Terms of Service
Last Updated: November 9th, 2025
Effective Date: November 9th, 2025
These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of Career Journal’s website, applications, and services (collectively, the “Service”). These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Career Journal (“Career Journal,” “we,” “us,” or “our”).
PLEASE READ THESE TERMS CAREFULLY BEFORE USING OUR SERVICE. BY ACCESSING OR USING THE SERVICE, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THESE TERMS, DO NOT USE THE SERVICE.
1. Acceptance of Terms
By creating an account, accessing, or using the Career Journal Service, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. This Agreement takes effect on the date you first use the Career Journal Service.
2. Eligibility
2.1 Capacity: You represent and warrant that you have the legal capacity to enter into this agreement and to use the Service in accordance with these Terms.
2.2 Geographic Restrictions: The Service is controlled and operated from Canada. We make no representation that the Service is appropriate or available for use in all locations.
3. Account Registration and Security
3.1 Account Creation: To use the Service, you must create an account by providing accurate, current, and complete information. You agree to update your information to keep it accurate and current.
3.2 Account Security: You are responsible for:
- Maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials
- All activities that occur under your account
- Notifying us immediately of any unauthorized access or security breach
3.3 Account Sharing: You may not share your account credentials with others. Each account is for individual use only.
3.4 Account Responsibility: You acknowledge that Career Journal is not responsible for unauthorized access to your account if you fail to maintain the security of your credentials.
3.5 Account Approval: We reserve the right to refuse service, reject account registrations, or close existing accounts at any time for any reason at our sole discretion, including but not limited to: suspected fraudulent activity, violation of these Terms, abuse of our services, or for business reasons.
4. Subscription and Payment Terms
4.1 Subscription Plans: Career Journal offers the following subscription plans:
- Monthly Plan: $8.00/month, billed monthly
- Yearly Plan: $57.60/year (equivalent to $4.80/month), billed annually
4.2 Payment: By subscribing, you authorize us to charge your payment method:
- Monthly: On the same day each month as your initial subscription
- Yearly: Annually on the anniversary of your subscription date
4.3 Billing: All fees are in U.S. Dollars (USD) unless otherwise stated. You are responsible for paying all applicable taxes. If applicable, taxes (including GST/HST in Canada, VAT in EU countries, or sales tax in applicable U.S. states) will be added to your subscription fees based on your billing address.
4.4 Payment Methods: We accept major credit cards and debit cards via our third-party payment processor. You must provide valid payment information.
4.5 Failed Payments: If your payment method fails:
- We will attempt to notify you via email
- Your access may be suspended after 2 days
- Your account may be terminated after 7 days of non-payment
- You remain responsible for any outstanding fees
4.6 Automatic Renewal: Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of each billing period unless you cancel before the renewal date.
4.7 Price Changes: We may change our subscription fees with 30 days’ advance notice. Price changes will apply to subsequent billing periods after notice. Continued use after a price increase constitutes acceptance of the new price.
4.8 Chargebacks: You agree to contact us directly to resolve any billing disputes before initiating a chargeback with your financial institution. Initiating an unjustified chargeback may result in immediate account suspension or termination. If we successfully dispute a chargeback you initiated, you agree to reimburse us for any chargeback fees incurred.
5. Cancellation and Refunds
5.1 Cancellation: You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings. Upon cancellation:
- You will retain access until the end of your current billing period
- No refund will be provided for the unused portion of your billing period
- Your account will be deleted
- You may export your data before cancellation by contacting support@thecareerjournal.com
5.2 Refund Policy: Payments for Career Journal subscriptions are generally not refundable, except in the following circumstances:
5.2.1 Refundable Situations:
- Service unavailable for 48 consecutive hours or more due to our fault
- Critical data loss caused by our system failure (not user error)
- Duplicate charges or billing errors
- EU consumers: Within 14 days of initial purchase if service not yet used (Right of Withdrawal)
5.2.2 Non-Refundable Situations:
- Change of mind after using the service
- Failure to cancel before renewal
- Lack of use of the service
- Account termination for violation of these Terms
- Promotional or discounted subscriptions (including special offers, referral discounts, or lifetime deals)
5.2.3 Refund Requests: To request a refund, email support@thecareerjournal.com with:
- Your account email
- Reason for refund request
- Documentation of the issue (if applicable)
We will respond to refund requests within 7 business days. Approved refunds will be processed within 14 business days to your original payment method.
6. Permitted Use of the Service
6.1 License: Subject to your compliance with these Terms, Career Journal grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Service for your personal, non-commercial use.
6.2 Permitted Activities:
- Track and document your career achievements
- Use STAR method templates and tools
- Create and export your career documentation
- Access your account from multiple devices
7. Prohibited Activities
You agree NOT to:
7.1 Legal Violations:
- Use the Service for any illegal purpose or in violation of any laws
- Post or transmit any unlawful, threatening, abusive, defamatory, obscene, or otherwise objectionable content
7.2 Security Violations:
- Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Service or other users’ accounts
- Interfere with or disrupt the Service or servers
- Circumvent any security features or access controls
- Use any automated systems (bots, scrapers, etc.) without written permission
7.3 Misuse:
- Share your account credentials with others
- Use the Service to store or transmit malicious code
- Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any aspect of the Service
- Remove or modify any proprietary notices or labels
7.4 Abuse:
- Upload excessively large files or use excessive bandwidth
- Spam or send unsolicited communications
- Impersonate any person or entity
- Collect information about other users
7.5 Commercial Misuse:
- Resell or commercially exploit the Service without written permission
- Use the Service on behalf of any third party without authorization
Violation of these prohibitions may result in immediate termination of your account and legal action.
8. Your Content and Data
8.1 Ownership: You retain all ownership rights to the content you create, upload, or store in the Service (“Your Content”). This includes your career achievements, notes, documents, and any other data you input.
8.2 Limited License: By using the Service, you grant Career Journal a limited, non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to:
- Store and host Your Content on our servers
- Display Your Content back to you within the Service
- Process Your Content to provide Service features (e.g., PDF exports, analytics)
- Backup Your Content for disaster recovery purposes
8.3 License Limitations: This license does NOT include the right to:
- Publicly display, publish, or distribute Your Content
- Modify or create derivative works of Your Content (except as technically necessary to provide the Service)
- Use Your Content for marketing or promotional purposes
- Share Your Content with third parties (except as required by law or with your explicit permission)
8.4 License Duration: This license exists only for the duration of your use of the Service and for a reasonable period thereafter to allow for data retention and backup purposes (see Section 10).
8.5 Content Responsibility: You are solely responsible for Your Content. You represent and warrant that:
- You own or have the necessary rights to Your Content
- Your Content does not violate any laws or third-party rights
- Your Content does not contain viruses, malware, or harmful code
8.6 Content Monitoring: We have no obligation to monitor Your Content but reserve the right to review and remove content that violates these Terms or applicable law.
9. Intellectual Property Rights
9.1 Career Journal’s IP: The Service, including its design, features, graphics, text, code, and all intellectual property rights therein, are owned by Career Journal or our licensors. This includes:
- The Career Journal name, logo, and trademarks
- The website design and user interface
- The software and underlying code
- All documentation and materials
9.2 Restrictions: You may not:
- Use our trademarks without written permission
- Copy, modify, or create derivative works of the Service
- Remove or alter any copyright, trademark, or proprietary notices
9.3 Feedback: If you provide feedback, suggestions, or ideas about the Service (“Feedback”), you grant Career Journal a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, modify, and incorporate such Feedback without compensation or attribution.
9.4 DMCA Compliance: If you believe content on our Service infringes your copyright, contact our DMCA agent at legal@careerjournal.com with:
- Description of the copyrighted work
- Location of the infringing material
- Your contact information
- Statement of good faith belief
- Statement under penalty of perjury
- Your physical or electronic signature
10. Data Retention and Deletion
10.1 Active Accounts: While your subscription is active, we retain Your Content indefinitely to provide the Service.
10.2 After Cancellation: Upon cancellation of your subscription:
- Your data remains accessible for 30 days (grace period)
- After 30 days, Your Content may be deleted from our active systems
- Backup copies may be retained for up to 90 days for disaster recovery
10.3 Account Deletion: You may request immediate deletion of your account and all associated data by contacting support@thecareerjournal.com.
Upon deletion request:
- We will delete Your Content within 30 days
- Some data may be retained as required by law or for legitimate business purposes (e.g., financial records, dispute resolution)
10.4 Data Export: You may export Your Content by contacting support@thecareerjournal.com. We recommend exporting your data before cancellation or deletion.
10.5 GDPR and CCPA Rights:
For EU/EEA Users (GDPR): If you are in the European Union or European Economic Area, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):
- Right to access your personal data
- Right to correct inaccurate data
- Right to data portability
- Right to object to processing
- Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”)
For California Users (CCPA/CPRA): If you are a California resident, you have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):
- Right to know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold
- Right to delete personal information
- Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
- Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights
To exercise these rights, contact privacy@thecareerjournal.com.
11. Privacy and Data Protection
11.1 Privacy Policy: Our collection, use, and protection of your personal information is governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.
11.2 Data Security: We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data, including:
- Encryption of data in transit and at rest
- Regular security audits and updates
- Access controls and authentication
11.3 No Guarantee: However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.
11.4 Data Breach Notification: In the event of a data breach that may affect your personal information, we will notify you in accordance with applicable law.
11.5 Third-Party Services: We may use third-party service providers (e.g., payment processors, cloud hosting). These providers have access to your information only to perform services on our behalf and are obligated to protect it.
12. Modifications to the Service
12.1 Service Changes: We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of the Service at any time, with or without notice.
12.2 Feature Changes: We may:
- Add new features (which may be subject to additional fees)
- Remove or modify existing features
- Update the Service’s appearance or functionality
12.3 No Liability: We are not liable for any modification, suspension, or discontinuation of the Service or any feature.
13. Modifications to These Terms
13.1 Right to Modify: We may modify these Terms at any time.
13.2 Notice of Changes: We will provide notice of material changes by:
- Posting notice on our website
- Sending email to your registered email address
- Providing in-app notification
13.3 Notice Period: Material changes will take effect 30 days after notice is provided.
13.4 Acceptance of Changes:
- Minor changes (e.g., clarifications, formatting): Continued use constitutes acceptance
- Material changes (e.g., pricing, liability, rights): You must explicitly accept to continue using the Service
13.5 Rejection of Changes: If you do not agree to modified Terms:
- You may cancel your subscription before the changes take effect
- You will receive a pro-rated refund for any prepaid, unused period
13.6 Current Terms: You are responsible for reviewing these Terms periodically. The “Last Updated” date at the top indicates when the Terms were last revised.
14. Account Suspension and Termination
14.1 Termination by You: You may terminate your account at any time as described in Section 5 (Cancellation and Refunds).
14.2 Termination by Us - With Cause: We may suspend or terminate your account immediately, without notice, if:
- You violate these Terms
- You engage in fraudulent activity
- You abuse or harass our staff or other users
- Your account is used for illegal purposes
- Your payment method fails repeatedly
14.3 Termination by Us - Without Cause: We may terminate your account with 30 days’ advance notice if:
- We discontinue the Service
- We no longer wish to provide Service in your jurisdiction
- For any other reason at our sole discretion
14.4 Suspension: For less serious violations, we may suspend your account temporarily with 7 days’ notice, allowing you to:
- Cure the violation
- Export your data
- Respond to our concerns
14.5 Effect of Termination:
- Your license to use the Service immediately terminates
- Your Content may be deleted (subject to Section 10)
- You remain liable for all fees incurred prior to termination
- Sections that by their nature should survive termination will survive (e.g., Limitations of Liability, Indemnification, Governing Law)
14.6 No Refunds: Termination for cause does not entitle you to a refund.
15. Disclaimers and Warranties
15.1 AS-IS BASIS: THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS-IS” AND “AS-AVAILABLE” BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.
15.2 NO WARRANTIES: TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, CAREER JOURNAL DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
- MERCHANTABILITY
- FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
- NON-INFRINGEMENT
- TITLE
- ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY
- AVAILABILITY, UPTIME, OR UNINTERRUPTED ACCESS
- ERROR-FREE OR VIRUS-FREE OPERATION
15.3 NO GUARANTEE: We do not warrant that:
- The Service will meet your requirements
- The Service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free
- Any errors or defects will be corrected
- Your data will not be lost or corrupted
15.4 Professional Advice: The Service is not a substitute for professional career counseling, legal advice, or other professional services. Any content or recommendations provided through the Service are for informational purposes only.
15.5 Third-Party Content: We are not responsible for any third-party content, links, or services that may be accessible through the Service.
15.6 Data Loss: You are solely responsible for backing up Your Content. We are not liable for any data loss, corruption, or destruction.
15.7 Beta Features: We may make beta, pre-release, or experimental features available to users from time to time. These features are provided “as-is” without any warranties of any kind. Beta features may be incomplete, contain bugs or errors, may not function as intended, and may be modified or discontinued at any time without notice. You acknowledge that use of beta features is at your own risk.
15.8 AI-Generated Content: Career Journal may use automated systems, including artificial intelligence (AI) models, to assist with content generation, suggestions, or recommendations. You acknowledge and agree that:
- AI-generated content is provided for informational purposes only
- You are solely responsible for reviewing, verifying, and validating the accuracy of any AI-generated content before use
- Career Journal makes no warranties about the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content
- AI-generated content should not be relied upon as professional advice
- You remain solely responsible for all content you create, submit, or use, whether AI-assisted or not
16. Limitation of Liability
16.1 MAXIMUM LIABILITY: TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, CAREER JOURNAL’S TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY AND ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF:
- (A) THE TOTAL AMOUNT YOU PAID TO CAREER JOURNAL IN THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR
- (B) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100.00)
16.2 EXCLUSION OF DAMAGES: TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL CAREER JOURNAL BE LIABLE FOR ANY:
- INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES
- LOST PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, OR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
- LOSS OF GOODWILL OR REPUTATION
- COST OF SUBSTITUTE SERVICES
- DAMAGES RESULTING FROM:
- Use or inability to use the Service
- Unauthorized access to your account or data
- Errors, mistakes, or inaccuracies in the Service
- Service interruptions or outages
- Bugs, viruses, or malicious code
- Data loss or corruption
16.3 LIMITATION APPLICATION: These limitations apply:
- Whether the claim is based on contract, tort, strict liability, warranty, or any other legal theory
- Even if Career Journal has been advised of the possibility of such damages
- Even if a remedy fails of its essential purpose
16.4 FORCE MAJEURE: Career Journal shall not be liable for any delay or failure to perform resulting from causes beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to:
- Acts of God, natural disasters, epidemics, pandemics
- War, terrorism, civil unrest
- Government actions, laws, regulations
- Internet or telecommunications failures
- Third-party service provider failures
- Labor disputes or strikes
- Fire, flood, earthquake, or other catastrophes
16.5 EXCEPTIONS: Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain warranties or damages. In such jurisdictions, including certain Canadian provinces (such as Quebec, which has specific consumer protection laws under the Consumer Protection Act), the European Union (under consumer protection directives), and certain U.S. states, the above limitations may not apply to you, and our liability will be limited to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law in your jurisdiction.
16.6 BASIS OF THE BARGAIN: You acknowledge that Career Journal has set its prices and entered into these Terms in reliance on the disclaimers and limitations of liability set forth herein, and that they form an essential basis of the bargain between the parties.
17. Indemnification
17.1 Your Indemnification Obligation: You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Career Journal, its affiliates, and its and their respective officers, directors, employees, agents, and representatives (collectively, “Career Journal Parties”) from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, expenses, or fees (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or relating to:
- Your violation of these Terms
- Your violation of any law or regulation
- Your violation of any third-party rights, including intellectual property, privacy, or publicity rights
- Your Content or any content you submit to the Service
- Your use or misuse of the Service
- Your fraud, willful misconduct, or negligence
- Any dispute between you and another user
17.2 Defense and Settlement: Career Journal reserves the right, at its own expense, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter otherwise subject to indemnification by you. You agree not to settle any such claim without Career Journal’s prior written consent.
17.3 Cooperation: You agree to cooperate with Career Journal’s defense of any claim subject to indemnification.
18. Dispute Resolution
18.1 Informal Resolution: Before filing a claim, you agree to contact us at legal@thecareerjournal.com to attempt to resolve the dispute informally. We will attempt to resolve the dispute within 60 days.
18.2 Governing Law: These Terms and any disputes arising out of or relating to the Service shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of British Columbia, Canada, without regard to its conflict of law principles.
18.3 Jurisdiction and Venue: Any legal action or proceeding arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be brought exclusively in the federal or state courts located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. You and Career Journal consent to the personal jurisdiction and venue of such courts.
18.4 Mandatory Arbitration: Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service that cannot be resolved informally shall be resolved by binding arbitration in Vancouver, British Columbia, in accordance with the Arbitration Act (British Columbia). The arbitration shall be conducted in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and judgment on the arbitration award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. You and Career Journal agree to waive the right to a jury trial and to participate in class actions.
18.5 Class Action Waiver: TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, YOU AND CAREER JOURNAL AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING.
18.6 One-Year Limitation: You agree that any claim arising out of or related to these Terms or the Service must be filed within one (1) year after such claim arose; otherwise, your claim is permanently barred.
19. General Provisions
19.1 Entire Agreement: These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any other policies or agreements referenced herein, constitute the entire agreement between you and Career Journal regarding the Service and supersede all prior or contemporaneous agreements, communications, and proposals (whether oral, written, or electronic) between you and Career Journal.
19.2 Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect. The invalid provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable.
19.3 Waiver: No waiver of any provision of these Terms shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of such provision or any other provision. Career Journal’s failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.
19.4 Assignment:
- You may not assign, transfer, or delegate these Terms or your rights or obligations hereunder without our prior written consent.
- Career Journal may assign these Terms, in whole or in part, at any time without notice, including in connection with a merger, acquisition, corporate reorganization, or sale of assets.
- These Terms shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns.
19.5 No Third-Party Beneficiaries: These Terms do not and are not intended to confer any rights or remedies upon any person or entity other than you and Career Journal.
19.6 Notices:
- To You: We may provide notice to you via email to your registered email address, through the Service, or by posting notice on our website. Notice via email is deemed received 24 hours after sending.
- To Us: You may provide notice to Career Journal at legal@thecareerjournal.com
19.7 Language: These Terms are written in English. Any translated versions are provided for convenience only. In the event of any conflict between the English version and a translated version, the English version shall prevail.
19.8 Headings: Section headings are for convenience only and shall not affect the interpretation of these Terms.
19.9 Survival: The following sections shall survive termination of these Terms: 8 (Your Content - license provisions), 9 (Intellectual Property), 10 (Data Retention), 15 (Disclaimers), 16 (Limitation of Liability), 17 (Indemnification), 18 (Dispute Resolution), and 19 (General Provisions).
19.10 Export Controls: You agree to comply with all applicable export and import control laws and regulations in your use of the Service.
19.11 Government Use: If you are a U.S. government entity, the Service is a “commercial item” as defined in 48 C.F.R. § 2.101, and you agree to these Terms as a condition of use.
20. Contact Information
If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about these Terms or the Service, please contact us:
- General inquiries: support@thecareerjournal.com
- Legal matters: legal@thecareerjournal.com
- Privacy matters: privacy@thecareerjournal.com
Website: https://thecareerjournal.com
Acknowledgment
BY CLICKING “I ACCEPT,” BY ACCESSING THE SERVICE, OR BY USING THE SERVICE, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ THESE TERMS, UNDERSTAND THEM, AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THEM.
END OF TERMS OF SERVICE