Lesson 2: How to stay safe and maintain privacy when applying for jobs online
How to stay safe and maintain privacy when applying for jobs online
Online job applications are the quickest and easiest way to apply for open positions in a timely manner. Job portals such as Glassdoor and Indeed host thousands, if not millions, of different types of job openings around the world.
It’s important to realize, however, that while online job portals offer convenience and opportunity, they can potentially expose your information to malicious fraudsters.
NEVER use personal or sensitive information in your profile. Don’t include anything that someone could use to steal your identity or access your sensitive accounts, like a home address or family member’s name.
Also, be sure to use a unique password and change it every 180 days. This will help keep your account safe from hackers.
Read more for a few simple ways to protect yourself from fraudsters in online job portals.
Step 1
Use a different, strong password for each of your job portal accounts and protect your phone with its own password. Don’t use personal information, and avoid using real words and names. It is recommended to modify easy-to-remember phrases and combine different cases and characters.
Step 2
If you receive a request to connect with someone you don’t know, do some research to find out if they’re tied to the company they seemingly represent, and that the company is reputable. If they aren’t a known contact, it could mean that their account has been hacked.
Step 3
Control the privacy settings on your account to manage who can see and participate in what you post. For example, you can choose to make your résumé public (visible to all employers) or private (not searchable; only visible if you share it when you apply to a job).
Step 4
Do not post your personal address, email address, phone number or other personal information. Most job portals include a messaging system within the portal. Establish communication there, and then move to email or phone once you feel comfortable and are in the process of being hired.