10 Key Things To Remove From Your Resume/CV
20 seconds.
That’s the average amount of time that an employer will spend scanning your resume.
The phrase “Less is more” has often been used for design purposes, but
it can apply just as well to your resume. The point is to keep only
information on your resume that is clear, simple and that supports your
brand/message. It is a balance of having just enough information to
draw the interest of an employer, while leaving room for you to further
explain during an interview. The more irrelevant
information you add to
your resume, the more it dilutes your key message. Employers today also
look right through fluff words and are rather annoyed by them.
So, you ask, “How can I power up my resume and make sure it contains
the precise balance of information?” Consider the following:
- Replace the “Objective” statement on your resume with “Professional Profile.”
Employers today are not that interested in what you want. Your opening
paragraph needs to be a strong message that summarizes your background
and indicates what you are best at. That creates a theme that is then
followed by your ‘proving’ that you are great at these things by
showcasing supporting accomplishments in each job.
- Eliminate superfluous, or “fluff” words. I can’t
tell you how many resumes start with “Dynamic visionary…” I call these
fluff statements as anyone can make them and they add no real value to
your resume. Keep your message on point and stick to the facts. If you
want to express these traits, demonstrate it with what you have
achieved or accomplished.
- Watch your grammar. Sentences in resumes are
written like headlines and are in the first person. In other words, the
statement “I am known for consistently exceeding my sales quotas”
becomes “Known for consistently exceeding sales quotas.” Another one of
the biggest mistakes when writing a resume is when people mix first
person and third person. For example, although “Easily learns new
software” sounds right, that is the third-person (“she learns”) and
should really be “Easily learn” (“I learn”). Small but important point,
as you do want your resume to be grammatically correct.
- Include one telephone number rather than multiple numbers. If you must list more than one number, make sure to specify under what conditions the other numbers should be used.
- Do not include discriminating information. Avoid
information that can lead one to discriminate against you, including
age, sex, religion, marital status, and ethnicity. This includes the
use of photos that should never be on a resume unless your face is an
important part of your job (e.g. modeling, TV, etc.). In fact, some
employers are forced to ignore your resume if it contains such
information because of the chance that they may be accused of
discrimination later in the process.
Keep information on your education specific to the degree received, major, institution attended, and if appropriate, your GPA. You do not need to reveal your graduating year, the institution(s) you transferred out of or high school attended.
- Include only experiences that are relevant to the job.
Employers are not interested in achievements or abilities that are not
applicable to the job. If you are in sales and you helped develop an
Access database to track supplies, that’s nice, but not relevant. Also
be cautious about listing your associations or volunteer work that is
irrelevant or may be in conflict with the potential employer.
- Eliminate technical skills for basic software programs. Most employers today expect you to be familiar with the basic computer programs, such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
- Do not include references unless requested.
Employers today expect you to offer references when requested, which is
typically during the latter part of the interview process. A top five
Peeve of recruiters is seeing “References available upon request” on
the resume. Do you really know anyone who would refuse to give
references?
- Maintain a reasonable length for your resume. If you are a recent graduate, most employers do not expect your resume to be more than one page. However, if you have had considerable professional experience that your resume should be two to three pages. Note the notion all resumes should be one page is not true especially in this market. Resumes need to have enough detail to support your positioning so a two to three page resume is acceptable. I always tell my clients a resume has to have a compelling message and be easy to read, so after you have tightened up your content, format it to have a decent amount of white space.
Finding the right balance of information for your resume can make it
impactful. It’s not about how long or short your resume is or how many
employers you’ve worked for, but finding the right information and words
to present it in the best light to demonstrate that you have the
specific experiences and skills the employer is seeking. So, keep in
mind the phrase, “Less is more” when creating or updating your resume.
By Don Goodman, president of Resume Writing Service – About Jobs is a nationally recognized career expert.
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