I’m looking for a job and figured I should post my resume on the internet. Any advice on which career boards to use?

There are a variety of career sites out there that allow you to post your resume for free. These sites charge companies a fee to view your information which means that thousands of people can see your resume. That can be good and bad. Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind before you post your resume on the internet:

1. If you are employed, you must assume your boss or someone your boss knows can and will see your resume posted—not always a good move. Some companies will dismiss employees when they find out they are actively seeking employment elsewhere. If you are unemployed, this should not be an issue.



2. Marketing yourself is fine—you need to if you are going to have a successful job search, but realize that recruiters—us included—do not like to recommend candidates for positions that have their resume posted in a public manner because often, our clients may have already seen your paperwork. If you plan on having search firms help market you, it is far better to target your resume to specific openings you are interested in as well as keeping track of that versus letting every company across the world, view your info at anytime. It is very easy to lose complete control of your job search this way.



3. Resume databases are not the venue for storing your resume and keeping track of your career. There is a shelf life to every thing in your closet—your paperwork is the same. If you keep it posted for months and/or years people will lose interest in you, wondering why you are still on the market.



4. Identity theft is rampant and everyone needs to be cautious about publishing private information on the web. We see resumes all the time that include home and email addresses, date of birth, favorite hobbies—all things that identity predators can use to steal your identity for their personal gain.

We encourage you to take an active role in creating a successful job search but want to make sure you do so in a safe and productive manner. If you choose to use a large board, you may want to consider posting your resume confidentially and/or using smaller targeted industry websites.

Good luck on your search!

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