What to Leave Off Your Resume
A resume is the most important part of any job search. Without a resume in today’s job market, it is almost impossible to get a job. Resumes provide employers with the necessary information to determine if a candidate is right for the position. They contain a variety of important details such as a person’s professional experience, educational background, and skills, all of which help employers decide who has the best qualifications for the role.
While everyone’s resume will have different sections included, it is important to note that there are three parts of a resume that are extremely important.
Contact Information – Having accurate contact information on a resume is essential for employers to be able to quickly and easily follow up with potential job candidates. Additionally, having a professional email address and phone number can create a positive first impression.
Experience – Having work experience on a resume is incredibly important for demonstrating to employers the value you would bring to their company. It showcases your qualifications, skills, and capabilities, as well as provides evidence that you have successfully handled real-life scenarios in the workplace. Having detailed information about your past positions and accomplishments demonstrates that you are an experienced professional who is ready to take on new challenges.
Education – Having education experience on a resume is an important component of a job applicant’s profile. It shows recruiters not only the candidate’s academic achievements, but also their commitment to continuous learning and growth in their chosen field.
Without these three sections, you can expect difficulty on your job search. After including these three sections on your resume, the rest is up to you on what you want to add! Optional sections you can include on your resume are objectives, awards and honors, and skills. However, there are some things you should avoid adding to your resume.
Profile Picture
We are in the day and age where profile pictures are everywhere we go. Your profile picture says a lot about you, whether you are on Facebook, LinkedIn, or even TikTok. However, when it comes to your resume, it is best to not include it. Adding your profile picture to your resume can be seen as unprofessional and can take away from the content of your resume. It is important that you always present yourself in a professional manner when applying for jobs, so it’s best to avoid adding any profile pictures or avatars to your resume. You want employers to focus on your skills and qualifications, not how you look.
You should only add your photograph to your resume if you are applying for a modeling or acting position. Employers will not hire you based on your appearance in any other role, or they will be drawn into allegations of discrimination.
Irrelevant Work Experience
The most common mistake we see on candidate resumes is that they include all their work experience. Including all your work experience can be good in some cases if all of your work is relevant to the position you are applying for. However, if you are applying for an Engineering role, adding your experience working as a dishwasher in high school is just wasting valuable space on your resume.
Resumes should be no longer than one page double-sided. The only exception to this is if you are applying for a more experienced role, such as a manager or CFO. Most job applications should only have one page front and back.
Recruiters spend less than 8 seconds reviewing a resume, so take a look at your resume and make sure you have only included important information related to the job you are applying to.
Misspelling & Errors
77% of employers will immediately reject a resume if it has a typo or grammatical errors. Spelling errors will show potential employers that you either have poor writing skills or are too lazy to review your work.
Take the time to review your resume 3-4 times before submitting it. We also suggest sending it to family or friends to have an extra set of eyes review it before submitting it.
Paragraphs
Resumes are designed for recruiters or hiring managers to skim before setting up an interview. It will be nearly impossible to skim a resume that has long paragraphs without bullet points. No one wants to read a lengthy description of what you have done at a certain position.
It is important to summarize your work into bullet points rather than paragraphs. Bullet points are a great way to show your job requirements in a short, easy-to-read sentence. Paragraphs usually require more work for employers or recruiters, causing many to ‘give up’ and move onto another candidate’s resume.
Personal Information
Personal information is different from contact information.
Contact information includes name, email, address, and phone number. Personal information can be height, gender, age, and religion. Remember that employers cannot decide to hire a candidate based on personal information. Therefore, adding this information is a waste of time for you and the recruiter reviewing your resume.
Hobbies & Interests
Employers do not want to learn about your hobbies or interests on your resume. Your resume should only include things that show your ability to succeed at the company. Your Fantasy Football interest is not something that will help you succeed at most companies (Unless you are applying to job openings at DraftKings or FanDuel).
Remember, your resume has limited space. Do not waste it. Wait to discuss your interests and hobbies once you are asked in your interview or once you are hired!
References
References are essential when it comes to your job search. A list of references can make or break your chance at receiving a job offer. However, reference checks are the FINAL step in the hiring process.
The hiring process starts with submitting your resume, doing a quick phone interview, an in-person or virtual interview, then reference checks. Why would you submit your references on the first step of the process when it is the last thing employers look at?
Make sure to take those references off your resume and create a separate document for your references. Then, wait to send your references to an employer until you are asked to send them. Also, do not add Reference Available Upon Request to your resume.
Now that you know more about what you need to leave off your resume, are you ready to start applying? Here at City Personnel, our candidates are the backbone of our mission. Our ultimate staffing goal is to foster relationships with qualified professionals. We are committed to placing you in a position that complements your skillset and provides job satisfaction.
To see a full list of our job openings, visit our Job Board! If we think you will be a good fit for the position, we will reach out and schedule and interview with one of our recruiters!
