My resume has seen more of the world than I have!
"I want to look for a new position. The best thing to do is to send my resume to as many recruiters as possible and put it on every job board. More is better right?"
Wrong!!!
Actually, it is better to be selective about who knows what about your career search. Of course confidentiality is of concern to most professionals, but there is also a more subtle impact to consider. This has to do with your reputation and the law we all live with every day, the law of supply and demand. That is, if something looks "plentiful, easy to get and probably cheap" then people tend not to value it highly, and dismiss it quickly as "just another one of those things." Compare this with how people react to items that look "rare, difficult to attain, and probably somewhat more valuable." In other words, it simply is human nature to want "the best" and "something that someone else doesn't have."
So why should this matter to you? Well, do you want to have a reputation as "common and average" or a reputation as "unique and valuable"? We think most people prefer the latter option.
So be careful where you send your resume and guard it as you would anything you hold dear. Not everyone should have your life in their hands.
