How to Protect Your Identity While Job Searching

How to Protect Your Identity While Job SearchingHow to Protect Your Identity While Job Searching8Unfortunately, identity thieves are well aware that job seekers are a eignungly vulnerable lot, and they have an arsenal of ways to exploit this vulnerability. If youre a job seeker, its just plain smart to take precautions to protect yourself and to be aware of how identity theft happens- while still making every effort to present your accomplishments to prospective employers in the best possible light.Here are tips on how to protect your identity while job searchingExclude specific personal details from your resume.Your resume should include well-chosen language that offers an accuratesummary of your qualifications. But there are details you may want to leave out, particularly on versions of your resume that will be posted publicly. If your aim is to protect your location and other personal details, omit your exact street address, your phone number, and your gender and marital status.Li mit personal information on social media.Using social media in your job searchis one of the best ways to find the right job opportunities and to tischset up your own professional profile online. But never list information such as your date of birth, drivers license number, and personal financial data. It should go without saying that your Social Security number shouldnt be included in any public spaceAvoid offering personal information in a phone interview.Even if youre sure that an employer is legitimate, dont provide highly specific personal data over the phone during a job interview- especially if dont yet have the job Of course you want to do your best to have a successful phone interview, but be aware that most employers dont require extremely personal details at this stage of the game. In fact, questions about your age or other detailed information can be illegalin some instances.Verify that a potential job is real. researches every job listed on our website to ensure that eve ry position is authentic and that each company is legitimate. Anytime youre job hunting, nothings more important than verifying the authenticity of the job and the organization thats offering it. Google, Whois.com, and other search resources can be your best friends when it comes to independent verification of company information. Be cautious about websites that are brand-new and of sites that are hard to trace, especially non-U.S. sites, in order to protect your identity.Beware of fake job recruiters.Heres a scenario that should raise a big red flag you get a call from a recruiter youve never heard of, who claims to be touching base with you about a job for which you havent applied. The best response is to politely hang up, and certainly dont answer any questions Be wary of potential fake job listings as well. Arm yourself by knowing how to spot a job scam.Update your technology- and your technical know-how.Having up-to-date malware-scanning software on your computer can protect yo ur identity from job scammers whose approach involves sending out spam email as a means of hacking into your personal email accounts, and gathering details that might help them steal your identity. Dont open email attachments if you dont know the source phishing is a favorite method for hackers to gain access to your credit information, passwords, and bank account numbers.Protect your educational records.Under federal law, its your right to limit access to your academic records. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, allows you to ask your college, university, or any other institution where youve studied not to release your school records without your permission. That includes the year you graduated- a detail that identity thieves can use against you.Readers, share your tips and suggestions about how protect your identity as a job seeker