Staying Safe Online When Looking For Your New Role.

 

With companies and organisations having to up their GDPR game across the nation, we ask just how safe is job hunting online? We’ve got a couple of tips for you when using job sites to look for your next role.

 

The number one rule is to make sure you are using a reputable job site…

• Do they have a physical address for their business, do they have a landline?
• When signing up to a job site, never divulge personal details. You do not need to give out your National Insurance number or Driving Licence number online and you certainly do not need to give out bank details. You shouldn’t be asked to give out your date of birth either, all you’re doing at this point is browsing through potential jobs.
• Once you have found a site that are sure is secure, make sure you have a strong password that you keep private.
• Where a company is advertising without using a recruitment agency, make sure you research the company to get if they are who they say they are.
• Take care when clicking on links, make sure they go to legitimate websites and avoid the scams!
• Often spelling and grammar mistakes are a great way of telling a fraudulent job post. Obviously we’re not robots, typos exists in legitimate adverts but many scams originate from outside of the UK and it’s common for them to include ‘Americanisms’ such as ‘Resume’ instead of CV.
• Does their URL contain ‘https’ – This means it’s working in conjunction with another protocol, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), to transport data safely.

As with anything online, there are risks. There will always be the job ads that are trying to trick you into giving them your bank details or asking for money to sign you up to something that may sound fantastic at first, but remember, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. This is most commonly found in ‘working from home’ jobs, where the employer will not reimburse you for the work you have done or you pay out for expenses that you will never get back. Be wary of employers that want to offer you a job without having a lot of contact, why are they not offering you a job interview, does it feel suspicious to you?

You might also want to think about using social media to apply for jobs, just beware that it is easy for a potential employer to see your profile. Is your social media profile something you want to share in a professional environment? Maybe check your privacy settings before you start!

Are you giving too much away on your CV?

• When writing your CV, remember that you only have to give out details that are relevant to the role you are going for. A potential new employee, at this point in the process, no one needs to know your National Insurance number, passport number or bank details. They need to know the skills you offer and what you can bring to their company.
• Wait until you have successfully been through the interview process and have successfully been given a job offer before giving out any personal details, especially bank details.
• Take care when uploading attachments. It sounds simple, but it’s easily done. If you are uploading your CV to an application or to a job site, you need to be 100% sure that it is your CV that you are sharing. Don’t click on the wrong document and accidentally upload private information to a public website that 1000’s of people have access to. It happens more than you might think.

If you would prefer to have a face to face chat when searching for a job, why not pop into one of our branches and meet with one of our recruiters!

Find your nearest branch HERE!

 

Thanks to these sources for the facts and figures!

https://www.getsafeonline.org/protecting-yourself/job-searching/

https://www.reed.co.uk/career-advice/how-to-keep-your-online-job-search-safe/

 

Charlotte Walker