Cut it out:
What you leave off your resume is often just as important as what you include
Resumes are a tricky thing. It’s more than just figuring out what to include and what not to include — 2018 Employee of the Year? Put it in. Responsible for $1.5 million in lost inventory? Probably best left out. But not all potential resume inclusions are as cut and dry. In case you’re wondering what belongs and what doesn’t belong on today’s resume, here’s a list of things to avoid:
Unnecessary text: There’s no need to include “Email” before listing your email address or “Phone” before your number. If a company you want to work for needs to be told what those @ symbols and numbers are for, you probably don’t want to work there anyway.
Cliches: Any phrase like “hard-working,” “punctual” or “responsible” is hopefully stating the obvious. We’ll just assume that you don’t coast through the day, that you don’t show up for work 45 minutes late and that you don’t spill coffee all over the floor at least once a week without ever cleaning it up. While it may seem like you’re laying the groundwork for some of your bigger and more important traits, you’re taking up valuable space with qualities that are assumed. And besides, no one’s going to admit to being a chronically tardy, blame-shifter when they apply for a job. If that’s who you are, your company will find out soon enough. If you have enough tangible examples of your experience, skills and achievements, you shouldn’t need to boost your resume with unnecessary words.
Your personal info: There are people who like to include their marital status, age or religion — or obvious hints about them — on their resume or cover letter in the hopes that it may personalize their relationship with a potential interviewer or draw some attention to something about their lives that a hiring manager might consider a plus. Don’t do it. Many HR professionals will tell you they get a little nervous when they see unsolicited personal information on resumes and applications because they feel like they will then have to resist the urge to use bias in a place they wouldn’t even consider using it in the first place.
Photos: Similarly to what was stated above, don’t include a photo of yourself on your resume. Unless you’re applying for a specific position that advertises openings for candidates with the best smile, most freckles or best ’80s hairstyle, there is no reason to include your photo on any job application or resume. Frankly, it’s kind of creepy.
Irrelevant jobs: Unless there’s a direct reason why a job more than 15 years old makes you a good candidate for a particular position, there isn’t much reason to mention it. And if you need to include it to fill some space, keep it simple. Don’t use the same approach you use with your current or recent job. Simply state the job, the title, the location and the timespan and that’s it. Think of your resume as a password. You’re trying to gain access to a particular place. Just like logging into your email account, there’s no need for extraneous letters and numbers. Use only what you need.
Warnings: Even subtle descriptions of something like your age aren’t helpful. You may think that letting a potential employer know you’re around 30 years old will spare you from being turned down for a position down the road but it’s not good practice. Aside from the obvious age-discrimination issues, your age is insignificant when companies — and the apps they use — sort through the initial pile of resumes. If you’re nervous about letting people know that you’re older than the average candidate, don’t be. Your experience will state that in ways your age can’t anyway, so get over it. Besides, if you’re what the company is looking for, and they’re honest about their goals, they won’t care if you’re 25 or 55.
References: You don’t have much space so don’t include names, titles and contact information for the people you assume will give you a glowing recommendation. In fact, don’t bother with the standard line of “References available upon request” either. That’s sort of a given. If a company’s job ad indicates that they want a list of references when you first apply, that’s one thing, but offering up the names of others when you haven’t even made it beyond the first wave of filters is a waste of space and time.
Mediocre academic accomplishments: Yes, mom and dad are very proud of that 3.0 GPA you earned in school but let’s face it, that little number that earned you a silver dollar out of grandma’s purse is basically telling your employer that you’re a good employee but not as good as the candidate who earned a 4.0. In fact, you’re also saying you’re not as good as the guy who got the 3.25 so just leave the GPA off entirely. Most HR professionals say they gloss over GPAs anyway, especially when they’re limited to a particular major.