Ten Things to Consider When Posting Your Resume On-Line
By Barbara Poole, founder of www.employaid.com
Considering changing jobs? Looking to get ahead? Want to get a feel for what's happening in the current job market? Developing and posting the perfect virtual resume can help.

Many people assume that creating and posting a virtual or on-line resume is exactly the same as creating a standard paper resume. And to some extent they would be right.

However, there are some basic differences that job seekers should consider when posting their resume on-line. Here are the ten things to think about when posting a virtual resume:

Limit contact information. Just like with anything on-line, employees should consider limiting access to personal information like e-mail addresses, street addresses, and phone numbers. Yes, it is important to supply contact information if the intent is to find a job; however, consider setting up a separate e-mail account just for job searches and only include city and state on a resume — merely to help recruiters identify local candidates.

Leave off the company. Anyone who is currently employed should be sure to not include the name of their current employer. Though this seems logical, it's amazing how many people neglect this detail.

Maximize the headline. Use the headline or resume title wisely by including pertinent information or keywords that employers typically might search for. Do not beg for a job. Statements like, ""The perfect candidate"" do little to advance a career or a job search.

Standard resume procedures apply. When it comes to formatting, typos, and resume length, standard procedures apply. Review the final product carefully by viewing it on-line. Presentation is everything.

Read privacy policies. Make sure the information posted is kept confidential by reviewing each site's privacy policy.

No blasting. While resume blasting sounds like a great idea to get a resume in front of ""thousands"" of employers, sending a resume everywhere and to anyone, and not knowing who, can spell disaster. It's better to maintain control over where a resume goes.

Update regularly. Renew or update the information every few weeks or it will languish in absentia and fall to the bottom of the heap.

Spread the wealth. When posting on-line consider smaller and/or specialty recruitment sites to allow access by smaller organizations that don't have a large budget to spend on resume database searches, but may offer great career opportunities. Freebie sites like a state job development site are great options.

Limit locations. Instead of posting anywhere and everywhere, narrow the field down to the best large, small, and specialty site(s). This maintains control and allows for easier updating as well as deletion later on. Be sure to maintain a list of all the sites.

Delete when done. When the search is over, remove the information from each website. Why leave it out there for every Tom, Dick, and Henrietta to access.

Whether changing jobs or just testing the waters, posting an on-line resume is a reflection of its creator. Be sure it reflects someone who is a true professional.