Your Resume Writing Can Lead to Identity Theft
As if being unemployed and the full time job of looking for a job wasn’t hard enough, now a new challenge regarding writing a resume and cover letter has reared it’s ugly head…identity theft. The latest scam being perpetrated by sociopaths among us is to post fake job ads so they can harvest enough information so they can steal your identity.
When you’re applying for a job NEVER put your Social Security number on your resume. If you’re applying directly in person and the company requests your Social Security number for a background check ask to find out who will be responsible for managing your information. You don’t want any one at the company having access to your Social Security number. When you write your resume and cover letter don’t add your home phone number or home address if you can. You don’t want some wacko showing up at your door one day because your home address was plastered on your resume. If possible get a P.O. Box during your job search.
You may also want to place a new or completely different email address on your resume and cover letter that is specifically for your job search. Be creative with it and use something like GreatSalesManager@Xmail.com
Thankfully, many job websites such as Monster.com, Dice, Career Builder and others allow you to keep your contact info private so that your current employer won’t find you out looking to get hired at another company.
So remember, before you blast your resumes and cover letters all over the place, stop and ask yourself if there’s any information on them that could be used for identity theft.
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