As a resume writer / resume coach, I often know right away when a client’s existing resume was initially prepared on a company computer, at their current or previous job. How can I tell?
I open up the Document Properties dialog box, under the File Menu, and read what’s in the “Company” field. It’s surprising how often some well-known corporation’s name is staring me in the face!
I delete that name before doing any other work on the resume, of course. Prospective employers don’t want to think you would use their company’s resources to look for your next job.
Of course, it’s also a mistake to use your business phone number or email address on your resume.
Did you know it’s also risky to use that company email address when you open a LinkedIn account, even if the email address isn’t visible in your profile?
The reason is this: You would probably like to keep your LinkedIn account when you leave, but it’s not unknown for employers to claim that a departing employee’s contacts belong to the company and not the individual. (This is more common in occupations like sales, where contacts function like a capital asset.) Using your personal email address can support your argument that the account and the contacts are your own personal property. This can be a gray area, legally, so little things like the email address can add up.
Keep those boundaries clean!
