Finding a job can be stressful! What should I wear, what should I say, how should I act? The resume is your prospective employer’s first impression of you, so make it count. We’ve all heard that employers are looking to see your experience, but here are 12 things you should leave out of your resume.
1. Outdated information
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Always keep your resume up-to-date with the most recent information. High school extracurricular activities should not be included unless you have no college experiences to write down.
2. Personal details that are too personal
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Keep your relationship status, political affiliation and personal social media pages to yourself. Try to avoid sharing any information that could be controversial or cause employers to judge you before they meet you.
3. Reasons you left previous jobs
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Can someone say awkward?
4. Salary requirements or previous salaries
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Wait to discuss your salary with your new employer because you don’t want to set a salary range before you’ve had an interview. Research the value of your position and skills ahead of time so you have a frame of reference if asked.
5. Unprofessional email addresses
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Your bikinibeerbabe99@yahoo.com high school email address is a no-go.
6. Irrelevant activities or skills
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“Won first place in pizza eating contest” does not count.
7. Negative information or vocabulary
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You’re a great employee that brings positive energy to your workplace, so act like it!
8. Big words for the sake of sounding important
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DO use positive, active verbs that showcase your skills, but DON’T use words to over exaggerate or simply take up space.
9. Your current business contact information
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Imagine how awkward would it be if your current employer got a call from a prospective employer, and you didn’t want them to know you’re job searching. Recruiters will use the contact information you supply, so just write down your personal email address and phone number.
10. Typos and grammar mistakes
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Don’t be the person who forgot to spell check!
11. References
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Putting references on your resume takes up a lot of space that you should use for more important details like experience. Have your references ready, but keep them separate from your resume. It’s implied that references are available upon request, so you don’t need to write that on your resume, either.
12. Excessive designs, colors, and fonts
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Your resume should be organized, consistent and clean. Sometimes less is more, and having white space makes the text easier to read. Also keep in mind that some offices might not have a color printer, so colors could look faded if they’re printed in black and white.
Putting yourself out there isn’t easy, but don’t underestimate your achievements. In addition to using these tips and online resources, seek out a career advisor or a professional in your field to give you feedback. A winning resume will put you one step closer to landing your dream job!