Does Your Resume Give Identity Thieves a Roadmap?

Job seekers are eager to give information in resumes to obtain interviews, but many don’t realize too much information can provide opportunities for identity thieves. As a Human Resources Manager, I’ve noticed a trend of job seekers adding unnecessary and intimately personal information to resumes. Social Security Numbers and Marital Status have absolutely nothing to do with an applicant’s skills or ability to do a job and do not belong on resumes.

Most job seekers have not considered how many strangers will see their resumes in today’s electronic world. Woman in particular need to be careful what information they share on resumes posted on the internet or when hard copies of resumes are given to recruiters.  Here’s how too much personal information can spell trouble for a job seeker.

Jane Doe likes to spread the word he is looking for a job. She mails her resume off to about twenty companies, and she hands a few copies to some friends and relatives to pass around to potential employers.

Jane Doe also goes to a job fair where 50 – 60 companies are recruiting and shares her resume with 35 vendors. Each business has between one to two recruiters at their booth enabling about 60 – 70 people access to Jane Doe’s resume. Many companies now scan resumes into databases so hiring managers (or recruiting or Human Resources Managers) may view the resumes electronically.  Let’s assume 10 of the companies use electronic scanning and at least five staff members in each company review the resume in the electronic database. That’s at least 50 more people screening her resume. Jane Doe’s resume has the potential for review by over 100 people. How many of those people does Jane Doe know personally and trust intimately with her personal information? Jane Doe probably knows less than five well enough to be comfortable sharing intimate personal information, but she has included it in her resume hoping that it will increase her chances for an interview.

Jane Doe put her Social Security Number and Marital Status on her resume, along with her address, telephone number and salary history. This gives an identity thief the keys to the kingdom — all that’s needed to fill out credit card applications. The thief uses a fake Post Office Box address to the creditor to mail the bills so they don’t go directly to Jane Doe.

Jane Doe realizes her identity was stolen 90 – 120 days later when she starts getting calls from collection agencies. She may still be looking for a job, but now she’s in bigger trouble because her credit record is ruined and she now needs to concentrate on fixing her credit history.  If Jane Doe wants to apply for a position with a company where a clean credit history is crucial for employment, or even a government clearance, this may ruin her chances for possible future employment, particularly in certain industries such as banking or finance, or even Homeland Security.

It is best to leave personal information off a resume. In addition to providing needed information to identity thieves, it could potentially prejudice a recruiter’s opinion of your skills and abilities. Listed below are resume information no-no’s:

  • Social Security Number / Date of Birth — Employers cannot legally ask for this information until an employment offer made and accepted by the applicant.  (The Federal Government will and can ask for this information to pre-screen applicants for security related positions, and the applicant must provide that up front.)
  • Marital Status / # of Children — biased recruiters may believe a female with a family prevents potential for working overtime, travel, or jobs traditionally for males.
  • Salary History — this gives information to identity thieves for credit applications. You also want to avoid elimination for an interview based on your previous salary history if you are willing to negotiate lower to gain more experience or if you want to aim higher based on your experience. (If mandatory, put this information only in a cover letter addressed directly to a recruiter by name, and keep a record of with whom you share the information.)
  • Pictures of Yourself — avoid judgment on your age, looks, or race.
  • Addresses — use a post office box, cell phone number, and/or provide an e-mail address you check at least three times a day as a point of contact.

Women should be extra careful about what information they add to their work resumes. Use the space wisely to expound upon job skills, experience, and abilities to convince recruiters of your worth.  Recruiters are more interested in your experience, skills, and abilities and will judge your worth on that information.

 

Copyright 2005, Dawn D. Boyer

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Does Your Resume Give Identity Thieves a Roadmap?

Job seekers are eager to give information in resumes to obtain interviews, but many don’t realize too much information can provide opportunities for identity thieves. As a Human Resources Manager, I’ve noticed a trend of job seekers adding unnecessary and intimately personal information to resumes. Social Security Numbers and Marital Status have absolutely nothing to do with an applicant’s skills or ability to do a job and do not belong on resumes.

Most job seekers have not considered how many strangers will see their resumes in today’s electronic world. Woman in particular need to be careful what information they share on resumes posted on the internet or when hard copies of resumes are given to recruiters.  Here’s how too much personal information can spell trouble for a job seeker.

Jane Doe likes to spread the word he is looking for a job. She mails her resume off to about twenty companies, and she hands a few copies to some friends and relatives to pass around to potential employers.

Jane Doe also goes to a job fair where 50 – 60 companies are recruiting and shares her resume with 35 vendors. Each business has between one to two recruiters at their booth enabling about 60 – 70 people access to Jane Doe’s resume. Many companies now scan resumes into databases so hiring managers (or recruiting or Human Resources Managers) may view the resumes electronically.  Let’s assume 10 of the companies use electronic scanning and at least five staff members in each company review the resume in the electronic database. That’s at least 50 more people screening her resume. Jane Doe’s resume has the potential for review by over 100 people. How many of those people does Jane Doe know personally and trust intimately with her personal information? Jane Doe probably knows less than five well enough to be comfortable sharing intimate personal information, but she has included it in her resume hoping that it will increase her chances for an interview.

Jane Doe put her Social Security Number and Marital Status on her resume, along with her address, telephone number and salary history. This gives an identity thief the keys to the kingdom — all that’s needed to fill out credit card applications. The thief uses a fake Post Office Box address to the creditor to mail the bills so they don’t go directly to Jane Doe.

Jane Doe realizes her identity was stolen 90 – 120 days later when she starts getting calls from collection agencies. She may still be looking for a job, but now she’s in bigger trouble because her credit record is ruined and she now needs to concentrate on fixing her credit history.  If Jane Doe wants to apply for a position with a company where a clean credit history is crucial for employment, or even a government clearance, this may ruin her chances for possible future employment, particularly in certain industries such as banking or finance, or even Homeland Security.

It is best to leave personal information off a resume. In addition to providing needed information to identity thieves, it could potentially prejudice a recruiter’s opinion of your skills and abilities. Listed below are resume information no-no’s:

  • Social Security Number / Date of Birth — Employers cannot legally ask for this information until an employment offer made and accepted by the applicant.  (The Federal Government will and can ask for this information to pre-screen applicants for security related positions, and the applicant must provide that up front.)
  • Marital Status / # of Children — biased recruiters may believe a female with a family prevents potential for working overtime, travel, or jobs traditionally for males.
  • Salary History — this gives information to identity thieves for credit applications. You also want to avoid elimination for an interview based on your previous salary history if you are willing to negotiate lower to gain more experience or if you want to aim higher based on your experience. (If mandatory, put this information only in a cover letter addressed directly to a recruiter by name, and keep a record of with whom you share the information.)
  • Pictures of Yourself — avoid judgment on your age, looks, or race.
  • Addresses — use a post office box, cell phone number, and/or provide an e-mail address you check at least three times a day as a point of contact.

Women should be extra careful about what information they add to their work resumes. Use the space wisely to expound upon job skills, experience, and abilities to convince recruiters of your worth.  Recruiters are more interested in your experience, skills, and abilities and will judge your worth on that information.

 

Copyright 2005, Dawn D. Boyer



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