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When you build a resume on Monster and make it searchable, you have the option of making it confidential. The advantage is that this hides your identity from Monster clients who look through the database for job candidates. A confidential resume can also keep you off your own employer's radar screen if you work for a company with a Monster account and you'd rather keep your job searching efforts private.
But can a confidential resume hurt your chances of getting the job you want? The short answer is that it might. Some recruiters like to be able to connect a resume with a name; others, if looking to interview local candidates only, might not consider confidential resumes because they don't show the job seeker's address. But sometimes, having a confidential resume can actually improve your chances of landing an interview. First, the basics:
What is visible and not visible to employers when I make my resume confidential?
"Everything on your resume is visible except for your contact information (name, email, phone number, address) and the name of the most recent or current company," says Troy Hatlevig, Monster's vice president of product.
If I apply to a job, do I still stay confidential?
"No," says Hatlevig. "The confidential resume program only applies to having a searchable resume. The purpose is to make sure that you, as a job seeker, get a chance to screen the employers and respond only to those you're interested in working for." If you apply online through Monster, the employer will see everything on your resume.
The big question: Am I reducing my chances of getting a job by making my resume confidential?
"Not necessarily, but you are reducing your options," says Hatlevig. "Many do not contact confidential resume owners at all. In many cases, staffing firms and other recruiters for whom speed is of the essence view confidential resumes as less responsive and therefore more work than they're worth."
But there's a flip side. "Some employers take the time to go after the confidential seeker, because odds are they are employed and therefore perceived as ‘passive' and more valuable," says Monster product manager Gregg McCabe.
"All employers make up their own mind on this, and many still find confidential resumes a valuable resource, because they assume that the confidential resume owners are more choosy and therefore higher-quality candidates," says Hatlevig. But he cautions, "This is a small group of employers."