How to Protect Your Privacy - Multimedia Resume Exposure Options

When you create a Multimedia Resume on BackStage.com, you're given three "exposure level" options that determine who can see your resume, what contact info is visible, and whether or not your resume will appear in the Back Stage Talent Database. Understanding these options can you help you protect your online privacy.

The following article will assist you with deciding which option is best for you, while also providing additional tips that will help keep you safe. 

RESUME EXPOSURE LEVELS

When you create a new Multimedi Resume (or when you're editing one of your existing resumes) on BackStage.com, you'll see three "Talent Database Exposure Level" options under the "Resume Promotion" section in the "Main" section of the resume editor:

1) PUBLIC — With this option, your full Multimedia Resume is included in the BackStage.com Talent Database, allowing casting directors and employers to find and view resume, including your photos, videos, audio clips, links, etc., and all of your contact info that you've entered on the resume. Your resume (including your contact details) is also included on your shareable "Promote My Resume" landing page.

If you choose the Public exposure option, we recommend that you only provide essential contact info. For instance, we recommend  leaving the Street Address field blank in most cases; you should only provide your exact street address and apartment number to employers upon request, on a need-to-know basis, instead of revealing this upfront on your resume.

Likewise, you only need to provide your city, state, and zip code (so casting directors can find you in the Talent Database) and one email address and your main phone number (so casting directors can quickly contact you). Providing too much contact information on your resume can get confusing, and may compromise your privacy more than necessary.

If you'd prefer to not list your exact zip code, simply list a nearbye zip code instead. And if you'd prefer to hide your phone number too, then then write something like "Email Only" in the required "Primary Contact or Mobile Phone" field on your resume, instead of typing in your actual number, and leave the other phone-number fields blank.

2) CONFIDENTIAL (recommended!) — With this option, your Multimedia Resume is still included in the BackStage.com Talent Database and on your public "Promote My Resume" landing page. However, your contact info is automatically hidden. Casting directors and employers will still be able to contact you, but first they'll have to log into their account and click a "contact" link that will send their message to you using a form on BackStage.com. You'll receive the message via regular email. But the casting director won't find out your email address unless you respond to their message. Your email address will also be revealed to them if you submit to one of their casting notices.

We recommend the Confidential option because it offers the best balance between privacy and security. You still get the benefit of having your resume seen in the BackStage.com Talent Database and on your shareable public landing page, but you'll be much less likely to receive spam or undesired phone calls from people you don't know. And if you are contacted with a spam or scam through a Confidential resume, it'll be easier for Back Stage to track down and take care of the originator of the spam/scam for you. 

Note: If you fill out the "Representation - Agent/Manager" field on your resume, make sure to only include your agent and/or manager's contact details if they're happy to be contacted by people that find your resume. If you only want casting directors and prospective employers to contact you directly before speaking to your agent/manager, then you'll want to list your agent and/or manager without listing their full contact details. The Confidential option only hides your personal contact info; any contact info you've listed in the Representation field will still be visible to the public.

3) PRIVATE— With this option, your Multimedia Resume is hidden from the BackStage.com Talent Database and hidden from your public "Promote My Resume" page. However, you'll still be able to use the resume to submit to casting notices. The casting director will be able to see your contact info if you use the "submit online" option to send your resume to a casting notice or if you use the "Send" button on your resume to send your resume to someone via email.

The Private option provides you with more privacy than the Public or Confidential options, but it also eliminates the chance of your resume being discovered in the BackStage.com Talent Database, and it makes it harder to share the resume. So you'll only want to use this option when you really want to keep a particular resume out of the public eye. The Private option is also useful if you've got a resume that's only half-finished; you can keep a resume Private while you're working on it, and then change it to Public or Confidential later.

You can change the "exposure level" for your resume at any time. Just visit your "Manage My Resumes" page and then click on the Edit/Wrench button next to the resume you'd like to update.

PRIVACY TIPS:

• If you don't want your friends, family, or "day job" employers to stumble upon your entertainment-industry career, you should consider using a stage name or pseudonym. You can enter a stage name on your Back Stage resume instead of your real name, if you'd like.


• Don't provide your banking details or social security number (SSN) on your resume or in your cover letters. And be very careful about who you choose to reveal these details to. You should only need to provide a home address, banking details, and/or an SSN if you book a job; and even then, make sure that you're dealing with a trustworthy company first.


• Be careful to avoid casting scams. There are numerous scams targeting actors, models, singers, dancers, comedians, and other entertainers. 


• Visit the Federal Trade Commission's Identity Theft website to read tips from the FTC on how to prevent ID theft and what to do if your identity is stolen.

- Luke Crowe, National Casting Editor, Back Stage