Remove These Ten Things From Your Resume

Nancy Anderson
Posted by •


The average time human eyes scan your resume is around 20 seconds. That's how long you have to impress someone with your previous experience, skills and relevant information to the position at hand. Therefore, you should get rid of as much excess material as you can in a resume and only keep the stuff that employers want to see.

Less is more in this case because every bit of relevant information supports your personal brand and the message you want to send to HR. You need to strike the right balance between just enough data to pique someone's interest and leaving the hiring manager wanting to hear more of your story in an interview. Power up your resume by removing these 10 things that no longer apply in a contemporary setting.

1. Multiple Phone Numbers

You only need to provide one phone number, and it's the one that you access most regularly. Simplify your contact information as much as possible.

2. Objective Section

The Objective section does not say anything about your story. However, a Career Summary section at the top of the page highlights your most important attributes and explains why you're the perfect fit for this position. Keep your relevant information to three bullet points and 50 words tops, as your career summary is just a simple snapshot.

3. Fluff Words

Fluff words are descriptive, qualitative or partial terms that recruiters do not want to see. Remove the fluff to leave only concrete examples and relevant information about how your work experience prepared you for this moment.

4. Discriminating Information

Like it or not, companies may favor one type of worker over another, even though blatant discrimination is illegal. Remove any mention of your age, sex, religion, marital status and ethnicity. Do not include a photo unless it's part of an industry requirement, such as in modeling or acting.

5. Graduation Year

The fact that you have a degree from an accredited university is good enough. Leave out your high school, college graduation year and GPA.

6. Typos and Grammatical Mistakes

Even one misspelled word shows you lack an attention to detail. Have a grammar-gifted friend look over the document to catch any typos or grammar faux pas.

7. Basic Technical Prowess

Most people know how to use word processors, spreadsheets, slideshows and Internet browsers. If the position requires knowledge of specialized software, list any that you know that are similar.

8. Unrelated Experiences

Include only relevant information regarding your previous work experience. If you worked as a car salesman for six months and this job is an entry-level IT position, you can exclude any positions that have nothing to do with IT work.

9. References

References are a separate document. Don't say "references available upon request" because every employer checks references.

10. Longer Length

If your resume doesn't need to be more than one page, keep it short. The length should correlate to the complexity of the position. Doctors, lawyers and executives need longer documents to explain professional experience, but most resumes should stay at one page.

Your professional story should include only the most relevant information for one key reason. You want the other person to call and ask to hear more, which is where the interview comes in handy.


Photo courtesy of sarah.at Flickr.com
Comment

Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.

Register
Sign In
  • Richie P.
    Richie P. •

    I can see both sides; however, I only place skills on my resume, but ultimately, my race, sex, marriage status, age and the like will be known if that face-to-face interview comes to pass. At that point, it won't matter if the information was on my resume or not. Any bias will occur on first impressions alone.

  • Richie P.
    Richie P. •

    I think Tom is saying that if an prospective employer wanted to be biased because of race, sex, etc., there is no difference in putting it on your resume or waiting until the interview to have those feeling surface by the interviewer. Keeping these potential biased facts off the resume will not sway the interviewer when face-to-face time comes. If the job seeker will be biased by the interviewer, it really doesn't matter when the information is known. By keeping the information out of the resume, we are catering to the biases of others and not trying to eliminate said biases from the process. Even the experts say that job seekers should have social media sites to show presence. In parallel, the job seeker usually has his/her picture first and foremost on their profile, but it is recommended that it not be attached to a resume. This is a conflicting statement, as most potential employers are checking out candidates on social media anyway.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    @Tom no one is promoting deceit. Not sure why you would say that. We are not promoting prejudiced evaluations - just trying to assist you in finding a job in today's market. At no time in my lifetime have I submitted a resume that included my nationality, race or sex or included a photo. But we see them today and it is just wrong for us, as job seekers, to submit this information. We here at Beyond just want to try to help you have the best resume and cover letter possible so that you can find your next position. Trust me - Beyond is not promoting deceit or acceptance of any prejudice by any company. Item 3 was included so that our job seekers don't include that information. We want your resume to stand on its own and want the hiring company to bring you in for an interview based upon your skills and qualifications - not on race, sex or nationality and certainly not based on a photo that you may have included. Hope this helps.

  • Tom M.
    Tom M. •

    Going on your view, we should not disclose our race, sex ,nationality etc. for someone reading may object. Also, we should not speak out against companies that reject employees based on who they are and not their qualification. I know we are all prejudice but this should not be promoted by good honest people. If someone tells a lie long enough it does not make it right. So to, promoting prejudice evaluation by employers and "passing" by employees is wrong and no "expert" can justify it. Again you are wrong at promoting prejudice views and I hope as the story goes WWII when no one spoke out against prejudice, someone speaks up for you. I feel also Beyond is wrong for promoting your call for deceit and acceptance of prejudice by companies.

  • Eppsie G.
    Eppsie G. •

    If you can hire Hillary Clinton (Big Hill) or Donald Trump to run the entire country why can't I or anyone manage or run an entire department. I do believe JFK and President Obama have been the youngest Presidents we have placed in the Oval so far

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    @Tom there is nothing deceitful about the above. Recruiters as well as temp agencies will tell you the same things. Graduation year? Unrelated experiences? Not being deceitful with these. Bottom line is that, as a job seeker, your resume will be put through an ATS prior to it reaching human eyes. The system scores, typically based upon keywords. So, if you were in a janitor in your past life but now you are a technical genius, why would you include your unrelated tasks if seeking a new tech job? As for the age, technically the hiring company is in the wrong because it's illegal to ask an applicant's age. That's how they get around it. There is no deceit here. Just a chance to get your resume in front of a hiring manager and score an interview. By all means, when in an interview, bring up some of your past experiences. Always carry a comprehensive resume with you when you go to an interview so that you can touch on those unrelated experiences if asked.

  • Tom M.
    Tom M. •

    Dishonesty and deceit on anyone's part is wrong and should not be promoted by you. If good men say nothing, evil or wrong will succeed. There was a time the came for the Jews and I said nothing, then they came for the Catholics and I wasn't one so they were taken and then they came for me but no one was left to help me. So too your promoting falsehoods on age or experience is wrong and does not make it right because you support deceit.

  • Tom M.
    Tom M. •

    Dishonesty and deceit is wrong!!!!!!!!!

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    @Eppsie thanks for your comment. Certainly, a temp agency may want to know more and they will ask for it. If you are using a temp agency exclusively for your job search, they will help you get your resume in line with what is needed for your position. Most companies, today, have software that scans your resume which is why we indicate that one page is good enough.

  • Eppsie G.
    Eppsie G. •

    most of the suggestions I have already done however, the one page resume is a dream nowadays it seems to me the employer would like to know more prior to the interview especially temp agencies

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    Thanks for the great comments. @Lelia if those 3 jobs are applicable to the position for which you are applying, then by all means you will have to include them. Just make sure that you aren't repeating the same tasks from one position to another. That will help to cut down on the length. I agree that it's tough to keep it to a page but, if you can, you should. If you can't, them just make sure that you have a header on each page of your resume and cover letter so that your application stays together. Many people will put their name, phone, etc. at the top of the first page and then just put Page 2 at the top of the second. That page could get separated from the rest of your application. @Charles thanks for your great comments. Technically, yes you should write a separate resume and cover letter for each job. Yes it can be very time-consuming but worth it for a job that you really want. Remember, though, that most companies use software to read your resume and the keywords are not always the same from one job posting to another. If you don't score enough keywords, your app goes to the round file. Kind of crazy to have to spell out what MS programs you know but, if it helps, then I would make the space to do so. Make sure that you are including all applicable jobs/tasks. If you are going for a management position, why would you want to include your stint at the local McDonald's? In addition, it is true that you can't get around the HS or graduation completion dates on some applications. If it asks specifically for it, you would have to include it. @Jason the reliance on keywords is kind of over the top. All we can hope for is that, as the economy recovers, companies will receive fewer resumes and won't have to rely on software to review them. Thanks again - great comments.

  • Diana Foraci
    Diana Foraci •

    Thanks I will leave out dates and year

  • Ralph C.
    Ralph C. •

    Sound and solid advice. At the moment I am teaching English to two H.R managers from different companies and they reflect exactly these aspects.

  • Linda R.
    Linda R. •

    Great advice. I work entry level applicants and some of this has to be modified for them. However, as stated, more senior positions do not need the fluff.

  • Lelia P.
    Lelia P. •

    1-page is problematic if you've had more than 3 jobs in the last 10 years and include summary, skills, and accomplishments. According to jobscan.co, I have too many words for the positions I've applied for, but how do you tell your story without using words?

  • Charles N.
    Charles N. •

    Well-written article, but I have a couple comments/disagreements: 1) Based on this, I would have to write a different resume, or tweak my resume, every time I apply for a job to keep the keyword search demons at bay, and appear interested in the position. I do this already with a carefully tailored custom cover letter, so applying for just one job potentially could take several hours. 2) Many job postings state that the company requires specific experience in Word, PowerPoint, etc., so I have to include that information in my resume (no matter how obvious). 3) Some employers want to see continuous employment -- no gaps -- while others don't. Not including side treks like sales jobs or Burger King isn't always a good idea, no matter how logical it sounds. I leave it off and cross my fingers that the question doesn't come up until an interview, if at all. 4) Using "fast facts" are great -- if you have them. You can't state that sales went up 10 percent while you were a department manager, if you don't know for certain that it happened. What if you were simply a solid worker who did your job to everyone's satisfaction (in other words, you were never "employee of the month," you didn't get performance bonuses, you didn't win any awards...but you always got the work done as the third-best person on your team)? 5) Different schools of thought about "fluff." On one hand, the filler is a waste of time for the prospective employer. On the other hand, you're supposed to sell yourself. Just saying you have sales experience is not going to make you stand out from the 1,000 other people applying for the job (who are probably using words like "dynamic," "creative," "veteran," etc.) 6) True, you should not include graduation dates, gender, GPAs, etc. on your resume. But almost all of the job apps submitted whenever I apply online -- which is the only place my job possibles appear -- ask for your college (and maybe high school) attendance dates. This is a dead giveaway to your age. Your resume may not get you tossed, but the info on the app will. 7) You're right -- no pics with your resume unless required. But if they check your online web page, such as ones at LinkedIn or Monster, your face is going to appear. Again, your resume may not hinder you, but your prospective employer will still have other ways to find out some of your unstated info.

  • Valerie S.
    Valerie S. •

    Finally! Get rid of the ridiculous OBJECTIVE statement.

  • LaRoma W.
    LaRoma W. •

    Good information

  • Jason Quinn
    Jason Quinn •

    I don't agree with #7. I have had so many recruiters insist that I go on and elaborate further on my MS Office skills for some applications. The over-reliance on keywords has taken the common sense out of the process.

  • Patricia B.
    Patricia B. •

    I'm not professional person from my resume

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    @Richie the fluff in your resume is a word (or words) that you write in simply because it fills your resume out. Fluff words you might be using include vague adjectives like “great”, “experienced” and “dynamic”. Some others off the top of my head would be "responsible for", "customer-focused", "excellent communications skills", "creative" and so on. Fluff words are statements of personal attributes that are boring, do nothing to differentiate the candidate, and are frankly, just a waste of space. What to use instead: Dump the fluff and shoot for hard and fast facts about yourself. Numbers and quantifiable terms allow the employer to determine for themselves how experienced or great you actually are. Words that make you stand out. Hope that helps.

  • Sharon B.
    Sharon B. •

    Thank you. Good advise I will review and change my resume as needed.

  • Linda H.
    Linda H. •

    Thanks for your response Nancy. I will do that.

  • Richie P.
    Richie P. •

    Good info. However, no examples of "fluff words." They could be easily misinterpreted as descriptors by others writing or editing their resume.

  • Donna L.
    Donna L. •

    You seem to have good information, about what to include on a resume.

Jobs to Watch