Privacy issues regarding showing my CV to my uni adviser

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dalek1963
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19 Jan 2017, 6:51 pm

My adviser at university has arranged for all his advisees to send him their CVs so he can help give advice on how to improve them in a meeting scheduled for the next week. My issue is that, while I'd be fine with showing a CV to a potential employer who would merely see me as potential employee #27, showing my CV to someone who knows me in any way shape or form feels like a severe violation on my privacy when I'm not doing it through choice. It's writing out the worthwhile parts about my entire life and personality and presenting it to await criticism.

I thought this was just me being overly fussy, but looking into it I found that severe desire for privacy is a common aspergers trait, which makes me feel a little better that it's at least not necessarily my fault that I feel this way. My issue now is that I'm far too anxious regarding privacy to send a copy of the CV, I'm far too anxious to send an email (and god knows how I'd word it anyway) and would be terrified awaiting the reply email since I wouldn't be surprised if they told me to suck it up and send it anyway, and I'm worried I'd look like I simply couldn't be bothered if I just turn up to the meeting and explain my situation there... which as far as I can see, doesn't leave me with any options I'm remotely comfortable going through with, not to mention I don't even really want to bring up the aspergers since I feel like I'm waving a lame excuse card any time aspergers genuinely gets in my way.

Any advice on what I should do?



AspieUtah
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19 Jan 2017, 6:56 pm

dalek1963 wrote:
My adviser at university has arranged for all his advisees to send him their CVs so he can help give advice on how to improve them in a meeting scheduled for the next week. My issue is that, while I'd be fine with showing a CV to a potential employer who would merely see me as potential employee #27, showing my CV to someone who knows me in any way shape or form feels like a severe violation on my privacy when I'm not doing it through choice. It's writing out the worthwhile parts about my entire life and personality and presenting it to await criticism.

I thought this was just me being overly fussy, but looking into it I found that severe desire for privacy is a common aspergers trait, which makes me feel a little better that it's at least not necessarily my fault that I feel this way. My issue now is that I'm far too anxious regarding privacy to send a copy of the CV, I'm far too anxious to send an email (and god knows how I'd word it anyway) and would be terrified awaiting the reply email since I wouldn't be surprised if they told me to suck it up and send it anyway, and I'm worried I'd look like I simply couldn't be bothered if I just turn up to the meeting and explain my situation there... which as far as I can see, doesn't leave me with any options I'm remotely comfortable going through with, not to mention I don't even really want to bring up the aspergers since I feel like I'm waving a lame excuse card any time aspergers genuinely gets in my way.

Any advice on what I should do?

I presume that you have your CV on your computer? If so, make a copy and edit it to comply with the facts that your adviser would expect you to have. In other words, leave out those facts about your life which you don't want him to read and share with the class. For all he will know, you have given him the one and only version of your CV. But, who knows? He might give you some advice about your CV that could help without ever knowing about the missing facts.

Good luck! :)


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dalek1963
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19 Jan 2017, 7:01 pm

I considered it, but even the smallest or most obvious details I don't feel comfortable sharing, even something as formal as which school I went to, and certainly no self descriptive writing whatsoever about my personality or hobbies etc. There's no way I can rework it into anything I'd be more comfortable with presenting, especially since the gaps themselves would also be a cause for concern for the inevitable "you're missing a ridiculous amount of stuff here", which would also make the feedback pretty irrelevant and just make me look stupid.

Frustratingly, this is only year one too, so I can't talk about stuff I've done on the course since I've barely done anything yet.



AspieUtah
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19 Jan 2017, 7:09 pm

Hm. Have you considered being honest with your adviser by telling him about your strong sense of privacy? He might let you "create" a CV based on an alternative career path in which you have an interest, but unlikely to pursue. That would make your compliance with his request about as "academic" as his planned advice to you.

Like profs and instructors, advisers generally don't care about the facts of an assignment as much as understanding the assignment's mechanics. If he sees you learning from his advice, that should be all he cares about.


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Diagnosed in 2015 with ASD Level 1 by the University of Utah Health Care Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinic using the ADOS-2 Module 4 assessment instrument [11/30] -- Screened in 2014 with ASD by using the University of Cambridge Autism Research Centre AQ (Adult) [43/50]; EQ-60 for adults [11/80]; FQ [43/135]; SQ (Adult) [130/150] self-reported screening inventories -- Assessed since 1978 with an estimated IQ [≈145] by several clinicians -- Contact on WrongPlanet.net by private message (PM)


dalek1963
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19 Jan 2017, 7:15 pm

Ironically, I hate the thought of explaining my intense need for privacy because of my intense need for privacy (as well as hating to bring up aspergers as an excuse for not doing anything), but I realize I'm going to have to do one or the other. It's not a marked assignment or anything, we just need to email the CV then we each have a ten minute meeting to be given some pointers on how to improve it, so I doubt I'd be given some kind of alternate task to do, more likely either "just do the task" or "ok never mind", but I feel like I can't cope with handing in a CV or explaining about my privacy issues, and I can't see any magical third option or anything like that. I guess that's just life and I'll have to suck it up one way or the other, but it feels really really violating to have someone reading about my entire life against my will and I don't know how to cope with that.



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19 Jan 2017, 7:26 pm

If you have your adviser's e-mail address, you could send his a brief message about your concerns. That way, only you and he would know about your concerns.


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Diagnosed in 2015 with ASD Level 1 by the University of Utah Health Care Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinic using the ADOS-2 Module 4 assessment instrument [11/30] -- Screened in 2014 with ASD by using the University of Cambridge Autism Research Centre AQ (Adult) [43/50]; EQ-60 for adults [11/80]; FQ [43/135]; SQ (Adult) [130/150] self-reported screening inventories -- Assessed since 1978 with an estimated IQ [≈145] by several clinicians -- Contact on WrongPlanet.net by private message (PM)


dalek1963
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19 Jan 2017, 7:31 pm

I feel anxious awaiting a reply and in talking about how I feel about things to anyone really, but I guess it's the best option, especially since it's on record that I have aspergers so it isn't some big secret. I think you're right, that'll be the best option after all.



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19 Jan 2017, 7:46 pm

dalek1963 wrote:
I feel anxious awaiting a reply and in talking about how I feel about things to anyone really, but I guess it's the best option, especially since it's on record that I have aspergers so it isn't some big secret. I think you're right, that'll be the best option after all.

I think you have explained yourself quite well to me. Do the same with your adviser, and you should be just fine.


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Diagnosed in 2015 with ASD Level 1 by the University of Utah Health Care Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinic using the ADOS-2 Module 4 assessment instrument [11/30] -- Screened in 2014 with ASD by using the University of Cambridge Autism Research Centre AQ (Adult) [43/50]; EQ-60 for adults [11/80]; FQ [43/135]; SQ (Adult) [130/150] self-reported screening inventories -- Assessed since 1978 with an estimated IQ [≈145] by several clinicians -- Contact on WrongPlanet.net by private message (PM)


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24 Jan 2017, 12:35 pm

I would follow AspieUtah's advice.

If you need another option here's something to consider. Sometimes the best way to hide is in plain sight. You may be very nervous about someone seeing your personal information, but that other person doesn't know that and won't remember your information in a sea of other people's information.