Is using past job knowledge a breach of confidentiality?

Hey everyone, I’m curious about something. I work in California and I have a confidentiality agreement at my job. It states that I need to keep all trade secrets and other sensitive info confidential. I’ve developed a bunch of processes and spreadsheets here. If I move to another company in the same field and use what I learned without taking any documents, would that be a breach? Just trying to figure this out… any thoughts?

You can’t ‘un-know’ something, so of course similar jobs will require you to use knowledge gained at this job.

Del said:
You can’t ‘un-know’ something, so of course similar jobs will require you to use knowledge gained at this job.

But what if you just use your experience and not any actual documents? Is it still a problem?

@Joey
Honestly, it’s a gray area. You can’t just take recipes or specific processes but applying your skills is normal.

Yeah, that’s tricky. I think it depends on how similar the new job is and what you actually do there.

Indie said:
Yeah, that’s tricky. I think it depends on how similar the new job is and what you actually do there.

Right? Like, I wouldn’t want to get in trouble for just being good at my job lol.

I’ve been in a similar spot. Just make sure you’re not copying anything directly.

Chen said:
I’ve been in a similar spot. Just make sure you’re not copying anything directly.

Totally! I plan to start fresh, just using what I learned. Thanks for the advice!

IDK, it sounds like you’d be fine as long as you’re not taking any files or specifics.

FelixFollan said:
IDK, it sounds like you’d be fine as long as you’re not taking any files or specifics.

What do you mean by specifics? Like formulas and stuff?

Beckett said:

FelixFollan said:
IDK, it sounds like you’d be fine as long as you’re not taking any files or specifics.

What do you mean by specifics? Like formulas and stuff?

Yeah, like exact formulas or proprietary processes. Using your skills is different though.

Just be cautious. If you’re unsure, maybe consult a lawyer? Better safe than sorry.