Sometimes deciding what to leave off your resume can be as important as deciding what to leave on. If you’re not sure what to delete or omit, check out our list below.
- Objective Statements
The primary problem with objective statements is they focus on you, not the company. Companies are less interested in your personal career goals and more interested in the value you bring to their organization. Repurpose this space with a branding statement (a short elevator pitch) or a qualifications or results summary (short sentences or bullet points highlighting your skills and achievements). Customize this section for every application and specifically outline why you are a great fit for the position. - Unrelated Work Experience
A resume isn’t meant to be a list of every job you’ve had since high school. Once again, emphasize only the experiences relevant to the position for which you are applying. There are two important exceptions. If you are early in your career you may need to stuff your resume with summer and part-time positions to display your strong work ethic. Or, if omitting a job leaves a noticeable employment gap, keep it on. - Hobbies
Hobbies are nice to have, but unless they are related to the position, they don’t belong on your resume. The same applies to volunteer work. Do, however, add this type of information to your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn feeds. Since 70 percent of employers use social media to screen candidates, they can still learn about your cool personal interests that may make you a more attractive candidate. - Overused Statements
You’ve seen them before and so has every hiring manager: “team player,” “strong communication skills” and “expert negotiator.” These phrases are not only boring, but also meaningless. Cross them out and start over using specific examples, numbers and data. Instead of “track record of success,” write “co-chaired a ten-person safety committee that helped to reduce annual plant accidents by 75 percent.” - Embellishments, Exaggerations, and Lies
Obviously, lying on a resume is a terrible idea. Embellishing or stretching the truth may not seem like a big deal, but absolutely don’t do it! Smart companies (the ones you want to work for) will run background checks, references checks, academic verifications, professional license verifications, and employment verifications. If a potential employer catches you in an exaggeration, your resume will go straight in the trash can.
Finally, here are a few more items to remove.
- Personal information such as height, weight, religion
- Your home address
- GPAs (once you have two to three years of work experience)
- Photos or graphics (unless you are designing an infographic resume)
- Space fillers such as “References available upon request”
Do You Wish Your Resume Was Giving You Better Results?
At United Talent Staffing Services, we can help you find a job faster. We place industrial, clerical, medical and professional workers throughout West Virginia and Georgia. Search our available positions to find your next opportunity today!