Bad Job Boards

Here are some comments that recruiters identify as aspects of bad job boards.

http://recruitingblogs.ning.com/forum/topics/sound-off-top-5-worst

What do you think of these comments. Do you have any to add?

Thanks,
-Sam

Things like this happen sometimes:
http://www.ere.net/2009/01/27/monster-hacked-again-45-million-records-stolen/
Some hacker grabbed 4.5 million user records from Monster in January.

What could they do with those records? They could blast you with spam email. They could send junk mail to your house. They could call you with interesting schemes. They could try to get additional personal information about you.

Not a good thing.

So, posting your information on a job board MIGHT result in the possibility of theft. Fortunately, this is a pretty rare occurrence.

There are some advantages to posting your resume on-line and I have some recommended safeguards.

First the advantages:
1. Employers can search for and view your resume.
2. You might get an interview that might result in a new job.
3. You can attach your stored resume to replies to jobs.
4. You can manage the information by editing it so it’s always fresh.
5. You can hide it if you’ve just gotten a job and reactivate it if you are out job hunting again.
6. Even if you are reasonably happily employed, an employer may run across it and possibly offer you the job of a lifetime.
7. You can get statistical information about how many times it’s been viewed and correlate that to the number of times you’ve been contacted. You can adjust your resume accordingly if necessary.

Safeguards:
1. Get a special email address for resume postings. That way if you post it on a BAD JOB BOARD, you can just delete the resume from it, get a new email address and update your resumes stored on other job boards. Gmail or Yahoo are good and easy to set up. Don’t forget to check the email box at least once a day.
2. Don’t put your address on the resume. However, do indicate your city and state (or country if applicable).
3. Note: You should have your name on the resume. If you’re really paranoid, maybe just your first name or just your last name. I recommend both. It adds a level of confidence for the recruiter/employer.
4. I think you can bypass putting your home phone number in the resume. Just remember to check your email frequently. Recruiters and employers are typically in a hurry. They may not be able to wait several days for your responses.

When responding directly to a job posting, I recommend including your phone number. and full name.

Most good job boards go to extraordinary measures to maintain the privacy of their users. Their reputation is at stake. However, these simple precautions will keep you safe in the event of an attack.

Do not post your resume on a job board that does not clearly indicate where they are located and what number (not email address) to call for customer service. If you want to be really thorough, you could call the number just to make sure!

-Sam