With a huge number of career-related Web sites -- one estimate puts
the figure at 80,000 -- you should have no trouble being seen by recruiters
and prospective employers ... not to mention your current boss, co-workers
and clients.
So, what can you do to keep your online job search a secret? Here
are four things.
- Trust, but verify. Before posting your resume to a Web site,
such as Monster.com or HotJobs.com, check to see what levels of
anonymity are offered. Many career sites let you conceal your
identity, or will alert you before interested companies can read
your resume. If you're in doubt about a site's confidentiality
policy, contact them for clarification. Or don't post your resume
there at all.
- Your email address. This is a minor detail ... that's not so
minor. Legally, your employer has a right to read all email sent
to and from their computers. If you use your company's email address
and conduct your job search on their time, you could be setting
yourself up to be terminated. Don't risk it. Put your personal
email address on your resume. Or, use one of the many free email
services, available from Hotmail.com, Yahoo.com and others.
- Your mailing address. Worried about putting your home address
on your resume? While I've never heard of anyone being visited
by a stranger after posting a resume online, you might want to
conceal it from your boss. Example: 5089 Elmhurst Royal Oak, MI
48073 could simply become Suburban Detroit
- Your current employer. Try to replace the name and address
of your employer with a brief description. The more prominent
your company is, the more you'll conceal. Example: "FedEx Corporation,
Memphis, TN" could become "Fortune 500 Express Delivery Corporation,
Southeastern US." NOTE: when disguising employment or other information,
keep in mind that eventually, the actual names, facts and figures
will come out. So, for example, don't describe your company as
"World's Leading Pet Retailer" when it's really "Bob's Poodle
Palace."
Conceal information in a way that protects you now, while avoiding major
disappointments later.
Best of luck to you!
-- Kevin Donlin is Managing Editor of 1 Day Resumes. The 1DR writers
provide same-day, one-on-one resume writing assistance. He is also
author of "Resume and Cover Letter Secrets Revealed," a do-it-yourself
manual that will help you find a job in 30 days ... or your money
back. For more information, please go to http://www.CollegeRecruiter.com/guaranteed-resumes.php
