Protecting Your Privacy When Job Hunting: Via WSJ.com

You are correct to be concerned that a job search might no longer be a private affair, especially when executed on the Internet. In the early days of digital job hunting, many job seekers' biggest concern was whether their current employers would get wind of what they were doing. But that has changed in recent years, according to Pam Dixon, executive director of the California-based World Privacy Forum. "Unfortunately, identity theft and fraud are alive and well," she says.

Ms. Dixon and her staff are constantly receiving calls from individuals whose identities have been compromised in some way because they gave away too much information during an Internet-based job search. Because of this, Ms. Dixon's first piece of advice to job seekers is to avoid openly posting their resumes online. "If it's open on the Web, then it's kind of like big game hunting," she says. "It's hunting season, and you are the game."

Whenever possible, contact the person doing the hiring and submit your resume directly to him or her, recommends Ms. Dixon. In recent years, this has gotten easier; one of the biggest shifts she has seen is that more and more employers are allowing prospective candidates to contact them directly.

What's more, most large and midsize companies now have fairly sophisticated Web sites where you can apply for specific positions. That's important, because when you submit your resume to a specific person or employer, there is an expectation of confidentiality, says Ms. Dixon. But when it is simply posted on the Web, any hint of privacy goes out the window.

These days, with the ease of identity theft, it's also a bad idea to include your home address on your resume. Consider renting a post office box for the duration of your search. You can also get a temporary cell phone number and email address dedicated to your job search. "Resumes go far and wide," says Ms. Dixon. "So, if you have the funds to make your information temporary, do it. You don't want to give up information that you'll want to take back later." That includes your social security number, which should never be shared unless required. Government applications, for example, are an exception.

On the flip side, by making your job search too private, you could inadvertently limit your exposure to legitimate sources for potential jobs, says Monster.com's Senior Vice President and Chief Privacy Officer Patrick W. Manzo. "There is always a trade-off between exposure and confidentiality," he says. "The most effective job search strategies typically involve maximum resume exposure."

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