Job Search
What Not to Include on Your Resume
Aug 25, 2015
You have less than 10 seconds to make the right impression, you have to make every word on your resume count. Resumes play an immense part of finding the right career. What’s included on that simple piece of paper can mean the difference between landing an interview and ending up in the trash. Recruiters tend to see resumes upon resumes throughout a job search. Below are a few simple reminders of what not to include in your resume.
Do not put pictures on your resume
They can be very distracting. A picture shows factors that are illegal for recruiters to consider when hiring. These are age, race, gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability status. Putting a picture on a resume will bring to light some of these protected classes. The photo can also take away from your credentials. It gives people the opportunity to judge you based on what you look like and not your experience. Recruiters would just rather not know.
Do not put personal details
Do not include details that are not relevant to the job. Marital status, church affiliation, and national origin are all illegal for the hiring manager to ask. Therefore, there is no need to include this information.
Do not use fancy fonts
Your resume needs to be easy to read. A recruiter does not want to have to decipher between words. Ariel and Times New Roman are great easy to read fonts. Also, do not make the mistake of shrinking the font size down to fit more information. It is better to eliminate excess wording. Make sure that the fonts are consistent throughout the resume. If you are applying for a creative position, save the creative designs for your portfolio. Employers want a resume that can be easily uploaded, parsed and stored in their tracking system.
Do not use vague statements of success
Recruiters like to see action verbs such as words like reduced, wrote and played. You should also avoid statements like, ”results oriented.” A better phrase would be, “reduced spending costs 21% for the X Company in 2014.”
Do not lie or exaggerate
The truth is always best, keep in mind to never lie or exaggerate on a resume. The truth will eventually surface. Eventually, you will have to show your skills. The employer may have specific skills testing or do a background test before making a hiring decision.
A resume should be like a commercial or advertisement to highlight the major points in your professional background. A resume convinces the employer to give you an interview. It helps to share with the employer you have the skills and ambition for the position in their company. Remember, what you don’t include on your resume can be as important as what you do include.