Should I Post My Resume on Craigslist?

There are so many horror stories these days that all boil down to a person posted detailed information about themselves on some website and someone stole their identity or otherwise caused them harm. It’s especially scary because these aren’t urban myths – it happens. Craigslist is exceptionally notable in this area: police officers have used it to snare criminals, scammers have used it to commit fraud, normal people have used it to reveal secrets about others.

But Craigslist also has many benefits. It’s become a key tool in the job seeker’s arsenal, and even major corporations use it to look for new employees. So, how can you take advantage of the opportunities Craigslist offers, without exposing yourself to all the problems that go along with posting personal information online?

If you’re planning on posting your availability for any sort of gig or job, I recommend posting only a limited amount of information. Include a way to contact you – an e-mail address with a good spam filter and without your actual address or phone number associated with it – and a short and sweet explanation of your background. “Ten years of bartending experience” is good. “I graduated in ’02 from the University of Maryland with a B.A. in Illustration and worked for XYZ Graphics for 4 years before striking out to freelance on my own” is bad.

Respond to listings in a similar manner, especially if they give very little information to begin with. Before you do any work on a project you find on Craigslist, make sure you know at least the following:

• the actual name of the person you’re working for
• a way to get in touch with him or her that doesn’t involve an ‘@craigslist.org’ e-mail address
• who will be paying you and by what method

It is perfectly acceptable for you to ask for a contract, half the money up front, references or any other way you can think of to protect your interests. Considering the number of scammers taking advantage of Craigslist’s open posting policies, you will be the only person able to protect yourself.

Keep in mind these warning signs of scams, and try to avoid them entirely. If a listing promises unbelievable money or benefits from working for them, it probably is unbelievable. Any company asking you to pay a fee for hiring you, or even considering your resume is sure to be a scam, as well. Be wary of anyone refusing to provide you any information, especially if they’re asking plenty of questions about you. Poor spelling and grammar are often signs of a scam, or a project you may not want to take on for other reasons (side work, low payment).

In the end, with any Craigslist opportunity, if something doesn’t feel right, just walk away from it. The fallout from refusing to give out your information to a suspicious lister is far less than the damage that they could do with that information. Prevention really is the best remedy, in this situation.