Just how much of exposing is too much in a resume?

"How much should I bare?" ” a massive stumbling block that most candidates face while customizing their resumes for a prospective job. Over self exposure not only puts the candidate in a fix at times, the details may also jeopardize incumbent firms' work, reveals a study done by Canopus Business Management Group. The risk highlighted here is strongly linked to the career prospects and psychology of an employee who unknowingly becomes a vehicle of multi-dimensional information security threat to the organization.

After a survey of select number of resumes, the management firm has found that with the evolution of internet and social media this threat has reached newer and fearsome heights with irreparable financial and reputational damages being caused to the enterprises, by way of piracy and insider trading. Hence the better-looking resume, the bigger is the threat perceptibility!

In its recent qualitative survey, Canopus examined around 80-odd resumes and came to the conclusion that virtually all confidential information can be extracted from resumes. Having said that, the group states that the problem which awaits an innovative solution, can do well with recognizing it as the first step towards finding a solution. There can be several passive mechanisms such as including a clause in employee non-disclosure document or educating the employee, says the management group.

Underscoring the urgent need for HR managers to address this threat in a comprehensive manner in future, Canopus said that though HR managers have adapted leak-proof strategies and developed creative policies and methods to prevent such damages, like background checks, non-disclosure agreements for employees, management of user rights for IT systems, etc., they should be made more stringent in order to arrest the menace.

The rot which began as a vital info leak, soon shaped up as insider trading and now with the digital progress "has mutated into more severe forms'. During their detailed study, the group was surprised to discover that most of the resumes were potential mines of classified information which are considered confidential. Many HR managers would also agree that eagerness to grab a good offer, many a candidate divulges pro-actively, an act that would invite poaching.

Canopus helps firms retain their customers and move them to loyalty band. Among the group's manifold recommendations which ask companies to put in place passive mechanisms such as including a clause in employee non-disclosure document or educating the employees against such frauds.