted” sign, submit it and wait for approval. If your submission is approved, you receive points, which you can redeem for a gift card at anytime.
Of course, I wanted to know more about the whole “get paid” part. After combing through reviews, it looks like 100 points equals $1 in the form of an Amazon gift card.
So that begs the question: How long will it take to earn 100 points? Job Spotter says it typically rewards 10 to 100 points per submission.
“According to our algorithm, submissions of help wanted signs from small businesses that appear to truly indicate an opportunity to get hired at that location are worth the most,” it states. “These are the signs that are most useful to people looking for jobs.”
On the other hand, signs from big chains — think Burger King — are worth fewer points.
It also says you cannot submit the same photo more than once in a 30-day window.
And if you’re wondering, your accepted submission apparently shows up on Indeed when you search “Help Wanted.”
How Does Indeed’s Job Spotter App Work?
First, download the app.
Second, find a “help wanted” sign… which proved a heck of a lot harder than I imagined.
Just to give you an idea, I initially took on this task in November.
Now it’s February, and I finally caught a “help wanted” sign at a local pizzeria. I saw it while walking to work:
Need
Experienced
Pizza maker
Inquire
Within
I stopped — like a skid on your heels kind of stop — and snapped a photo.
Finally.
Once I got to work, I downloaded the Job Spotter app to upload my hidden gem. But womp. You have to snap the photos in the app.
I left work early that day, hoping the sign hadn’t been taken down. It hadn’t.
I was genuinely surprised by how easy it was to submit the photos. First, the app walked me through some tips for success:
- Make sure the “help wanted” sign is in focus.
- The picture of the storefront — and its name — needs to be clear.
- Don’t include any human subjects in the photo.
I snapped a photo of the hiring sign, panned back and got a photo of the storefront.
That’s it. I didn’t need to type anything, input any address… nada.
Then, my submission pended.
How Much Money I Made Using Indeed’s Job Spotter App
OK… I technically didn’t make anything.
My submission processed within 24 hours, and Indeed awarded me 82 points, which apparently is on the high end of the point spectrum. I’d need 18 more points to bank a $1 Amazon card, which is better than nothing right?
If I lived in a town that actually believed in posting old-school “help wanted” signs, I’d be set. But, seeing as it took two months to nail down my first find, I’m not sure the pursuit is worth it for me.
If I see another sign, sure, I’ll stop and snap two quick photos — it’s easy enough.
However, I’m not going to go out of my way to find these things. For me, the little bit of Amazon money isn’t worth the effort.
Good idea, though, Indeed!
Your Turn: Share your experience with the app!
Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder.
