Your Privacy Matters

1. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly and information collected automatically when you use the Service.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Create and manage your account and authenticate your identity
• Build and store your career profile, resume, and assessment results
• Match you with jobs, resources, and career recommendations
• Power our AI Career Coach and generate personalized career documents
• Facilitate community discussions, messaging, and networking
• Process subscriptions and verify payments
• Send you notifications, emails, and updates about your account and relevant opportunities
• Maintain the safety, security, and integrity of the Service
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service
• Improve, personalize, and develop our features and content

3. How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information in these limited circumstances:

• With other users: Your public profile, posts, and application materials are visible to other users according to your privacy settings.
• With employers: When you apply for a job, your application materials (resume, cover letter, contact info) are shared with the employer who posted the job.
• With service providers: We use third-party hosting, authentication, and AI services that process data on our behalf under strict data-protection agreements.
• For legal compliance: If required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our users or others.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, information may be transferred subject to confidentiality protections.

4. Children's Privacy (Under 13)

5. Student Data & Educational Records

Some information you provide (such as school name, GPA, and graduation date) may be considered part of your educational record. We treat this information with heightened care:

• We do not disclose student educational data to third parties for commercial purposes.
• We do not use student data to engage in targeted advertising based on educational records.
• We comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) principles where applicable, and with state student data privacy laws.
• Schools and educational partners using the Service may enter into additional data-sharing agreements as required.

6. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time by contacting board@hirestudents.org. We will delete your information within 30 days of a verified request, except where we are required to retain it for legal, accounting, or dispute-resolution purposes.

7. Data Security

We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your personal information, including encrypted data transmission (TLS/SSL), secure authentication, and access controls limited to authorized personnel. However, no method of transmission or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: Request that we delete your personal information (subject to legal exceptions).
• Opt-out: Opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information for targeted advertising.
• Restriction: Request that we limit how we use your information.
• Portability: Request a portable copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at board@hirestudents.org. We will respond within 30 days. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.

Residents of California (CCPA/CPRA), Virginia (VCDPA), and other states with comparable laws have additional rights. If you are under 18, you or your parent/guardian may request removal of your content posted publicly.

9. Cookies & Local Storage

We use cookies and local browser storage to keep you logged in, remember your preferences, and analyze how the Service is used. You can control cookies through your browser settings, but disabling them may limit some features. We do not use cookies to track children across third-party websites or services.

10. Third-Party Services

The Service integrates with the following types of third-party services, each governed by their own privacy policies:

• Cloud hosting & backend infrastructure for data storage and processing
• Authentication providers (email/password, Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook) for sign-in
• AI/LLM services to power the Career Coach, assessments, and document generation
• Payment processors (Cash App, Zelle) for subscriptions and donations — we do not store your full payment credentials
• Analytics services to understand usage and improve the Service

We do not share personal information with third parties for their own marketing purposes without your consent.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on this page and, where appropriate, providing in-app notice. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent revision. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us