What to Leave Off Your Resume is Almost as Important as What’s on it
Posted April 8th, 2016
In the same way that a single hair can ruin an otherwise delicious bowl of soup, one misplaced detail can ruin an otherwise perfect resume. That’s why you need to focus as much on subtracting the wrong information as adding the right information. Here are a few things to focus on as you search for things to cut.
A Picture of Yourself
In an era of digital documents, it’s easy and even common for candidates to include a picture. This might seem like a pleasantly personal touch, but in reality it just subjects you to the biases of the hiring managers. Even if those biases are unconscious, they hurt your chances. Plus, decision makers are likely to see your picture anyway when checking your online profiles.
Your Exact Age
Ageism is real, and it’s a bias that affects people of all ages and at all stages in their careers. There is no reason for you to explicitly state your age, and you can avoid telltale clues by omitting the year you graduated from college. Your age should not be a determining factor for whether or not you get an interview.
An Objective Statement
In almost every case, an objective statement is simply as waste of space. They take up a prime position at the top of your resume, but typically relay sentiments that are inane, irrelevant, and obvious from elsewhere. Either cut the statement out entirely, or focus carefully on making it unique and enticing.
A List of References
Some hiring managers place a lot of importance on references while others don’t bother to check them at all. Instead of cluttering your resume up with contact into, wait to submit references until you’re explicitly asked. When you do submit them, make sure that every entry is relevant to the job you’re trying to get.
Details from Your Distant Past
In the section dedicated to work history, don’t list jobs you held more than 10 years ago. In most cases they will be irrelevant to the position you’re currently trying to get, especially if it’s a job in IT. You want each entry on the list to be revealing and relevant.
Obsolete Skills and Technologies
You may be tempted to highlight your mastery of a dead programming language to show off your dedication, but details like this carry little weight with hiring managers. Only mention technical skills you’ll be called upon to use at the new job.
Cut out the details you don’t need and you can spend more time and energy polishing the details that really matter. Let the team at Bayside Solutions help you to refine your resume even further.
