1. Purpose of this manual
This PAIA Manual explains how members of the public, users, job seekers, recruiters, and other requesters may ask Career Unified for access to records where access is required for the exercise or protection of a right.
It also explains the categories of records we may hold, the personal information we process, and the contact route to use when submitting a formal PAIA request.
2. Career Unified contact details
Private body: Career Unified
Website: https://careerunified.com
Information request email: contact@careerunified.com
Online contact route: Career Unified Contact Us page
PAIA requests should be addressed to Career Unified's information contact. We may ask you to verify your identity before we disclose any record containing personal information.
3. Information Regulator guide and official forms
The Information Regulator publishes guidance on PAIA and the official forms that requesters must use. The PAIA page includes the PAIA Guide, PAIA Manual templates, and Form 02: Request for Access to Record.
4. How to request access to records
- Complete the prescribed Form 02: Request for Access to Record.
- Email the completed request to contact@careerunified.com or submit a clear request through the Contact Us page.
- Describe the record you want clearly enough for us to identify it.
- Explain the right you want to exercise or protect and why the requested record is needed for that right.
- Provide your preferred method of access, such as electronic copy by email where available.
- Include proof of identity or authority if you are requesting records on behalf of another person or organisation.
We will consider each request in line with PAIA, POPIA, and any other applicable South African law. Access may be refused where PAIA allows or requires refusal, including where disclosure would unreasonably affect another person's privacy, confidential information, commercial information, platform security, or legally privileged material.
5. Categories of records that may be held
6. Records automatically available
Some records are available without a formal PAIA request. These include public website pages, published jobs, bursaries, varsity listings, guides, pricing information, the Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions, and this PAIA Manual.
7. Personal information processed by Career Unified
Career Unified may process personal information needed to operate career tools, direct applications, recruiter services, subscriptions, support, analytics, security, and legal compliance.
Categories of data subjects
- Website visitors and users
- Job seekers and applicants
- Recruiters, employers, and company representatives
- Subscribers and paying customers
- Support contacts, service providers, and business contacts
Categories of personal information
- Contact details, profile details, CV information, employment history, education, skills, language preferences, and application answers
- Recruiter account details, company details, billing metadata, and communication records
- Device, browser, analytics, security, and usage information
8. Purpose of processing personal information
- To provide job, bursary, varsity, CV, Z83, AI tailoring, and recruiter services
- To support direct applications and recruiter review workflows
- To authenticate users and protect accounts
- To manage subscriptions, payments, invoices, credits, and support requests
- To improve platform quality, search, analytics, security, and fraud prevention
- To comply with legal, regulatory, tax, dispute-resolution, and record-keeping obligations
9. Recipients and cross-border processing
Records or personal information may be shared with service providers used to operate Career Unified, including hosting, authentication, storage, analytics, email, payment, AI, security, and customer support providers.
Information may also be shared with recruiters or employers when a user applies for a vacancy through Career Unified Direct Apply. Some service providers may process information outside South Africa. Where this happens, Career Unified takes reasonable steps to use appropriate safeguards.
10. Information security
Career Unified uses reasonable technical and organisational safeguards to protect records and personal information. These may include authentication controls, access restrictions, secure hosting, file validation, monitoring, rate limiting, and internal access controls.
11. Fees, response times, and outcomes
PAIA allows certain request, search, preparation, and reproduction fees to be charged where applicable. If a fee applies, we will inform you before processing continues.
We aim to respond within the time periods required by PAIA. The response may grant access, grant partial access, ask for clarification, request payment of applicable fees, or refuse access where a lawful ground for refusal applies.
12. Availability and updates
This PAIA Manual is available on Career Unified's website at https://careerunified.com/paia-manual. We may update it from time to time to reflect changes in law, platform operations, contact details, or record categories.