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Manage your personal communications so that employers can stay in touch with you, and, if you are employed, your job search won't put your job at risk. This is the contact information you will use on your resumes and online profiles.
5. Manage Your Personal Communications.
If you are employed, you need communications "channels" separate from your employer for your job security.
Once established, use these personal communications channels on your resume, your online profile, your personal business cards, and everywhere in your job search.
In particular, use these personal communications channels in most of your networking activities, unless you are networking for your current job. Having these personal channels will enable people to stay in touch with you for many years, certainly through a few job changes - or, at least, through your next job change.
Consider these personal communications channels to be part of your "personal brand" and your "personal marketing" material because they really are that important to you..
Keeping and using these personal channels is a good idea, even after you land your new job, so people always have a way to reach you outside your job. Perhaps someone will dig out your resume in 18 months and want to contact you. If you are still monitoring the email address and the cell phone number, you can still be reached. Who knows, they may be ready to offer you your dream job.
Personal Email -
If you don't already have an email account, different from the one you use in your job or your school, establish one NOW. Free accounts are available through Google, Yahoo, and MSN, and they provide you with a safe way for potential employers to contact you. And for you to contact them..
Particularly if you are employed, use a personal account that your employer can't read.
The personal account will enable potential employers and other job search contacts to stay in touch with you easily and safely.
Use this email address for your job search and also for your LinkedIn and other online profiles. Using a work address, particularly for a LinkedIn Profile, can really complicate the process of updating your Profile when you no longer have access to the work email address.
You can establish a Web-based e-mail address at a
site like Gmail.com (from Google), Yahoo.com , or Hotmail.com (from MSN). These accounts can be anonymous,
if you set up your account that way (provide minimal contact information
in your account registration when you set it up). This is for personal protection and also to help you keep your job, if you are still employed.
Personal cell phone -
A personal cell phone enables potential employers and other job search contacts stay in touch with you easily and safely. If you don't
already have a personal cell phone, different from the one your employer may provide, get one NOW. Very inexpensive ones can be purchased in your local Walgreen, Wal-Mart, or other retail store, and you can purchase minutes as you need them.
Particularly if you are employed, a personal cell phone provides both security and employment protection. Should a recruiter or employer wish to contact you during the work day, you don't want them to call you at work using your employers telephone. If someone leaves a message, or even a voicemail, for you regarding your job search, you could lose your job. Employers can and do legally monitor their telephone and voicemail systems.
A personal cell phone also protects your privacy, since they are not usually listed in white pages. Employers and recruiters will be able to call you on your personal cell phone without risk to your job, and you can put your personal cell phone number on your resume in place of a phone number which could be traced to your home.
NEXT: Step 6 - Preparing
Your Resume and Online Profiles
© Copyright, 1998 - 2012, Susan P. Joyce. All rights reserved.
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About the author...
Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff "graduate" who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 1998, her company, NETability, Inc. purchased Job-Hunt.org, and Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt since then. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg and on Google+
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