Posting your resume online sometimes means giving up more control over your personal and professional information than you may have thought. Before posting your resume online, here are a few things you should think about and/or do in order to protect yourself and your job if you are currently employed.

Consider only posting your resume if you are able to hide both your contact AND employer information (past and present). Also be careful about the details that you include in describing your work history as it may be easily recognized by those that know you or your work history - eg. the person that interviewed and hired you for the position you now hold. Most large companies check the major job board resumes databases on a weekly, if not daily, basis in search of talented managers and chefs. They could easily stumble upon your resume and you might find yourself leaving your job a little sooner than expected.

Though it’s not an everyday event, some unscrupulous headhunters have been known to search resume database (aka “go fishing”). They then send out the resumes they find without candidates’ permission in hopes of brokering a match between the jobseeker and the employer — once they find a company that is interested. Unfortunately this may also effectively block the jobseeker’s access (ie. possibility of employment) to those employers that received the resume but who do not deal with recruiters.

Another trick some search firms will do is scan resume databases for individuals that are currently employed but have recently posted their resumes. The recruiter will then contact the jobseekers employer to let them know that the resume is posted and pitch their candidates as possible replacements. Again, one might find them self leaving their current job sooner than expected…

Posting too much information online can open you up to identity theft. We’ve seen instances of Social Security numbers, armed forces discharge information, and other personal identification information include in resumes. Even when this type of information is not included, having a “legitimate” resume of a real person can make it much easier for someone to set up a new identity and get them self a job as a perfunctory reference check should provide the desired results. (Some smaller companies may not be that concerned or thorough with verifying ID of new employees as the government would like them to be.)

Did you know that some (many???) of the major job boards gather your personal information and use it for other purposes including marketing? Take a moment sometime to read through the “Terms of Use” that you agreed to in order to post your resume. You might be surprised to find out what you actually agreed to.

One last thing to think about is that your resume might be an invitation to burglars. We won’t explain it anymore than that, but it should be something for you to consider.