Don't Blow Your Cover:
CONFIDENTIALITY ON THE INTERNET?

You've written your keyword résumé and packed it full of powerful punch words to make sure you stand out. Now you want to jump on the Information Superhighway and go online, advertising yourself to thousands, if not millions, of potential employers. The only problem is that your current boss may just be one of them.

Privacy and confidentiality are serious considerations in putting your résumé on the Internet. If you're using a noncommercial service, such as a nonprofit newsgroup, you're out of luck when it comes to the confidentiality issue. Some commercial résumé databases offer a "blackout" feature that will prevent your résumé from being forwarded to a list of employers you identify. For services that allow employers direct inspection of their database, the identity of the individual is usually "disguised" with coded numbers. You can also have the commercial job service eliminate your name and contact information. Instead, employers who are interested in you will contact the commercial service and find out who you are. The only danger with this is that your boss may be good friends with someone who pulls your résumé off the Internet. You can picture the look on the face of your boss when his buddy drops the line, "Did you know your star sales rep is ready to jump ship?"

To protect you from the deadly "slip of the mouse click" that might cost you your job, try these camouflage tips suggested by Charlie Dawson, CPC, an experienced online executive recruiter.

	When describing Education, use only degree and institution (MBA, Fresno Pacific University) or degree and date (MBA, 1992). If you include all three (degree, institution and date) it's very easy to identify you through alumni associations.
	Never list both an undergraduate degree and an advanced degree; just list the advanced degree. Using the helpful alumni associations mentioned above, it's easy to cross-check lists and find the common thread - your name.
	Omit the name of your present employer and former employers for the past 10 years; simply describe them as "manufacturer of plastic widgets" or "vendor to the healthcare industry."
	When describing prior employers, don't list your title, the company name, and the dates of employment (i.e., V.P. Marketing, ABC Company, 1994-1998). One phone call to the company asking who the VP of Marketing was in 1996 will clear up who you are.
	Cloak specific accomplishments such as "Project leader for installation of new Zentac system - led a team of four programmers with a project budget of $4 million" to read "Led a team of four in a $4 million technology conversion project."
	Never list a club or association (most groups are small enough that it's easy to identify someone by their profession or industry).
	If you have a professional designation, never list the date or state where you are certified. All professional associations sell their member lists.
	Social Security or other identification numbers should never appear in a public access area (which is what a résumé database is).

There are career management services that will act as your "call screener" and field inquiries from employers and recruiters. Instead of your name and telephone listed at the top of the résumé, the prospective employer sees "Confidential Résumé No. 123456" followed by a general title indicating your specialization (e.g., Psychologist - Research, Administrative). Below this would be wording such as "Attn: Employers or Recruiters: For more information concerning this résumé, please fax your request for the job seeker's identity and contact data on company letterhead to *name of career management service* or send request by E-mail (with full identification of your company) to *service's E-mail address* This is done for confidentiality purposes only. No fee will be charged."

As the Information Superhighway speeds into the 21st century, it will be more and more common for people to list their résumé on the Internet. At that crossroad, the issue of a confidential job search may become a moot point. Individuals may not be hoping to find employment at the moment but understand the vital importance of visibility in career management. They'll perpetually keep their résumé "on display" so that they'll never miss an opportunity.

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