Putting a resume together doesn’t have to be a long drawn out process if you know what should and should not be included on one. There are a number of items in an applicant’s past or present work experience or personal history that simply do not belong on a resume.
You want to impress a recruiter or headhunter, not turn them off the minute they read a few lines of your resume. If you are putting together a resume today or reworking an old one, here are 5 things that you should delete from your resume:
1. When it Doesn’t Relate
When initiating a first-time resume or rewriting an original, leave out any past information that has no connection to the job or position that you are applying for now. Focusing on the requirements and responsibilities of the job and how they are connected to real experience from a past or present work environment can be better handled utilizing prepared resume templates. They can certainly be of help in developing the right wording with related work experience content.
2. Jobs from the Past
Eliminate any jobs from your resume that were temporary or were connected to college odd jobs, or after leaving school. Insignificant jobs from the past are likely to not have serious correlation to what you are applying for now. Also, if you were in one main job for say 5-10 years, it is probably of benefit to list up to only four former work experiences within the resume.
3. No Additional Pages
A resume should be no longer that one page. You want a resume to be as concise and to the point as possible and there are direct ways to keep your resume short and sweet without having to sacrifice necessary content. The use of one page or space saver type templates can remedy that.If recruiters are anxious to know more about you, they can find any extraneous information through your cover letter or a career related online account like LinkedIn.
4. Interests and Pastimes
Whether you are a political activist or like to participate in extreme fighting competitions, it is probably best to omit any kind of interest, past-time or hobby from a resume that could be awkward or problematic.
5. Email and Social Media Accounts
No resume should include a bizarre or outlandish email address to be used by a potential employer in response to a resume. A traditional email account with a first and last name is acceptable as opposed to one that is embarrassingly personalized. The same is true of any social media presence that could possibly affect investigative issues with a recruiter or employer. A LinkedIn profile is understandable, but any other accounts, like facebook or YouTube should be excluded.
No One Size Fits All
There is no carbon copy or “one size fits all” resume that is going to be appropriate for every job that a person applies for and seeks. There will more than likely be revisions to be made or an entirely new resume created. It is critical to remember that every resume should reflect corresponding experience that relates to the job sought.
Take a look at some of the suggestions given here with what to delete from a resume. Focus should always be on how your work experience and qualification correlate with what is expected from the job description. If a potential employee follows the prescriptions given here, he or she should have a better chance at landing the job for the right reasons. Try rewriting your resume with those standards in mind, and that job you have been seeking will be more within your reach.
Author Bio – Helen Cartwright is a passionate blogger, who excels in the Digital Marketing and Technology niche. When not wired in marketing strategies she ghost-writer for a variety of authors who have their work published on leading online media channels such as The Huffington Post and Entrepreneur.com.
