Online privacy should always be a concern for anyone on the internet, but especially job seekers and remote workers. While there are regulations, such as GDPR, that aim to protect users from having their data used without their consent, they should also use certain practices.
Job seekers must understand the regulatory landscape and how their data can be exploited and misused. Of course, one of the most important ways to protect yourself on the internet is to get informed, but there are also specific practices.
This article explores the key principles of data privacy for job seekers, as well as some of the most helpful practices for finding jobs safely.
There are numerous laws and regulations that protect your data and privacy online. While there are numerous websites that comply with these regulations, some job-seeking platforms don’t comply fully.
You can understand whether your information is safe with them through some of the methods mentioned below. However, you should also inform yourself on data regulations and laws that apply to your country or state.
Furthermore, if you stumble upon fake websites, data regulations won’t protect you from having your data stolen and misused.
I got contacted by an individual from the UK once about a content writing gig. While the terms were great, and the job seemed interesting, they’ve asked me for certain private information that I wasn’t comfortable providing them with.
While I only had to lose a potential job opportunity by not providing them with the information, the consequences of having my data stolen seemed like a much worse deal. Without being careful about your data privacy, you can become a victim of identity theft.
In extreme scenarios, individuals can use your data to conduct crimes, which can lead to legal trouble. The professional consequences you can suffer from having your account stolen can be significant.
You need to be careful about unwanted data exposure, and to use only the websites that have a satisfiable privacy policy, and are considered legitimate throughout the industry.
There are numerous ways in which you can protect your privacy. Some would say that it’s best to avoid posting your information altogether, but this is almost impossible in the current year. So the solution isn’t to neglect using online platforms, but to do so mindfully.
The majority of these practices can be implemented without any costs or tools. However, there are also platforms that can help you with managing your data and cookies.
There are numerous websites for job seekers. We have popular ones like Indoor, LinkedIn, and Upwork for freelancers, but there are dozens of others. Whenever you decide to join a new job seeking platform, you should carefully explore it’s policies.
You should always read website privacy policy and understand how your data is gathered, used, and shared. Depending on the region in which you are based, different data regulations will be applied.
In some cases, websites for job posting can avoid having to comply with regulations due to not fulfilling the requirements. However, you should always read the privacy policy and see for yourself whether you’re comfortable with providing them your information.
Creating an account isn’t the only way of providing a website with your information, as many of them collect cookies. In some cases, you can reject cookies completely, while other websites force you to accept them.
You should carefully select which cookies you’re comfortable with sharing, or use platforms for cookie management.
Many people have found AI tools helpful in their job search. They might use ChatGPT for cleaning up grammar mistakes on their resume, or use specialized AI platforms for SEO optimized job explanations.
While tools like Rezi’s AI Resume Builder adhere to data regulations, there are numerous tools that don’t have clear policies on how user data is used. It’s important to know:
If you aren’t comfortable with how these tools handle personal information that you’re providing them with, try to find alternatives.
Nowadays, we’re used to sharing every piece of our lives on social media. There are numerous privacy reasons why you should be careful about which information you’re disclosing to the world.
If you have a private profile and keep track of who’s following you, you’re likely safe. However, many people have public profiles that can be found within seconds. Besides job seeking, public posts and information can be used by hackers to conduct social engineering attacks.
However, there’s also another problem with leaving your public information in the context of job seeking. If you leave your resume on a website that’s not safe, hackers can piece together information about you through social media and the data you’ve lent them.
They can use this to create synthetic identities in order to scam you, your family members, or even other individuals. Of course, public posts can also be used against you in the job-seeking process, as decision-makers might not hire you because of opinions you’ve posted.
The job-seeking process can be tedious. It can include sending hundreds of applications on dozens of different platforms. Many people lose hope after receiving no responses during the initial period and decide to start creating accounts everywhere.
While more platforms and job applications often lead to better chances of getting hired, it can also cause problems related to your privacy. You should always keep track of the different websites where you’ve applied for a job.
This can help you understand where your data lives and help you remove your information if needed. For example, you find out that a website’s privacy policy has changed, and you don’t feel comfortable with having your information there anymore.
Furthermore, keeping a log of websites can also help you track your applications better and see how effective your process is.
You should know your “rights,” so to speak, and understand which information should be shared with hirers. Of course, you need to provide them with your job history and contact information, but you should know when to become suspicious.
If a hirer asks you for personal information, such as your ID number, unnecessary contact information, or a picture of your ID, you should tread carefully. Most jobs don’t require such information, and you shouldn’t proceed unless you have a guarantee that they’re legit.
You should also be careful when creating resumes or sending applications, not to include unnecessary information there as well. One way to guarantee that a hirer is legitimate and requires your personal information is to use reputable third-party platforms.
When you’re looking for a job, you’d want to find as many potential options as possible. While I’ve covered this in the context of keeping a log, it’s also important that you confirm the legitimacy of each website where you make an account.
This includes being careful about phishing websites, but also about websites that don’t have a history behind them. For example, an individual sends you a job post to a website that exists for a month, without any reputable mentions on the internet.
You should explore whether a website has traceable company contact information. Other red flags include that a website is poorly designed or if they have an inconsistent brand image.
You’ll never know if a certain job platform or a website will experience a data breach or similar problem. Regulations like CCPA, GDPR, PIPEDA, and others have done a great job of making companies more focused on protecting user privacy.
However, this doesn’t stop hackers from attacking them, or companies from having vulnerabilities in their systems. Like in many other cases, it’s best that you do your due diligence and mindfully approach job seeking.
Hopefully, this article has helped you become more aware of your privacy as a job seeker, and you’ll understand how to protect your data in the long run.
Author Bio
Veljko is an IT student who has successfully combined his passion for technology with his exceptional writing skills. As an emerging specialist in cybersecurity, he has completed several courses and has been published in notable blogs in the industry. In his free time, Veljko enjoys weightlifting, reading, and programming.
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