Recruitment Articles > Top 10 things to leave OFF your resume
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Top 10 things to leave OFF your resumeEmployers and recruiters alike don't have the time or the patience to sift through irrelevant information as harsh as that may sound. By producing a resume,
you are NOT aiming to get a job - you are aiming to get an interview. Just stick to the basics - it needs to be clear, concise and clutter-free. 1. Your pictureDon't include a photo just for fun. Very few photographs that we have seen are professional as most appear to be clipped from an outdated family album and hold no relevance to your potential as an employee. They can also slow down your resume from opening quickly as the file may be too large. 2. Objective or Personal statement More often than not these tend to be ambiguous or generic statements that are not reflective of the position you are applying for. If you feel that you need something of a positioning statement then ensure it speaks directly to the job description and includes every keyword in the employer's requirements. 3. Hobbies & Interests Again we have found that they generally hold no relevance to the position applied for. Unless they are professional affiliations that show your community or personal involvement i.e. relevance to the position - then save them for the informal chat in the interview. 4. Family Info (Marital Status, Age, Religion) Similar to a photograph your family and personal information is all unimportant to an employer. With anti discrimination laws these days’ recruiters and employers are mindful of their obligation. 5.Minute details or Details of really old jobs As recruiters or employers we don’t need to know the details of every task you've ever done in every job you've ever had. It's just too much information. Pick out only those details that are most relevant to the job for which you're applying and omit the rest. If you have been in the work force for the last 25 years or more stick to the last 5 years in detail and summarise the rest. 6. Gaps Never ever leave a gap in your job history. Don’t let a recruiter draw their own conclusions, as it will generally be a negative one. Make it very clear what you have been spending your time doing - even if it’s your OE. 7. References “References available upon request." It is an expectation that you will provide referees so you don’t need to either add this line or provide written scanned copies in your resume. They are seldom specific to the role and may not be meaningful in considering your qualifications or traits successful to the role. Wait until you're asked for them BUT do make sure you speak and gain permission from your referees so they are aware that they may be called. Most recruiters/employers expect a verbal reference to be available and they must be current 8. Irrelevant qualifications. Unless they are relevant and current to the position you are applying for then leave them out. Don’t ever embellish your qualifications False information just isn’t worth it. 9. Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors You must Spell check absolutely everything. Attention to detail tells a lot about a person and if you haven’t taken the time to check your document then one can only assume that you will be lax in your job as well. 10. Flair, Personal Style & email address No one wants to look at a résumé on fluorescent paper, covered in crazy fonts and symbols. Similarly, links to personal social media sites, or strange e-mail addresses can also be left off. Employers are less likely to respond to sexymama@email.com than just jsmith@email.com. Personal Style is only relevant if the position is in Graphic design or media - however less is more still rules |