Effective Resume: What To Leave Off...

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Leave Off The Personal Information

Decades ago, it was more common than not to see resumes chock full of personal information like marital status, number of children if any, social security number, height and weight, health status and the like. No longer. For today's effective resume, leave all of this information off, as none of it is indicative of your value to the prospective employer, and any of it could be used–overtly, subtly or even unconsciously–to discriminate and screen you out.

Leave Off Hobbies, Sports and Interests

You may be the Friday Night Dart Champion at Willie’s Bar, but it has no place on an effective resume. Likewise, don’t mention your fascination with Star Trek memorabilia or the hours you spend listening for extra-terrestrials with the modified ham radio contraption in your garage. Especially that last one.

Leave Off Your Salary, Or Salary Expectations

Listing your current salary (or salary expectations) on your resume is 1) unprofessional, and 2) asking for trouble. Whatever dollar figure you mention will be viewed as either too low or too high, and dredge up questions that have nothing to do with your qualifications for the position. Again, you don’t want anything in the resume that will make it easy for the reviewer to screen you out.

The Effective Resume Does Not Include References, Or Even The Mention Of References

Finally, your most effective resume is the one that excludes any mention of references. It’s inferred that you can produce references if asked. Wait until you’re asked.

David Alan Carter is a former headhunter and the founder of Resume One of Cincinnati. For more than ten years, he personally crafted thousands of resumes for satisfied clients from all occupational walks of life. David has compiled a collection of real-life resume objectives, by profession, at ResumeObjective.info where you'll also find the lowdown on a few of the more popular resume building tools, at  Review of Resume Builders.