How to Protect Your Privacy During an Online Job Search

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The Internet has made it much easier to search for a job than it once was. Job seekers can easily search for jobs in other parts of the country, or even the world. And freelancers can find work much more efficiently than they once could. But all of this convenience comes with a price. We must proceed with caution when sharing our resumes online, because scammers often target online job seekers. By taking some precautions, we can search for employment while protecting our identities.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Step1

Choose the job search sites you use carefully. There are some unscrupulous ones out there that are nothing more than covers for scammers and there are other sites that mean well but do not do everything they should to protect your privacy. Do some research before entrusting your information to any website.

Step2

Find out if the site you plan to post your resume to allows you to hide your contact information. Ideally they should have a system that relays inquiries from employers to you without them ever seeing your email address, mailing address or phone number.

Step3

Create a resume that does not divulge any identifying information for use on sites that do not have proper privacy protection, if you should choose to use such sites. Use only a free or disposable email address for contact purposes.

Step4

Be creative when naming the companies you’ve worked for if you’re concerned about your current employer finding out that you are looking for a new job. In place of the company’s real name, include a brief description of the company, such as “major international supplier of jumbo widgets.” Do the same for your job title if possible.

Step5

Use caution when responding to requests from employers for more information. They won’t usually need your Social Security Number unless they have already interviewed you and are planning to hire you, and then they usually won’t expect you to give it to them by phone or email. If you’re in doubt, it’s best to err on the side of caution.