Resume Assistance - Leave These Off

Resume Assistance - Leave These Off Your Resume

Experts wax ad nauseam over what to include on your resume, how to spit shine this and how to tweak that for maximum effectiveness. The best resume help for some of us blokes... a little insight into what to leave off the dang thing. To that end...

Leave Off The Photo

Never, never, never include a photo on your resume–unless you’re applying for a job in Germany, or as a fashion model. U.S. companies outside of the modeling industry will trash your resume immediately to avoid any future accusations that they might have discriminated in a hiring decision.

Leave Off The Personal Information

Decades ago, it was more common than not to see resumes chock full of personal information like marital status, number of children if any, social security number, height and weight, health status and the like. No longer. Leave all of this information off the resume, as none of it is indicative of your value to the prospective employer, and any of it could be used–overtly, subtly or even unconsciously–to discriminate and screen you out.

Leave Off Hobbies, Sports and Interests

Keep your interests your interests. You may be the Friday Night Dart Champion at Willie’s Bar, but leave it off the resume. Are you a marathon runner? Fantastic, but the odds are that your prospective boss is not. By including that footnote on your resume, you run the risk of getting circular filed just out of spite if the reader is a couch potato who is struggling to control his weight. Take no chances - leave it off. Likewise, don’t mention your fascination with Star Trek memorabilia or the hours you spend listening for extra-terrestrials with the modified ham radio contraption in your garage. Especially that last one.

Leave Off Your Salary, Or Salary Expectations

1. Unprofessional
2. Asking for trouble

It's unprofessional because it simply isn't done. In the same manner, a house guest doesn't mention his culinary expectations to the host before dinner.

It's asking for trouble because whatever dollar figure you mention will be viewed as either too low or too high, and dredge up questions that have nothing to do with your qualifications for the position.

Again, you don’t want anything in the resume that will make it easy for the reviewer to screen you out.

Leave Off References, Or Even The Mention Of References

Finally, don’t include references. It’s inferred that you can produce references if asked. Wait until you’re asked.

David Alan Carter is a former headhunter and the founder of Resume One of Cincinnati. For more than ten years, he personally crafted thousands of resumes for satisfied clients from all occupational walks of life.

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