What To Leave Off Your Resume

Eliminate these unnecessary elements from your resume immediately. In the fiercely competitive job market of today, where employers contend with approximately 250 job applications per open position, the use of applicant tracking systems (ATS) is prevalent. ATS, employed by 95% of large organizations, screens applications to weed out the least qualified candidates.

Even if your resume manages to surpass the ATS, it faces a mere six seconds of scrutiny from recruiters inundated with applications. To ensure your qualifications are clearly presented during this brief review, it’s crucial to exclude distracting information. The following list outlines what should be omitted from your resume:

1. Resume Objective Statement:

Discard generic objective statements and replace them with a concise professional summary, condensing your qualifications and achievements into 3–5 lines.

2. Unprofessional Email:

 Avoid using inappropriate or shared family email addresses. Opt for a professional email with your name and credentials.

3. Full Mailing Address:

Exclude your complete mailing address, especially if you’re open to relocation. Include only city, state, and zip code if relevant.

4. Multiple Phone Numbers:

Streamline contact information by providing a single mobile phone number to avoid confusion.

5. Outdated or Irrelevant Social Media Profiles:

Exclude social media accounts that lack professionalism or are unrelated to your career goals. Instead, focus on maintaining a professional online presence, particularly on platforms like LinkedIn or GitHub.

6. Personal Details:

Omit personal information such as social security number, marital status, nationality, sexual orientation, or spiritual beliefs, as it is both unnecessary and potentially illegal.

7. Headshot:

Eliminate pictures from your resume to prevent unintentional disclosure of personal details, which may lead to discrimination concerns.

8. Buzzwords:

Integrate relevant keywords naturally; avoid overloading your resume with buzzwords, as it may come across as insincere.

9. Pronouns:

Refrain from using personal pronouns in your resume; adopt an absent first-person approach to maintain a professional tone.

10. Elaborate Formats and Designs:

Choose a clean and clear resume design, as elaborate formats can confuse applicant tracking systems and annoy recruiters.

11. Embedded Charts and Images:

Skip incorporating images or charts, as they may not be processed correctly by ATS and can detract from the resume’s clarity.

12. Spelling and Grammatical Errors:

Proofread thoroughly to eliminate spelling and grammatical errors, which are the top resume mistakes according to recruiter surveys.

13. Too Much of the Past:

Remove references to high school and condense details of college experience as you progress in your career.

14. Salary History:

Avoid disclosing current or previous salary information to prevent potential negotiation issues.

15. References:

Omit a reference list or the phrase “References available upon request” to save resume space; employers assume you’ll provide references when requested.