Fired for Checking Jobs Online At Work
Searching for online jobs can seem almost too simple. Post a resume on a job site or send it our for specific positions, either way employers are likely to see it if it fits what they're looking for. Still, there are things that can go wrong with what may look like such an easy process at first glance.
One of the worst things a job seeker can do when looking for new employment online is being to free with their personal information. With identity theft on the rise, resumes with full contact information listed can make a crook's job all too easy. Instead of including one's full name, address, phone number, business and personal e-mail address it is best to stick to a name and a generic e-mail address through a popular site such as gmail or hotmail. Although some recruiters are annoyed by this lack of personal information, other's view it as a sign of being web savvy.
For those who already employed but searching for greener pastures, not including a business e-mail address can protect the job they already have. Some employers search the internet for their current employees resumes to determine if they plan to stay with the company or not. In many cases, these companies then begin to search for someone to fill the position, which increases the job seekers chance of losing their job before finding a better one. On that note, many companies also have a tendency to fire employees who search for jobs online while at work.
Although providing any other method of contact other than an e-mail address on a resume that is publicly posted maybe a bad idea, those who are seeking a job online should not rely too strongly on the internet as a from on communication with potential recruiters. In many cases, spam filters will decide that a harmless e-mail containing a resume is unwanted junk mail for one reason or another. Because of this, it is important to follow up every e-mailed resume with a personal phone call. Aside from ensuring that an employer actually got the information, this also makes one look like they are taking their job search more seriously than many others seem to.
Another thing that can problems for those searching for jobs online is the unknown bugs their e-mails may carry. Some computer viruses latch on the document attached to outgoing e-mails. If an employer goes to download a resume and gets a hold of one of these viruses, then there's a good chance they're no longer going to interested in that applicant no matter what their resume might have said about their skills. Because of this it is important have and use dependable anti-virus software.
