During an economic recession, a licensed professional lost their job.

Professional ethics require honesty, integrity, and protection of confidential information. Being laid off does not justify misrepresentation or misuse of proprietary or confidential information. “Mild exaggerations” (B) are still dishonest and can constitute misrepresentation, undermining trust and potentially triggering discipline. Disclosing previous clients’ financial information (C) is clearly a breach of confidentiality. Sharing project information from a former employer (D) can also breach confidentiality, especially if it includes non-public details, proprietary methods, pricing, or client-sensitive data; professionals have ongoing duties to protect confidential information even after employment ends. The acceptable approach is to accurately and truthfully describe one’s roles, responsibilities, and accomplishments at a level that does not disclose confidential specifics. Therefore, a detailed (but truthful and non-confidential) description of the previous job (A) is justified.