How to Conduct a Safe Online Job Search
Effective Job Searches Deliver Better and Faster Results
Even naturally creative people sometimes neglect to bring their talent and thoroughness to job searches. Many believe creativity is an unnecessary, sometimes negative, component of an effective job search.
While it’s true that printing your resume or C.V. on shocking pink stationery dotted with sparkles may decorate the office trash barrel instead of the human resource screener’s desk, using creativity and assertiveness is very effective. Remember, whether you e-mail or regular mail your cover letter and resume, the company is receiving more—often many more—equally impressive candidate paperwork daily.
Although classic job search techniques may still bear fruit, many larger companies are associated with the top employment firms, like Kelly Services, or use the Internet to find the best candidates. Your introductory contact via phone, email, or classic print paperwork must be effective.
Read your documentation with the critical eye of the reviewer. You are one among many candidates. Does your cover letter introduce you effectively and interestingly? Did you write your resume with creativity? Does it display a clear picture of your talents and skills quickly? Remember, the average time a reviewer looks at a new resume is 15 seconds or less. They must then decide whether to read it completely or throw it away.
Some people remain concerned about the safety of conducting a job search online. These reservations are not misplaced. Even those who use e-commerce often to purchase products and services worry about the “non-secure” nature of e-mail resume submission of personal information. Here are some tips and strategies to help you conduct a safe, effective, and ultimately rewarding job search online.
How to Conduct an Online Job Search that Is Safe and Fruitful
Use some or all of the following tips to protect yourself and enjoy a successful search for a new, lucrative, and exciting career opportunity.
• Move with caution when communicating with companies or employment recruiters you do not know. You are, no doubt, aware of the numerous Internet scams that populate the electronic world. While many feature “work at home” schemes and bogus “get rich quick” ideas, some are disguised as legitimate employment opportunities offered by less than legitimate companies or recruiters. Do your homework via research to verify that the company or recruiter is real. Stick with the top recruiters, like Kelly Services, to ensure that any opportunities they discuss are real.
• Never send any sensitive personal information via e-mail or to any unsecured server. While most e-commerce sellers use the highest security levels to protect their customers’ information, sending your cover letter and resume via e-mail or through a “Contact Us” web page may send your data to an unsecured destination. Do not include any personal financial information, including social security, bank account, or credit card numbers in any communications. This includes those contacts that you have already verified and with whom you are comfortable.
• Consider using a top resume writing firm. Along with making a good “product” (you) better, resume writing services can encrypt and protect your career information. Even if they do not self-encrypt, they can offer help you to contact with minimum personal information to enhance your self-protection.
• Read (completely) the formal privacy policy adopted by both companies and recruiting firms you consider contacting. Every company must have a written privacy policy. Within this policy are statements regarding what they may do with your information—that you voluntary send them. They may state that they share your information with no one under any circumstances, they share some information at certain times, or they admittedly sell collected information at times to third parties for marketing purposes. Most legitimate companies now post their privacy policy on their websites, so further research is often unnecessary.
• Keep common sense at the top of your “to-do” list. Some candidates throw all caution out the window when conducting a job search. They want or need a new opportunity so badly that they leave their common sense at the door. Never release any sensitive information to anyone until you are sure you are talking to legitimate people. This is not an exotic strategy; it's simply common sense.
There is a way to know if you’re communicating with a secured or unsecured website. Look at the address in the appropriate search bar. If the address shows “https” versus the classic “http,” you are dealing with a secure server. Here is another clue to security. Look for the “padlock” icon in the search bar or at the right bottom of your screen. This also indicates that you are communicating with a secure website, which should protect your information.
These tips should help you conduct a safe and productive online job search. Your privacy should be protected and, if you do your research, you will present an attractive candidate picture to legitimate prospective employers and recruiters.