By Matt Krumrie
I did it. I closed my account on Monster.com. I had not checked it in years, and forgot I even had a profile and resumes out there. I had subscribed to a number of career-related newsletters on Monster, and while browsing an article, I saw the account log-in information and it reminded me that, yes indeed, I do have an account with Monster. I decided I should probably check into it.
What I found was shocking. I found a profile that was outdated, included personal information such as my home address, home phone number and cell phone number. This left me ripe for someone to try and steal my identity and/or leave me open to unwanted spam.
I was also shocked at how awful my profile really was, and how inaccurate the description of my career really was. I wouldn’t have even hired me four years ago when I last had checked in.
If you have a profile on Monster, Career Builder, Dice.com – or any other big job board, and are not updating or following it, I recommend you delete it, and here are five reasons why:
1. Protect yourself
If you have too much information listed, you can leave yourself open to identity theft, and to receive unwanted spam. Do we really know who is looking at our public profile? Do we really want anyone in the world to know more information about us than they should?
2. Profile misrepresents you – and hurts you
Have you noticed you haven’t received any inquiries from your online profile in a while? Have you checked it out and it’s a total misrepresentation of who you are and what you can do? That was the case for me. Many people put together a profile on job boards and don’t touch them for years (like I did). An outdated profile does you more harm than good, so why have it listed?
3. Posting on job boards breeds job search contempt and laziness
Many people will post on job boards and wait for employers to come to them, then complain when they don’t hear from anyone. I hear it all the time. “Well, I have my resume on Monster, but no one has contacted me.” That’s because employers don’t rely on Monster, CareerBuilder or other job boards to find workers. They look for people who they know, or who they meet through networking. Don’t believe it? One employer told me that in 2008 93% of their hires were through referrals, 7% through job boards.
4. LinkedIn is better
If you are going to use an online tool, use LinkedIn to connect with professionals, join groups, respond to discussions, and even search jobs. LinkedIn allows you to connect with the people that are doing the hiring, Monster and CareerBuilder allow you to connect with…who do they allow you to connect with?
5. Big Job Boards – thing of the past
It’s 2010, Monster, CareerBuilder and other job boards may have been all the rage last decade (early last decade), but it’s a new era and networking is the key to finding a job, not a job board where talented people get lost in the shuffle – and frustrated in the process.
Take the time to take control of your online profile. If it’s not active, accurate or up to date, delete it today.
This post brings up a couple of very relevant points:
1) You should always keep your profile/resume updated.
2) A job search is only what you put into it.
Once you have updated your profile/resume, employers looking for qualified candidates can find you. Most of the large job boards, including Monster, take protecting your personal information very seriously and have implemented measures to ensure it is protected. While personal connections are extremely important in a job search, initiating those personal connections is the key. Job boards play a very big role in making these initial connections between employers and job seekers, especially for those who don’t have a large network already established. MonsterCollege, a community dedicated to students and recent graduates looking for internships and entry-level jobs, helps to build that network by bringing relevant jobs to this group of entry-level job seekers.
Why would you want to limit your opportunity to find a job, especially in a tough job market, by closing your account on Monster?
The article said you should close your account if you are not actively using it. If using it keep it open – most people aren’t actively using it and therefore they don’t update it and the information isn’t a true reflection of what a persons background is about.
These days you can’t be too careful with identity theft. There are so many ways others can get information about you. I recently saw that on facebook you can set up myplaces which tells your “friends” where you are. So basically everyone knows when your not at home….nice….