Resume Help - Here's What To Leave Off

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Resume Help... What To Leave Off

Resume Help - Here's What To Leave Off

Experts wax ad nauseam over what to include on your resume, how to spit shine this and how to tweak that for maximum effectiveness. The best resume help for some of us blokes... a little insight into what to leave off the dang thing. To that end... Resume Help - What, No Photo?

Leave Off The Photo

Resume Help Tip #1: Never, never, never include a photo on your resume–unless you’re applying for a job in Germany, or as a fashion model. U.S. companies outside of the modeling industry will trash your resume immediately to avoid any future accusations that they might have discriminated in a hiring decision.

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. Resume Help Tip #2: Leave all of this information off the resume, 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

Resume Help Tip #3: Keep your interests your interests. You may be the Friday Night Dart Champion at Willie’s Bar, but leave it off the resume. Are you a marathon runner? Fantastic, but the odds are that your prospective boss is not. By including that footnote on your resume, you run the risk of getting circular filed just out of spite if the reader is a couch potato who is struggling to control his weight. Take no chances - leave it off. 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

Resume Help Tip #4: Listing your current salary (or salary expectations) on your resume is...

Unprofessional
Asking for trouble

It's unprofessional because it simply isn't done. In the same manner, a house guest doesn't mention his culinary expectations to the host before dinner. It's asking for trouble because 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.

Leave Off References, Or Even The Mention Of References

Finally, don’t include references. It’s inferred that you can produce references if asked. Resume Help Tip #5: Wait until you’re asked.

Where we go from here: Wondering which resume format presents your qualifications in the best light? And keeps you out of trouble? That's right... trouble! OK - let's get into the nuts and bolts of the Chronological Resume vs Functional Resume.

If you've got your format figured out, time to start writing. I'm sure you know your resume objective is critical in keeping the hiring official reading your resume. So.. let's get deep into The Resume Objective.

David Alan Carter is a former recruiter 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.

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Resume Help from a Former Recruiter. Our guy identifies the 10 biggest resume problems,
and tells you what to put in your resume (and what to leave out) to make it effective.
Plus, resume help with objective statements and resume formats.