Does anyone have any idea what the phrase “submit your resume in confidence to” means? As in, “If you’re interested in this position, please submit your resume in confidence to Jean Shackleburg, Director of Hiring Affairs and Chimpanzee Maintenance, at jshackleburg@potentialemployer.com.” The “in confidence” part is the part I am confused by. With a fax, I suppose it would mean to put a cover sheet over the resume, so the secretary who mans the fax machine doesn’t accidentally see its contents. I’m not sure why that would matter for most positions. But at least I understand what action an applicant might take to fulfill the promise that the resume will be submitted “in confidence.” But in an email? Thoughts?
November 3, 2006
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I have always assumed that “in confidence” means that the hiring employer will keep your resume confidential, and the fact that you have submitted it a secret. I imagine that some people use it because they’ve seen it somewhere else before and think it’s the proper usage.
But in most cases, I think it’s meaningful: they’re telling you that they will take measures to ensure that your current employer won’t discover you’re looking for a new job and that they will not let your class rank and other resume details become gossip topics all over the city.
Comment by r/a/e — November 3, 2006 @ 4:29 pm
Maybe it means “proudly.”
Comment by Andrea — November 3, 2006 @ 8:09 pm
RAE: I tend to agree with your “seen it somewhere else before and think it’s the proper usage” suggestion. I’m not sure I’m altogether getting behind your second paragraph, however. Certainly a promise by the hiring firm that your resume will be held in confidence is comforting. But the ordinary phrasing to me suggests that “in confidence” modifies “submit.” That there is something the submittor will undertake related to confidentiality. And that’s what I find puzzling.
Comment by Chris — November 4, 2006 @ 10:53 am
I think r/a/e is right, in that the potential employer doesn’t let your current employer know that you hate the sight of him/her and desperately want to find meaningful employment elsewhere. Then you can proudly tell Current Employer later that you detest every waking moment that you’re in his/her presence and are leaving for greener pastures.
Comment by Ol' Dale — November 4, 2006 @ 11:21 am
I’m even more convinced now that I’ve thought about it:
A. If submitting a resume “in confidence” is something that the submitter is supposed to do, then sometime, someplace, I would have heard about what to do. Or at least be able to find a whole bunch of job search FAQs that mention it.
B. I think that generally when you use an imperative and include “in confidence,” you are reassuring the listener that you’ll be careful with what you’re asking them to do. As in “tell me in confidence,” “bid in confidence,” and even “apply in confidence.”
C. In fact, searching for and will reveal thousands of job announcements. Don’t you think they’re trying to say the same thing as “submit resume in confidence”?
I don’t know. This is a great question; I love it.
Comment by r/a/e — November 4, 2006 @ 12:52 pm
Huh– in “C” I was trying to say:
…searching for “apply in confidence” and (resume “held in confidence”) will reveal thousands of job announcements.
Comment by r/a/e — November 4, 2006 @ 12:55 pm
Does “submit your CV in confidence” mean the same as “submit your resume in confidence”?
Comment by Michelle — June 2, 2009 @ 8:47 am
When a resume is submitted in confidence, or an employer states that resumes will be held in confidence, it means that they will not disclose your application beyond those immediately responsible for your hiring and they will not contact your current employer and disclose that you are considering vacating your position.
Comment by Drew — July 5, 2011 @ 6:37 pm