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So you've scored that job interview, great! Now what? You're not home yet, you got to compete against all those other interviewees. Better yet have you even heard of this company before? How do you know you're not going to be a victim of identity theft? What can you do to be a great interviewee but not turn off your potential employer over concerns of identity theft?

Well lets think geek for a second. The best security is the security you don't notice. Those that should have access to something aren't inconvenienced while those that should be blocked are pwn3d miserably. Same thing applies for identity theft concerns with a company.

Most people don't think about the possibility a fake company being set up solely to steal identities. Think about it, you have to give your employer your date of birth, social security number and driver's license number the three things needed to steal an identity. The thieves sure have thought of this, so think twice about giving some company you never heard of your personal information. This is most easily done by exercising common sense.

If the company has a page that looks like it was done in FrontPage or on Geocities, that should be an immediate red flag. From there, I would drive past the company's alleged location and make sure it was an actual business before the day of my interview. Make sure it isn't some guy's house. I follow a rule of no sign, no interview. That means if I don't know the company and it doesn't seem terribly reputable as being a legitimate company and the address they give me has no sign on it indicating that it is a place of business, I make an excuse to not want to show up to the interview. I plainly discuss that I didn't see a sign out front when I drove past the company's location and that I also want to work for a company with a good benefits package. From here the conversation either results in a rational explanation or them admitting that they're really just 3 guys with a bunch of computers in the garage/basement of their house doing some coding.

Keep in mind, if the company is reputable and has a large presence, I wouldn't stick with the "no sign, no interview" rule. Many companies, especially those which are very popular or have large client bases, prefer to have discrete locations where customers cannot easily find them. Don't make the mistake of confusion discretion with fraud.

However, back to the website issue. Use the company's website to learn everything about the company you can. Become an

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