There are those who advocate “posting” your resume so that you can approach maximum exposure in letting others know that you are hunting for a new job or a new challenge. Be careful about this.

As Christina Rexrode of the New York Times observed, “Protect your career, identity when looking for a job online.” Christina went on to say “But listen up, job seekers. You should know more than how to punch some keywords into Google.” “Make sure a job posting you find online is valid before you spend time pursuing it. Call the company that posted it or talk to people you know who work there. Keep in mind that companies’ online career pages might be updated more frequently than the big job boards they post to.” “Beware of blind ads. If an ad doesn’t name the company behind it, think twice before sending your resume. You could unwittingly apply for a job with your current company, which could cause trouble. Or, you could be sending personal information to an identity thief.”

If you are currently working and don’t want your current employer to know that you are “hunting.”- if you don’t want to be called into a potentially uncomfortable “I didn’t know you were hunting” meeting with your current employer, DON’T post or broadcast your resume.

Admittedly, there are times when you might want your current employer to know you are hunting such as when you know you deserve more money, but be very careful about this. You may want the advice of a professional career coach or career counselor.

In either event, you should consider knowing who you are going to target as your next employer.

For pinpoint help on this topic, please refer to the Hidden Job Market portions of the Web site.