Online Resumes
For some people, posting a résumé on the World-Wide Web has been a great way to get work.
Others fear the possibility of identity theft in that someone will get their home address and phone number. If control and confidentiality might be a concern for you, here are some things to think about.
Do you want your résumé public?
Once you post your résumé online, it is a public document and out of your control. Anyone can look in the public databases and see what is there. Even the closed résumé databanks do not let you dictate who can and cannot look at your resume.
Instead of putting your home address on the résumé, list just a phone number and email address.
Many employers and recruiters still prefer to contact you by phone, so if you don’t include a phone number, you may be overlooked.
Check the confidentiality of the database or service where you place your résumé:
- Who can access the database?
- How is access granted?
- Will you be notified if your résumé is forwarded to an employer?
- Is it possible your boss will see your résumé?
If the answers to these questions make you the least bit uncomfortable, consider another service or consider not posting.
Once your résumé is listed, can you update it at no cost?
Some Internet services will let you post your résumé at no cost, but they will charge you for updates. You don’t want an old résumé out there, and you don’t want to pay for updates. You want an unlimited number of updates, even if it is only to correct a typo or to word something a little better. Skip any service that limits or charges for updates.
Will your résumé be deleted from the databank if you don't update it?
You don’t want an old résumé out there, and if you find employment, you don’t necessarily want to be getting calls from other employers. A good database will delete your résumé after three to six months if it is not updated.
As the use of the Internet for job searches increases, you will need to monitor any changes to how résumés are posted and sent to employers.