20 Things NOT To Share On Your Resume

Throughout 2013, I served as a contributing blogger for an online job search platform based here in Nashville called Gradspring. It's just for recent college graduates seeking entry level jobs, and those companies hiring for entry level positions. However, the advice I shared in my blogs is advice that any job seeker, experienced or inexperienced, can find helpful in his or her job search.

In one such blog post I discussed items you should NOT include on your resume, despite the fact that many people do (trust me, I know because I review several resumes a day). These items are all things recruiters say they don't want to see on a resume. Below is a list of such items, but if you want the explanation as to why you should not include them on a resume, you'll have to read the full article on Gradspring's blog. 

1. Personal information
2. Objective statement
3. High school
4. Relevant coursework
5. References
6. The statement "References available upon request."
7. Your photo
8. Personal pronouns
9. Descriptions of the companies for which you previously worked
10. Unrelated experience or jobs from 7 to 10 years ago
11. Past supervisors' names
12. Job descriptions that don't include results or accomplishments
13. Sports (unless...)
14. Activities in which you're not actively involved
15. Irrelevant interests
16. Languages you cannot speak fluently
17. Outdated computer skills
18. Inconsistent formatting
19. Fonts that are too small or difficult to read
20. Misspelled words and grammatical errors

Like I said, I review several resumes a day, and these aren't the only things I see people doing wrong on their resumes. If you recognize some of these "don'ts" from your own resume, it may be time for a resume makeover. You can get the paNASH Style Resume Makeover Package which includes a personalized critique for half the price you would pay a professional resume writer. In fact, I've seen several high-priced resumes written by "professional" resume writers and they have included many of the items above (I even saw one with a major misspelling!). So take it from someone who worked as a career adviser for over a decade...with a resume facelift, you may just land an interview!

Return to paNASH Style web site. 

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