Create a Confidential Resume

 

Whether your goal is to protect your identity or conduct a low-profile job search, a confidential resume (as defined in the 9 steps below) will keep your personal information private. Other Options

Once your resume is properly modified, it can be used in a variety of ways to promote your career. But first, some important changes must be made:

1. Your Name
2. E-mail Address
3. Current Employer
4. Job Titles
5. Education
6. Industry Keywords
7. Details / Personal Data
8. Embedded Data
9. File Name

Your Name

Replace your name with a generic term such as:

– Confidential Candidate
– eSolutions Marketing Candidate
– Confidential Resume: eSolutions Expert
– Confidential Candidate / CEO

eMail Address

To maintain confidentiality, you will need a nondescript email address. In other words, avoid using e-mail addresses that include parts of your name (i.e., johnfrank@abc.com).

• Most job seekers benefit from setting up a separate email for job seeking.
• For job seeking purposes, the best solution is a job-relevant, generic e-mail address like salespro@abc.com.

You can get a free email address at Gmail.com (and many other sites). How to select an email address for job searching.

Before you sign up, be sure to read the site's privacy policy to determine whether your personal information / registration information will be public or kept private.

Never use your current employer's e-mail, computers, or telephone systems for job search purposes. Even if your employer is aware of it (and/or 100% supportive of your job search) using company e-mail for job searching "looks" inappropriate and may raise questions about your honesty or integrity.

Current Employer

Eliminate the name and location of your current employer from the resume. Replace it with a general company description:

• High tech manufacturing firm
• International sales consulting firm
• Confidential employer

See these principles at work: Confidential Web Resume

Job Titles

Replace unique, industry-specific, or product-specific job titles with more generic (but equivalent) job titles. For example, use Quality Assurance Manager instead of Manager of Widget Systems Quality Assurance.

See these principles at work: Confidential Web Resume

Industry-specific Keywords

Imagine that your current employer is searching for your replacement... What skills (keywords) would they search for in candidate's resumes?

Compile a list... and then eliminate these kinds of keywords and terms from your resume:

• Specific industries, markets, products
• Client names, company names
• Industry-specific technologies, certifications
• Location (cities, area codes, and so on)

Details / Personal Data

Personal identifiers should be removed or described in a more discreet manner. In addition to the obvious (never list your social security number or birth date), you'll also want to consider camouflaging specific locations, products, dollar amounts, account names, specialized technologies, etc.

High Stakes Searches

In high stakes job searches:

• Education: Remove the name of the college / university and the graduation / college attendance dates from your resume's "Education" section. Employers and recruiters can track down candidate identities through graduation dates and academic records.
• Locations: Remove specific cities, locations, and geographical criteria from your job entries and replace with generic terms.
• Other Details: You'll also want to consider camouflaging or removing product names, specialized technologies, etc.

See these principles at work: Confidential Web Resume

Embedded Data in Attachments and Downloads

Before sending your confidential resume as an attachment (MS Word), make sure your name is not embedded in the document's file properties

To remove personal identifiers from a Microsoft Word file:

• Open the MS Word document.
• Select FILE and then click on PROPERTIES.
• Click on SUMMARY.
• Delete any personal identifiers such as subject, author, etc.

File Name

If you plan on sending the word-processed version of your resume as an e-mail attachment, be sure to rename your resume.

For obvious reasons, the file name should not be based on your name.

Renaming Your File: Most people name their resume Resume. But naming your document "resume" makes it easy for employers and recruiters to to lose your resume – or worse – overwrite it with another resume with the same title. Instead, consider using a file name that reflects your job target:

project_manager.doc
Marketing-Candidate.doc
marketingexec.doc

Other Options

1. Consider Using a Bio, not a Resume:
   While the resume is definitely viewed as a job search tool, biographies are a commonly used business tool, especially for C-level candidates. Using a bio does not protect your identity -- it is simply a less obvious venue. About CareerFolio Bio services
   
   
2. Password-protected Entry:
   Order a password protected entry page for your CareerFolio: $50

Keep Your Job Search a Secret
By Kim Isaacs, Monster.com

How to Safely Use Linkedin and Facebook at Work
By Brian Jackson / IT Business

©2011, Pat Kendall, NCRW
All Rights Reserved