The danger of online resumes

[Geoff Hart]

Arroxane reports: <<Like many professionals, I maintain my resume  
online so that those seeking services, help, or mentoring can easily  
contact me.>>

I haven't done this for a very good reason: it makes identity theft  
easier. I'll send my actual resume only if someone establishes their  
bona fides. Yes, my identity would still be relatively easy to steal  
by anyone who's willing to invest a bit of time doing so, but they'll  
have to work a bit, and most such thieves are too lazy to make the  
effort: there's easier prey out there, and certainly much more  
lucrative prey.

<<However, this also leaves us open to the oddball inquiry-- 
frequently with ridiculous grammar, spelling, and offers. This one  
cracked me up mostly because of its ambiguity: "HI. I am by the  
representative of the international financial company incorperation.  
We research for the man in your country for good  cooperation. If you  
are have interested to work with us, write to email with [address].">>

Without meaning to sound critical, "it depends". I work primarily as  
a scientific editor, specializing in clients for whom English is a  
second language. If I discarded outright every letter with weird  
syntax and a questionable sender name, I'd probably have lost half of  
my current client list.

Yes, this particular one is probably questionable (most ones related  
to financial institutions are), but you can't make assumptions based  
solely on the language, particularly if you're in my line of work.  
For that matter, my wife recently had to update her spam filter  
because she was editing a book written by -- no, really!!! -- a  
Nigerian banker. <grin>


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-- Geoff Hart
ghart at videotron.ca / geoffhart at mac.com
www.geoff-hart.com
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