Beware of Lack of Information Security on Job Posting Boards
I got an email from College Recruiter.com today that they have removed the job posting/resume search section of their website. Why? Because the revenue they generate isn’t enough to cover the additional costs of securing the site. It turns out that sometimes illegitimate organizations gain access to resume databases on job boards and then download resumes for the purpose of stealing the identities of the candidates.
There’s an incredible amount of very private information in most resumes and an amazing amount of candidates include information such as birth date and social security number (don’t do that!) even though employers have absolutely no need to see that information until later in the hiring process.
Other job boards may follow College Recruiter’s lead unless they can secure the data on their site. Apparently there has been a dramatic increase in the number of legitimate organizations that pay to search resumes but then use your resume data for illegitimate purposes. For example, some financial services companies are purchasing access to resume banks to help them identify potential clients. They search for people who are likely making a lot of money or who are entering professions where they are likely to make a lot of money and the organizations will then call those people to try to get them to buy products or services.
Be careful of where you post your resume and make sure you read the fine print regarding site security. Think defensively about where you post your personal information. And whatever you do, don’t include personal information such as birth date or social security number on your resume…employers don’t need that kind of information and putting it online puts you at risk for identity theft.
Article by Liz Handlin and courtesy of Ultimate Resumes
