Safe Online Job Searching


by Grant Cooper - Date: 2007-03-19 - Word Count: 643 Share This!

The computer age has changed the face of job searching tremendously. Massive job databases as well as individual company websites make it easy for jobseekers to find and contact those companies looking for new employees. Not only is locating and job matching made simpler, but submitting resumes is now an easier process as well. Cutting and pasting resumes into company forms as well as emails have negated hours of work that jobseekers once had to perform with older traditional methods of print and mail. Not only is it much faster, but job locating has become much more efficient by providing quick dialog between parties, diminishing the dreaded waiting period of hearing back from a company or employer. Though job searching has been vastly improved by the

Internet, the number of scams and frauds are also climbing rapidly. As a result, job seekers should be aware of the signs of fraud to protect themselves and their identities.

There are over 10 million identity theft cases every year, and the majority of those somehow involve the employment industry through the Internet. "Phishing" is the most popular form of identity theft where people use fraudulent emails to solicit personal information. By appearing to be legitimate and even familiar, seemingly interested job recruiters may ask for personal information. This might make some job-seekers leery of resume submitting on the internet, but a few simple scam detecting tips can keep you safe while enjoying the full benefits of job-searching online.

Any request for your personal information, especially social security number and credit card number, should be treated with extreme caution. Whether it is a job database or a financial banking system requesting personal information through email or pop-up, it could be a fraud. Most legitimate or reputable companies will not ask for this kind of information over email. There have been some cases of mirror websites and submission pages to solicit personal information that take on the appearance of a familiar institution (such as a bank). For this reason, every request is suspect. If you receive an information request that links you to a submission page, avoid clicking on the link. Instead, type the company name into a search engine or go directly to their website. After considering the legitimacy of the site, it is then recommended that you call the institution or company to confirm their existence and authenticity.

Every site that requests personal information must include a privacy statement (enforced by the Better Business Bureau), which explains the kinds of information they collect and for what purposes. If a particular company does not display such notice, they are not in compliance with the Better Business Bureau, and they should probably not be trusted. Encryption is another key factor that ensures the safety of private information. Anytime someone deals with a resume submission service, a professional resume writer, or any other site that asks for personal information, it is important to check to see that the URL at the top of the web browser (ie Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, etc.) includes the letters "https:" rather than just "http:" or that a padlock appears at the lower right corner of the screen.

These are signs that the forms and submissions are encrypted, therefore making it difficult to manipulate for fraudulent purposes.

Lastly, it is so important to report job-search and resume submission scams to the proper authorities. It is very difficult to crack down on Internet fraud when most incidences go unreported. The IFCC (the Internet Fraud Complaint Center) is a great place to report suspicious information requests and actual fraudulent attacks. Keep your personal information guarded carefully, and make sure you investigate everything before submitting it on the Internet. The Internet has become the most valuable tool for job-searching, and there is no reason to pass that up. By putting these simple tips into action anyone can have a save job search online.


Related Tags: resume writers, strategic resumes, professional resume writers, resume writing service

Grant Cooper is a Certified Advanced Resume Writer, author of numerous career-related articles published in journals, newspapers and online, and is the founder and president of Strategic Resumes, professional resume writers providing the best in resume writing services For more information visit http://www.strategicresumes.com

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