At Career Services we take your privacy and the protection of your information seriously. We endeavour to comply with the guidelines laid out by the Data Protection Commission (DPC) in the collection, protection and distribution of data we may collect about you on our website.
1. About This Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Career Services Limited (“we”, “us”, “our”) collects, uses, stores and protects personal data when you visit careerservices.ie or interact with our services. It is issued in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (“GDPR”) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (Ireland).
We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data openly and transparently. We endeavour to comply with the guidelines laid out by the Data Protection Commission (DPC) in the collection, protection and use of data we may hold about you.
2. Who We Are
Career Services Limited is the data controller for personal data processed through this website and our services.
- Registered address: Market Street, Skibbereen, Co. Cork, P81 VH77, Ireland
- Enquiries: info@careerservices.ie
- Freephone: 1800 212 212 | Local: 028 22977
- Company Registration Number: 46320
If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us at the details above.
3. What Personal Data We Collect
3.1 Data You Provide Directly
When you interact with us, for example by purchasing a course, registering an account, submitting an enquiry, or signing up to one of our free services, we may collect:
- Full name
- Email address
- Phone number
- Postal address
- Career area of interest
- Payment information (processed securely by our payment provider; we do not store full card details)
- Communications you send us by email, phone or through our website forms
3.2 Data Collected Automatically
When you visit our website, certain data is collected automatically through cookies and similar technologies. This includes:
- IP address, which is personal data under GDPR and is used by Google Analytics to infer your approximate location
- Unique cookie and device identifiers
- Pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URLs
- Browser type, operating system, and screen resolution
- Date and time of your visit
This data is collected via Google Analytics on our behalf. Please see our Cookie Policy for full details: careerservices.ie/cookie-policy
4. How We Use Your Personal Data
We only use your personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so under GDPR. The following sets out our processing purposes and the legal basis for each.
4.1 To Fulfil a Contract With You (Lawful Basis: Contract, Article 6(1)(b))
When you purchase a course or agree to our Terms and Conditions, a contract is formed. In order to carry out our obligations under that contract we process the information you provide in order to:
- Process your course purchase and provide access to course materials
- Manage your account and respond to service requests
- Process refunds and cancellations in line with our Terms and Conditions
- Send you information directly related to services you have purchased
We process this data for the duration of the contract and for as long as necessary to fulfil our legal obligations thereafter.
4.2 On the Basis of Legitimate Interests (Lawful Basis: Legitimate Interests, Article 6(1)(f))
From time to time, we process personal data where it is necessary for the purposes of our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.
Specifically: if you begin a course booking on our website and provide your email address during checkout but do not complete your purchase, we may send you a one-time or limited series of reminder emails about your unfinished order. These messages are sent on the basis of our legitimate interest in assisting you to complete your booking. You can opt out of these reminders at any time using the unsubscribe link included in each email.
4.3 On the Basis of Your Consent (Lawful Basis: Consent, Article 6(1)(a))
Where there is no contractual relationship between us, we rely on your consent to process your personal data. You provide your consent through specific actions, such as submitting a webform or signing up to one of our free services. The consent-based services we offer are:
Job Alert Service
When you sign up to our Job Alert Service, we use the information you provide to:
- Alert you to when your preferred career area is recruiting
- Provide information on application deadlines and related recruitment details
- Provide information about our preparation courses and services related to your career of interest
Free Guide Requests
When you request a free career guide through one of our webforms, we use the information you provide to:
- Deliver the requested guide to you
- Provide related information about our preparation services for your chosen career area
Free Webinars
When you register for one of our free webinars, we use the information you provide to:
- Send you joining details and reminders for the webinar
- Follow up with information about our preparation services related to the webinar topic
Guidance Counsellor Mailing List
When you sign up to our Guidance Counsellor Mailing List, we use the information you provide to:
- Provide updates on recruitment campaigns relevant to your students
- Share information about our preparation courses and school or group booking options
General Marketing Communications
Where you have opted in to marketing communications, we may send you information about our courses, services, and relevant career opportunities.
For all consent-based processing: you can withdraw your consent at any time by using the unsubscribe link in any communication or by contacting us at info@careerservices.ie. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before your withdrawal. If you unsubscribe, you will no longer receive the relevant communications from us.
Users who sign up to any of the above services are given control over their subscription and can opt out or modify their preferences at any time.
4.4 For Analytics and Website Improvement (Lawful Basis: Consent, Article 6(1)(a))
- To analyse how visitors use careerservices.ie using Google Analytics, where you have consented to analytics cookies
- To monitor website performance and identify improvements
This processing only occurs where you have given consent via our cookie banner.
4.5 For Advertising (Lawful Basis: Consent, Article 6(1)(a))
Where you have consented to marketing cookies, your data may be used by Google Ads for personalised advertising on our website and on other websites you visit. If you decline marketing cookies, you may still see advertisements from us, but they will not be personalised.
4.6 To Comply With Legal Obligations (Lawful Basis: Legal Obligation, Article 6(1)(c))
- To retain records required under Irish tax and company law
- To respond to lawful requests from regulatory or law enforcement authorities
5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our website uses cookies. Some are strictly necessary for the website to function and do not require your consent. Others, including analytics and advertising cookies, are optional and are only placed on your device with your prior consent via our cookie banner. You can also manage cookies through your browser settings. For more general information about cookies visit www.aboutcookies.org.
6. Google Services
We use the following Google services on our website:
- Google Analytics 4: to analyse website traffic and user behaviour. Google acts as a data processor on our behalf under a Data Processing Agreement. Data may be transferred to Google’s servers outside the EEA under Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission.
- Google Ads: to display and measure advertising. Where you have consented to marketing cookies, your data may be used for ad personalisation.
For information on how Google uses data from partner sites, see: https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites
7. Sharing Your Personal Data
We do not sell your personal data. We may share your data only in the following limited circumstances:
- With service providers acting as data processors on our behalf (for example our payment processor, email delivery platform, and website hosting provider), under appropriate data processing agreements. These providers are obligated not to use your data for any purpose other than performing the services we have engaged them for.
- With Google, in connection with Analytics and Ads services as described above
- Where required by law, with regulatory authorities or law enforcement
- In the event of a business transfer, with the successor organisation, subject to the same privacy protections
Information in emails we receive and send will not be disclosed to any third party without the permission of the sender, unless required by law.
8. International Data Transfers
Some of our service providers, including Google, may process your data outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including the use of Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission, or reliance on an adequacy decision by the European Commission.
9. How Long We Keep Your Data
- Account and purchase records: retained to meet our legal and tax obligations
- Consent-based mailing lists (Job Alerts, Guidance Counsellors, etc.): retained until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent
- Marketing communications preferences: retained until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent
- Website analytics data: retained in accordance with Google Analytics default retention settings (up to 14 months for individual user data)
- Email correspondence: retained for 3 years unless a longer period is required for a legal or contractual purpose
When personal data is no longer needed for its original purpose, we delete or anonymise it securely.
10. Your Rights Under GDPR
As a data subject, you have the following rights under GDPR:
- Right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Right to rectification: to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
- Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances
- Right to restriction of processing: to request that we limit processing of your data
- Right to data portability: to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing
- Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing
To exercise any of these rights, please submit a written request to queries@careerservices.ie or to our registered address above, including any personal identifiers you have previously provided (for example your name, email address, or phone number). We will respond within one month. We may ask you to verify your identity before acting on your request.
If you are not satisfied with how we handle your request, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission (DPC):
- Data Protection Commission, 21-25 Canal Road, Dublin 6, D06 XF57
- Web: www.dataprotection.ie
- Phone: +353 (0)57 868 4800
11. Data Security
We take our data security responsibilities seriously and employ appropriate physical, technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, destruction or alteration. These include secure HTTPS connections, access controls, staff training and awareness, and regular review of our security measures.
No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. If you believe your data may have been compromised, please contact us immediately at info@careerservices.ie.
12. Use of Artificial Intelligence
Career Services Limited uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in the creation of certain website content, including written content and visual imagery. This disclosure is made in accordance with our obligations under Article 50 of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689).
Some images displayed on this website have been created using AI image generation tools. These images are used for illustrative and design purposes only. They do not depict real identifiable individuals and are not intended to mislead or deceive visitors to this site.
Some written content on this website has been drafted or refined with the assistance of AI writing tools. All such content is reviewed and approved by a member of the Career Services Ltd team before publication. We take full editorial responsibility for all content published on this site.
We do not operate AI chatbots or any AI system that interacts directly with you as a visitor to this website. No personal data you provide to us through this website is shared with or inputted into any AI content generation tool.
If you have any questions about our use of AI tools, please contact us at info@careerservices.ie.
13. Links to Other Websites
Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for, the content or privacy practices of those sites. We strongly advise you to review the privacy policy of any external website before submitting personal data to it.
14. Children’s Privacy
Our services are directed at adults. Under GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, the age of digital consent in Ireland is 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under the age of 16. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal data without appropriate consent, please contact us at info@careerservices.ie and we will delete the relevant data promptly.
15. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations or regulatory guidance. When we make significant changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
Last updated: April 2026
