I started speaking about this issue in the early 2000’s at seminars and workshops. I would show the privacy statements from large job boards and social media venues to the attendees. They were horrified!
To this day, I make sure my clients understand that their resumes should not be posted to a job board or social media site and they should instead sign up for notifications with email only. Why, because your information isn’t even remotely safe. Go read the privacy statements yourself. My caution is backed up by recent findings in a report from Incognito:
- “Incognito report finds leading job sites sell sensitive user data, often without awareness.”
- “Zip Recruiter, LinkedIn, and Monster ranked highest for collecting/sharing practices.”
- “Millions of US job seekers are at risk, with only 7% expressing concern over privacy exposure.”
Well, what do we think all those AI Data Centers are for – they exist to take our personal info and monetize it! You should be worried. I haven’t even addressed how often they may have been breached by hackers and cyberattacks.
These companies aren’t concerned about your privacy as long as they can make money from your information. Unfortunately, we are the ones who pay for it.
While we can’t totally stop it, we can impact it. First, I recommend an email newsletter subscription to Kurt the CyberGuy at cyberguy.com. He recommends tools and tips to help you, most of them free.
Second, never post your resume to a job board, instead go to the company or retained-search firm’s site and post it there. Sign up for job board email notifications only so you know what new jobs are available.
Third, if you have put your resume on a job board before, go take it off right now and delete your account.
Fourth, use social media site privacy options.
Lack of concern about privacy is to your detriment. Don’t make yourself a victim, become empowered to take control of your personal information and your job search.
Source: YahooTech: Experts Say Some Job Search Platforms are Stealing Personal Data from Job Seekers, by Sead Fadilpasic, June 15, 2026.