Job search is an important and responsible process that requires not only accuracy, but also caution from the applicant. Recently, personal data has become a real “gold mine” for fraudsters, so it is necessary to take all possible measures to protect your confidential information.
During the job search, job seekers are faced with the need to provide their personal data, such as full name, date of birth, home address, phone number, email, photo, information about previous jobs and education. And even contacts of other people – references.
Yes, on the one hand, this information is necessary for potential employers. But on the other hand, it can be used by intruders for various illegal actions, ranging from spam to financial fraud.
Also, the recipient of your resume may pass it on to third parties for some reason or, in one way or another, use it for purposes other than intended.
Doesn’t it seem strange to you that in most situations people don’t just give their data to anyone, but at the same time they can send their resume to dozens (or even hundreds!) of unclear addresses?
So it is very important to ensure that your data is transmitted securely, in a limited scope, and also used responsibly and for its intended purpose.
Possible channels of personal data leakage during job search
1. Leakage of access passwords to websites due to the carelessness of the applicant.
Read more below.
2. Theft of passwords due to hacker attacks.
There is nothing you can do about it. Just don’t be surprised if it happens.
3. Intentional actions of an unscrupulous employee.
It can be anyone who has access to applicant databases or, for example, to the company’s email address indicated in the vacancy.
4. Closure of a company or recruitment agency.
Yes, sometimes companies go bankrupt, reorganize, relocate, etc. Especially this applies to small companies, startups, employment agencies.
So a homeless person, rummaging through another garbage can, may suddenly find thick stacks of printed resumes there. And then spend a long time looking at the photos of attractive female applicants, using their resumes in every possible wrong way.
5. Resume recipients are scammers.
Well, here you shouldn’t be surprised at all. These cunning guys placed their fake vacancies precisely in order to get your data for the purpose of deception.
Now about the consequences of leaks in more detail.
What can happen to the personal data of job seekers?
1. A company employee may forward the resume to colleagues.
The most harmless example is a funny resume. The resume may look so ridiculous that the recipient may not resist sharing it with others. So this is another reason why it is very important to approach the preparation of the resume thoroughly. There should be no ridiculous photos, funny phrases and silly typos. It is also important not to overdo it in an attempt to make the CV original.
2. Personal data may be sold for advertising purposes.
As a result, you will receive calls, messages with advertising of some goods or services, offers of earnings, participation in network marketing, etc.
3. In the worst case, they will try to deceive you, extort money, obtain a loan, gain access to your accounts on social networks and other platforms.
But it’s better not to let it come to this.
Now about what to do to reduce the likelihood of your personal information falling into third-party hands.
Tips for Protecting Personal Data When Job Hunting
1. Do not post your resume in publicly available sources.
For example, on forums, online classifieds or, as was often the case before, in the private ads sections of newspapers.
2. Do not disclose excessive information to employers, such as personal identification numbers.
If the “employer” is asking for, for example, your bank details, the question arises: why do they need this? Aren’t they a scammer?
3. Use a separate email for job search purposes.
4. Follow the rules of Internet security.
When registering or logging in to job portals, websites of recruitment agencies, career sections on company websites and similar resources, use strong passwords, secure connections, two-factor authentication, and do not access these sites through public Wi-Fi networks.
5. Do not respond to job offers in messengers, from suspicious email addresses, or to dubious advertisements.
6. Check up on employers and recruitment agencies before deciding to send a resume or fill out their application.
Make sure you are dealing with an officially registered company or recruitment agency with a good reputation. Gather at least preliminary information about the employer.
7. Always pay attention to website URLs.
Does the domain belong to the company it claims to represent? Scammers often use similar names to pass themselves off as others.
8. If the ad is anonymous, sending a resume there is entirely your responsibility.
Many tempting vacancies describe the company in laudatory epithets, but hide its name. What is strange, the employer does not want to advertise their data, but the applicants are somehow supposed to. And the vacancy is serious, so the candidates will be non-trivial specialists.
9. Do not publish too much personal information on social networks.
Scammers can use this data as an additional source of information about you apart from the resume.
10. Periodically check through search engines for the presence of your contact information in public access.
You may unexpectedly find many interesting details about yourself.
Further, to illustrate situations with the “squandering” of personal information, I will give two examples from my own experience.
First case.
Once I was invited to a job interview at a branch of a foreign company. The meeting was with a manager who came from the head office. At the same time, I was warned in advance that I would need to bring a number of personal documents to the interview.
I didn’t like it, because it was the first interview. It looked very strange, although the company is quite real. At the meeting, I explained it this way: I will provide any documents, but closer to the actual employment. It was clear that the foreign boss did not like my answer. In any case, I was not invited to subsequent job interviews.
Second case.
Another case is also related to a foreign company that was opening a network of retail outlets in my country. When I arrived for an interview at the office, I found that the interview process was set up on a large scale. Job interviews were conducted in parallel in several streams. Candidates were given the most detailed questionnaires on several sheets, as if they were applying for an intelligence service, not ordinary merchants. Although I was applying for a senior position, the HR lady did not express much interest in my person.
And then what? Our communication did not continue. The company closed down a few years later. It would be very interesting to know what happened to the tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of dossiers of citizens who had long since forgotten that they had been to an interview there and left detailed information about themselves. This is not surprising: after all, they filled out such questionnaires many times in their lives in various organizations.
Protecting personal data is not only the responsibility of companies and recruitment agencies, but also of job seekers. Each of us must be careful and take the necessary measures to ensure the confidentiality of our information. Only through joint efforts can we minimize the risks of personal data leaks and make the job search process more secure and protected.
I wish you good luck in your job search and – don’t forget about security.
