Handling Confidential Information on Your Resume

For some reason, you may be thinking about applying for a new job without disclosing your identity.

But is it possible?

Yes, you are allowed to withhold your identity in the opening stages and you can do this by writing a confidential resume. A confidential resume will tell your potential employer about your qualifications and experience without disclosing any personal information. It is not so different from putting GitHub on a resume or shadowing experience on a resume.

In this guide, you will learn how to list confidentiality on a resume. We will also be providing you with samples that will guide you when writing your resume.

Should You Mention Confidential Info on Your Resume?

There are several situations when you will have to write a resume with confidential information. People applying for a new role while holding a position in another establishment usually prefer to use a confidential resume.

So, if you are yet to tell your present employer about your plan to move on, you should write a confidential resume to keep the process private. Need help with your resume? Check our list of the best resume writers. You may also be working in an industry with a small community. In such a situation, it makes sense to want to take a confidential approach.

How to Handle Confidential Information on Resume

The information listed in this section will give you the ability to handle confidential information resume.

Follow Standard Formatting

A confidential information resume uses just about the same format as regular resumes. You will be able to find several templates online for free or you may choose to create yours.

The pieces of information that have to be present in your resume include your contact information, education, skills, job history, certifications, and other qualifications. Also, you shouldn’t forget to utilize adequate formatting that consists of an easily readable and right-sized font.

The right font size is between 10 to 12 and you should ensure that you use the same style and size from the beginning to the end. However, your headers should be bold and have larger fonts.

Add Contact Information

Even if you are submitting a confidential application, the recruiter or hiring manager still needs to be able to contact you. Instead of writing your name in the upper part of your resume, write “Confidential Candidate”.

You should carefully select the email you list. To be safe, you may either use a generic address that includes none of your personal information or you may use a fresh email address that you create just for the application. Remember not to add your present work email. You will need to add your phone number so that your prospective employers can easily give you a call.

Write a Professional Summary

You have to add a professional summary section to your resume to let your potential employers know your major qualifications and relevant experience. Your professional summary shouldn’t exceed five lines, so you have to keep it direct and concise.

Again, you should leave out the names and addresses of your previous employers and any detail that may reveal your identity.

Add an Education Section

To keep this confidential in this section, you have to avoid naming the educational institutions that you attended. Instead, you should use generic names like ” Private University”, and “Public University”. You shouldn’t mention the state and the city that you studied. However, you will have to add important dates during your education.

When writing about your education, you should use the reverse-chronological format. This means that your newest degree should come first. Add both the degrees that you have earned and the ones that you are still working on. You also need to write about your personal development. This could be relevant courses, certifications, or training.

Describe Your Work Experience

When writing about your work history, you should remember to use the reverse-chronological format. This will ensure that the recruiter or hiring manager will see your most recent position first.

You should add your present job and the positions that you held in the past while leaving out the names of the companies. Also, you may either leave out the name of the company completely or replace it with generic names.

Mention Your Relevant Skills

In this section, you have to list skills that are related to the industry and the role that you’re applying for. Go through the job description to discover the skills that have been prioritized by your potential employer. When necessary, you should also mention how proficient you are with each skill.

Consider Adding a Disclaimer

To make your potential employer more comfortable, you may explain why you have decided to withhold your personal info and work history. You should also mention that you wish that your application is handled with as much confidentiality as possible.

Though you are allowed to keep things confidential, your potential employers will have to access your personal information eventually. Hence, you should consider mentioning that if the company shows interest in hiring you, you will be ready to disclose the necessary information.

Example

Confidential Candidate

[email protected]

(Phone Number)

Administrative Assistant with 5 years of experience handling presentations, creating facility reports, and keeping a high level of confidentiality. Have a bachelor’s degree in English Language and expertise with Microsoft Excel. Hope to utilize my skills and experience in the position of project manager.

Work Experience 

Administrative Assistant

2018 – present

• Organize meetings, appointments, and travel plans of supervisors and managers
• Assisted the company in training two Administrative Assistants when it went through an expansion
• Improved the company’s filing and organization methods and in doing so, helped it save $4000 annually
• Always maintained a confidential approach to sensitive information

Secretary

Confidential Company

2016 – 2018

• Created different types of documents including memos, emails, and drafts
• Managed incoming messages and correspondence
• Bought and kept office supply inventory in good condition, and managed budgets
• Welcomed visitors and scheduled their appointments

Secretary

2014 – 2016

Confidential Company

• Created different types of documents including memos, emails, and drafts
• Managed incoming messages and correspondence
• Bought and kept office supply inventory in good condition, and adhered to budgeting practices
• Welcomed visitors and scheduled their appointments

Education

Master in Business Administration

Private University – 2019 – Present

B.A. in English Language

State University – 2009 – 2013

Skills

• Budget management
• Excellent administrative and management skills
• Inventory management
• Teamwork
• Purchase orders

Software

Microsoft Project – Excellent

Sample 2

Confidential Candidate

[email protected]

(Phone Number)

Visual Manager with more than 7 years of experience in the retail business. Highly efficient at merchandise sales thanks to proper planning, creative displays, and product arrangement. Excellent at keeping tabs on competitors and improving market shares. Highly efficient at managing projects, staff, and facilities. Utilizes cost-effective merchandising methods.

Experience

Visual Manager

2018 – present

Popular Fashion Retail

• Work with the regional director to guarantee fast and affordable floor set execution
• Handle the display budget for multiple facilities
• Keep tabs on market conditions and utilize methods that increase market share
• Maintain a good relationship with both buyers and merchandisers to design product ranges every season
• Negotiate the purchase and delivery of merchandise
• Train team members

Merchandise Planner – 2016 – 2018

Confidential Company

• Improved the merchandise planning strategy using present trends and monthly performance reports
• Kept tabs on customer warehouse inventory and prepared detailed inventory reports every week
• Introduced a new approach for style and customer choices using data analysis
• Worked hand-in-hand with sales associates to develop appealing floor displays and maintain strategic arrangements of merchandise
• Met sales goals consistently

Sales Associate

2013 – 2016

• Was in a team that worked hard to meet sales goals and targets
• Surpassed sales per hour goals of $200
• Ensured that the store remained profitable by keeping the sales floor attractive
• Participated in all daily operations such as counting drawers and bank deposits

Education

Masters in Fashion Merchandising

Private University – 2019 – present

B.A. in History

State University – 2011 – 2015

BSc in Merchandising

State University – 2011 – 2015

Skills

• Skill communication
• Product knowledge
• Teamwork
• Inventory management
• Excellent organization skills
• Market research
• Budget management

How NOT to List Confidentiality on Resume

In this section, we will be providing you with an example of the wrong way to write a confidential resume.

(Name)

(Email)

(Phone Number)

IT Expert with eight years of experience in IT department management. I have worked for international logistics companies and executed effective IT strategies. I have excellent business awareness that makes it possible for me to effectively streamline infrastructure and applications. Interesting in offering my knowledge and experience in IT at your organization.

Work Experience

Senior Project Manager – 2016 – Present

Standard Pharmaceuticals, FL

• Supervising the hospital’s IT projects for over 5 years while targeting cost reduction
• In charge of the development, improvement, and management of IT strategies
• Created Lean and Six Sigma training projects for the entire staff

Junior Project Manager – 2013 – 2016

Standard Pharmaceuticals, FL

• Made IT logistics and administration operations more efficient and lowered costs by 30%
• Detected issues in the hardware and software and proffered effective solutions to increase productivity
• Managed a database of around 1500 patients, improved the dashboard with modern solutions

Education

Master of Computer Science

The University of Florida – 2008 – 2012

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science

The University of Florida – 2004 – 2008

Skills

• Business process enhancement
• Vendor management
• Project scheduling
• Sales analysis

What Should Be Kept Confidential

When handling confidential information resume, you need to understand what should be kept confidential. When writing a confidential resume, you shouldn’t include personal information such as name, address, and LinkedIn URL.

Instead of including your name, write “Confidential Candidate”. You should then proceed to add a generic email address and your phone number. You can get a new email address from either Google or Outlook.

Key Takeaways

A confidential resume is a very useful tool for job seekers who are currently employed. It is as helpful as knowing how to note security clearance on resume or all but dissertation on resume. With it, you can let your prospective employer know your qualifications and experience without disclosing who you are. All the information that you need has been provided in the article.

FAQ

1. What is a breach of confidentiality?

Breach of confidentiality occurs when information about companies, employees, or clients is released to another party without consent. Examples include the disclosure of an employee’s personal information, the availability of customer data to third parties, or the release of a company’s secrets to competitors.

2. Can you be fired for sharing confidential information?

Yes, there’s a high chance of an employee getting fired for sharing sensitive information. This is particularly true for employees who had previously signed a confidentiality agreement. However, even employees that signed no agreement are usually punished.

3. How do I maintain the confidentiality in my current workplace?

The best way to maintain confidentiality in your workplace is to ensure that employees are always aware of the importance of confidentiality. Computers and electronic systems also have to be highly secured and compliant.