Before you send a CV or portfolio PDF: check the hidden personal data

A document can carry more than the page shows

A Word document, presentation or PDF can include properties such as author, title, organisation, creation details and other document information. Depending on how it was created, it may also retain comments, revision marks, hidden text, embedded files, layers or attachments. Not every file contains every kind of data, but it is worth checking before a job application leaves your device.

Microsoft’s Document Inspector is designed to help find and remove several kinds of hidden data and personal information from Office files. Adobe’s PDF guidance similarly distinguishes visible redaction from sanitising hidden content such as metadata, comments and hidden layers.

Share past work without exposing confidential material →Understand how candidate data may be handled after you apply →

Make a clean application copy first

Keep an editable master CV for your own records, then create a separate application copy. This lets you tailor the visible content without repeatedly editing the only version of your history. Use a descriptive but neutral file name, such as ‘FirstName-LastName-Role-CV.pdf’, and avoid filenames that reveal private notes, an employer name you do not want to disclose or an old application status.

Before you remove information, consider what the employer genuinely needs at this stage. A job application usually needs a reliable way to contact you and evidence relevant to the role. It rarely needs a full home address, identity-document number, bank information, passwords or private client material. Requirements vary by jurisdiction and role, so read the employer’s instructions rather than guessing.

• Save a copy before using a cleanup or inspection feature.
• Check visible headers, footers, comments and tracked changes.
• Review the document title, author, organisation and other properties.
• Check attachments, embedded objects, links and hidden layers where your software supports it.
• Use a file name that is professional without exposing private notes or other applications.

Do not rely on a black box over sensitive text

Covering text with a shape, changing the text colour or cropping a screenshot may not permanently remove the underlying content. When a document genuinely contains confidential or sensitive information, use an appropriate redaction or sanitisation tool and then inspect the result. Keep the original securely rather than trying to reconstruct it later.

A PDF export is not automatically a privacy review. Open the exported file, check the visible pages and inspect its properties in the software you use. If a portfolio contains client work, screenshots or internal figures, remove or replace those examples rather than relying on file metadata cleanup alone.

Build portfolio evidence that remains safe to share →Secure the account behind your application files →

Match privacy to the application route

Upload an application copy only through a verified employer or hiring-platform route. Be cautious with unexpected file-sharing requests and do not email a CV containing extra personal details simply because a sender claims it will speed up an application.

If a company requests additional documents later, ask why they are needed, who will see them and whether a secure portal is available. A CV is not a substitute for identity verification, banking information or employment paperwork, and those later steps should have their own clear purpose and secure process.

Use this file-privacy check before you apply

• Create an application copy; keep your master CV and original portfolio files unchanged.
• Review comments, tracked changes, headers, footers and visible links.
• Inspect document properties and remove irrelevant author, organisation or internal details where appropriate.
• Check the PDF after export, including its visible pages and properties.
• Remove confidential client information instead of merely hiding it behind a shape or crop.
• Use a professional, neutral file name and send it only through a verified application route.
• Keep identity, bank and tax documents out of an ordinary CV upload unless a later verified process clearly requires them.

Build a credible portfolio with controlled evidence →Browse current checked roles →