Who we are
Career Patron (careerpatron.com) is the data controller for the personal data described here. You can contact us about privacy at hello@careerpatron.com, or by post at United Kingdom.
What we collect
- Account details: your name, email address, password (stored only as a secure one-way hash), time zone and contact preferences.
- Career information you give us: your CV and other documents, career goals, target roles, job preferences, LinkedIn profile URL and anything you write in forms or messages.
- Bookings and orders: the services you buy, session times, notes your expert chooses to share, and the status history of your orders and job applications.
- Payments: amounts, dates and payment status. Card details are entered directly with Stripe; we never see or store your card number.
- Technical data: IP address and browser details for security, fraud prevention and to keep you signed in.
We never ask for your LinkedIn password or any other account password, and you should never send them to us.
How and why we use it
- To provide the services you order (performance of a contract): arranging consultations, writing documents, finding and submitting job applications you have approved, and keeping you updated.
- To take payments and keep financial records (contract and legal obligation).
- To keep the platform secure and prevent misuse (legitimate interests).
- To improve our services using aggregated information (legitimate interests).
- To send marketing emails only if you have opted in (consent). You can opt out at any time from your profile.
Who can see your information
- Your expert sees your name, goals, questions and any documents you choose to share for that booking only.
- Our staff see what they need to deliver and support your orders. Access is logged.
- Service providers who process data on our behalf: Stripe (payments), our email provider, our video meeting provider, and our hosting and storage providers.
- Employers receive your application documents only for jobs you have approved.
We never sell your personal data.
International transfers
Some providers may process data outside the UK or EEA. Where they do, we rely on adequacy regulations or standard contractual clauses (including the UK addendum) to protect your data.
How long we keep it
We keep your account while it is open. Documents linked to completed orders are kept for up to 24 months and then deleted. We keep payment and invoice records for as long as tax law requires (usually six years), even if you delete your account; these records are stripped of anything we don't need.
Your rights
Under UK GDPR and EU GDPR you have the right to:
- access the personal data we hold about you, and receive a copy in a portable format;
- have inaccurate data corrected;
- have your data deleted, or its use restricted;
- object to processing based on legitimate interests, and to withdraw consent at any time;
- complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk) or your local data protection authority.
You can download your data and request deletion from your profile, or email us. We respond within one month.
Security
Documents are stored privately and can only be downloaded through short-lived links by people with permission. Passwords are hashed, connections are encrypted and staff actions on your data are recorded in an audit log.
Cookies
We use only the cookies needed to keep you signed in and secure. See our cookie policy.
Changes
If we make important changes we will tell you by email or on the website before they take effect.