So many of you have wisely taken the job search online but are you implementing measures to protect your private information plus career marketing content? Here are a few steps I take to ensure my clients’ resume copy and personal information is only accessible by those that are serious about evaluating their candidacy.
1. When creating a web page, web rez, web portfolio, place the following meta tags inside the page’s header:
<META NAME="ROBOTS" CONTENT="NOINDEX, NOFOLLOW">
This will help (not guarantee since technology is ever evolving) avoid the indexing of any links to your downloadable resume or cover letter. Hence, abating your resume come up in Google queries.
2. Don’t repurpose your entire resume online. When you set up social media profiles, just copy and paste portions of your resume and indicate somewhere for them to contact you for the entire resume. Not only is this a wise way of protecting your resume copy but it makes for a more interesting social networking profile. If you make the entire resume available for download, perform the next step…
3. Protect your MS Doc with a password and qualify the inquiries received online/ via social networking sites. Instructions for MS 2003 protection; Instructions for MS 2007. Perhaps you have linked or uploaded your MS doc to any of the numerous online social networking sites such as LinkedIn or perhaps posted it on VisualCV; only provide your password to those that seem honest and serious about learning about your candidacy. If they go as far as to email you to attain the password, they most likely mean business.
3. Set up a temporary free email with Gmail or Yahoo. Once your job search is over, you can just get rid of that account.
Don’t get discourages or concerned about job searching online. The point is for you to execute steps that will abate any unfavorable use of your documents.
As always, if any questions, please email rvargas@creatingprints.com
Rosa Elizabeth Vargas
Master Resume Writer
Quadruple Certified Resume Writer (NCRW, ACRW,CERW, MRW)
www.creatingprints.com
