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We constantly hear about what you should put on your resume, but rarely do we talk about what to leave out.
As the CEO of a resume writing service, I’ve read over a thousand resumes this year so far, and I’ve seen a lot of “trash” that doesn’t belong – things that can hurt your chances of landing an interview. .
If you want to write a resume that says “Hire Me,” then every word, number, line, and achievement should be carefully considered. So let’s hit the back button on seven commonly overlooked things you should remove from your resume ASAP – and why:
1. Non-relevant hobbies and interests
Do you like sports ? Camping? Collecting coins? Gardening? Everyone has a hobby, and most people think that the more unique it is, the more it will stand out from other applicants.
But hiring managers don’t care how you spend your free time, at least not immediately. They have deadlines and big piles of resumes to review, and right now they are only focused on finding candidates who meet the requirements.
Of course, you can include your hobby if it is related to the position you are applying for. If it’s a job in finance, for example, mentioning that you enjoy getting into cryptocurrency investing might be considered a plus. But if you’re trying to land a medical research assistant job, don’t bother.
2. Too many soft skills
You must be thinking, But aren’t soft skills a good thing?
Yes, but to a certain extent. Too many candidates overdo it with soft skills, and hiring managers are very aware of this common ploy, so you might lose credibility when you start listing too many.
I generally recommend having more hard skills than soft skills. For the soft skills you include, make sure they are demonstrated and not just stated.
Instead of just saying you’re good at multitasking, for example, it’s best to include something like “Setting up multiple projects from start to finish resulting in an X% increase in X”.
3. Your professional portrait
Unless you want to be cast as the lead actor for a big screen movie, you don’t need to include a portrait.
In fact, there are potential drawbacks to doing so. For starters, some managers and recruiters have told me that they find it “unprofessional” or even a little “tasteless”.
It can also lead to unconscious bias. Whether it’s the way you dress, your gender, your race, or just how you look, these are all things that can potentially impact a recruiter’s decision making, though this is done unintentionally.
Finally, there is a small possibility that the photo will affect the format of your CV, causing technical difficulties when it goes through applicant tracking systems.
4. Personal pronouns
Surprisingly, many applicants still make the mistake of using personal pronouns – “I”, “me”, “we” – on their CVs.
Why leave out personal pronouns? Because it is your resume, so it is already implied that everything in it concerns you. Instead of writing “I managed 5 employees”, just put “managed 5 employees”.
5. The wrong type of email
Hiring managers want candidates who are at least a little tech savvy… and that means not having an email address for an outdated account like AOL or Hotmail.
If in doubt, stick to a Gmail or Outlook address.
6. Your mailing address (if you are applying out of state)
Include your mailing address on your resume used be common practice.
But if you’re looking to relocate and apply for out-of-state jobs, it may be wise to disregard this, especially since some employers only want to consider local applicants.
Recruiters don’t need to know exactly where you live during the early stages of the hiring process. It can also become a security risk if your information is stolen.
Instead, remember to note that you intend to move:
Annie johnson
(000) 000-0000
[email protected]
Move to New York, NY in fall 2021
7. Work positions of more than 10 to 15 years
Unless you’re a recent graduate or senior manager with decades of experience, you shouldn’t include more than four or five positions that span 10-15 years.
The older the position (unless it’s in a large, well-known company or closely related to the position you’re looking for), the less hiring managers will care.
Rather than delving into outdated work experience, use this valuable resume space to flesh out details of your most recent jobs and accomplishments.
Pierre Yang | is a career expert and CEO of Resume writing services, the parent company of Resume Go. Prior to that, he worked as a hiring manager and recruiter. Follow him on twitter @ThePeterYang.
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