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What not to put on your resume
Knowing what to leave off your resume can be just as important as knowing what to include. Do not include the following:
- Salary history or requests
- Reference information
- Personal data
Let's talk about why these items are best left off your resume.
Money Talk
Although some job advertisements ask for a resume and salary history, the two do not go together. Discussion about salary belongs in the interview, not on the resume. It is to your advantage not to make a monetary request before an interview. Indicating salary requirements before the interview may increase your chances of being screened out and decrease your bargaining power during salary negotiations.
If you feel obligated to address salary in order to fulfill the employer's initial application requirements, do so in your cover letter, not on your resume.
Referring to References
Addresses and phone numbers of references should not be a part of your resume. They belong on a separate sheet of paper that you bring to the job interview.
Bonus Check
When creating your reference sheet to take to the interview, put it on letterhead that matches your resume and cover letter. In addition to looking spiffy, the letterhead will identify whose reference sheet it is if it gets separated from your letter and resume.
Also, a big thumbs-down on writing "References available upon request" at the bottom of your resume. It's unnecessary, because employers will assume that you have references, and they know to ask for them when the time comes.
Forget the Personal Stuff
Including information about your age, sex, marital status, and health is not appropriate for resumes being used in the United States (but you might want to include some personal information on your resume if something in your personal life supports your job objective). If you're applying abroad (in Europe or the United Kingdom), however, it might be expected.
Job-Hunt Hint
Although personal information doesn't usually appear on a resume, you may want to make an exception if something in your personal life supports your job objective. For instance, if you're applying for a position designing content for a Web site on diabetes, you might mention on your resume (perhaps in your Summary of Qualifications) that you have diabetes if you think it will increase your chances for an interview.
Following are some hints to show your education and extra credits in resume writing
- List only the degrees, courses, training sessions, and workshops that are relevant to your job objective.
- If you have a degree or credential that makes you look over qualified for the job, don't put it on your resume.
- If dates within the Education section tell the reader more than you want to reveal,leave them out.
- Take inventory of the relevant information that you still want to include and list that dat a in appropriate sections such as Community Service, Professional Affiliations, and Aw ards.
- Do not include salary history, references, and personal data on your resume.