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Your Cyber-Safe Resume
Put the "Safe" in your Cyber-SAFE Resume by modifying the content of your resume! You can create your own privacy protection this way, without depending on the Web job site to do it for you.

The content is developed to protect your identity and your current job, if you have one. As your resume circulates in cyberspace over time, your Cyber-Safe Resume will protect your identity and, possibly, your future employment many years from now.

In some recruitment circles, job seekers who protect their identity are more desirable than those who don't. The assumption is, frequently, that you are employed (probably at a senior level) and have an existing job that you are protecting.

However, in many cases, the Cyber-Safe Resume may make it more difficult for the recruiter or potential employer to reach you, at least initially, because of the limited contact information. So, it is a trade-off -- privacy for security -- and your choice, obviously.

To Make Your Resume "Cyber-Safe"--

  • Minimal contact information makes it harder for your identity to be stolen or for your employer to discover your job search.
    • Remove your standard "contact information" --
      • Your name
      • Your address
      • Your phone numbers
      • Your business e-mail address (big NO-NO!)
      • Your personal e-mail address if it is associated with a detailed profile on you (as in AOL, etc.)
    • Replace it with an e-mail address that is harder to trace to you personally, like one of the Web-based e-mail addresses (hotmail.com, etc.).
                  If you want to be taken seriously, use a serious e-mail name.
      "JustLooking@Yahoo.com" or "DumbBlond@HotMail.com," etc. may entertain your friends and family, but they are not good names for serious job seekers. Use something more appropriate, like "MEngineer@Excite.com," for example, or whatever else is available and easy for you to remember.

  • Modified employment history, particularly for the current job, minimizes potential risk to existing employment.
    • Remove your current employer's name; replace it with an accurate, but generic, description --
      • "Nuts n' Bolts Distributors, Inc." changes into "small construction supplies distribution company"
      • "IBM" becomes "multinational information technology company"
    • If your job title is unique, replace your title with, again, an accurate, but generic" title --
      • "New England Regional Gadget Marketing Director" becomes "multi-state marketing manager of gadget-class products"

You increase the probability of a confidential job search by being very selective about where you post your resume. See Job-Hunt's sections on Choosing a Job Site and Protecting Your Privacy for tips and guidance.

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