Should I post my resume online?

Many people ask them self this question. The answer is easy if you are employed-it’s a solid NO! When you are working but in active job search it is not prudent to let your employer know that you are looking. I know that this is elementary but needs to be said because I have seen this happen. Sometimes it’s because the candidate forgot that their resume was online after they secured them self a position.

For those candidates who are new to the market such as new graduate, why not. Keep in mind that there are national, local and industry specific job boards and the people that use them may be quite different. The candidate should not forget to post at any professional associations in their industry as well.

There are some safeguards that should always be followed because your personal information will be out there for anyone with access to the different job boards to have:

• It would be prudent to omit your address but leave in email and telephone number where you can be reached. Do I need to say not to post any other personal information? I see resumes with date of birth, marital status etc. That’s nobody’s business.

• You will get many offers with no base salary, insurance sales and perhaps some scams. When you decline an offer, do it with class and thank the person for contacting you. You never know who they know.


• Ensure that you use keywords so that your resume percolates to the top. If you are a sales manager in the tooling industry, make sure that those words feature in the title of the resume or your posting.

This advice works well for those that are new to the market or unemployed. Those that are working or more senior people should consider twice before posting their resume online. Of course posting your resume to a recruiter’s website is different. This is only visible to employees of the firm and should not be sent out without an interview and your permission.


We recruiters sometimes find candidates on job boards too so there are some definite benefits to posting online. There are some job boards that allow you to post your resume online anonymously and I have seen some candidates create an email account just for job hunting.

Posting online should be just one of the ways that you look for a job and keep in mind that looking for a new job is almost a full time job.

Pet Peeves (and somewhat off topic)
• Sending your resume to several recruitment firms but not Bccing everyone. Why not personalize each one.
• Sending a resume to me while addressed to someone else

Happy selling
D