Employers in recent times often receive several dozen if not hundreds of resumes for job openings when they put out an available post offer or job vacancy. Since they don’t have time to read each one carefully, they often look for reasons to reject an applicant. Typos, grammatical errors, and bad formatting are three possible reasons for putting you in the “do not interview” pile. But what else might be contributing to your lack of success in getting interviews? Here are 12 simple ideas of things you should leave off your resume nowadays:
1. Generic objective statements.
Yes, wouldn't everyone like a “challenging position at a company that provides a great work-life balance and the opportunity for growth”? If you can't take the time to customize your resume for the specific job you’re applying for, why should the employer bother reading any further?
2. A less-than-professional email address.
If you still use an email from your younger years, like BeerLover789@gmail.com or PartyAnimal123@yahoo.com, get rid of it. It’s unprofessional and childish. Getting a new one only takes a few minutes and is free. Or buy your own domain name. For under $10, you can purchase a professional sounding domain name.
3. Lengthy description of duties and responsibilities.
Instead of writing a laundry list of what you did in the job, focus on what makes you stand out. State your accomplishments. Explain how you added value to your company.
4. Jargon or abbreviations.
Don’t write anything that might limit the reader’s understanding of your capabilities. Always use generally-understood descriptions on your resume unless you are certain it will be read by people who are familiar with the terminology.
5. Gaps in work history.
Explain all gaps. If you took a couple years off while your children were young, state this. If you were between jobs for a bit, fill in this gap with volunteer or consulting work.
6. Irritating buzzwords.
Words like “mission-critical,” “traction,” “synergies,” and “foster” are simply annoying and greatly overused. Under no circumstances should they find their way into your resume, cover letter, or interview.
7. Where you live.
It’s highly unlikely any employer is going to be sending you anything by mail and it could introduce the risk of economic profiling or an assumption about the length of your commute. All you need is your name, email, cell number, and link to your LinkedIn profile.
8. Political or religious affiliation.
Unless you are applying for a job within a political or religious organization, avoid mentioning any involvement you might have with these organizations.
9. Reason why you left previous jobs.
This will come up during the interview and you can discuss it then. If you’re forced to fill in this blank in an online portal, simply list “career advancement” as the reason, unless it was a contract in which case list “contract only.”
10. Salary history.
Any salary discussion is best left until later in the hiring process. Salary is a process of negotiation and revealing your salary history too early could put you at a disadvantage.
11. References.
Providing references in advance means that the employer could call one before you even know if you want the job. This could be embarrassing especially if your references are connected with your current employer. You can even leave out the standard line “References provided upon request.” Everyone knows that already and saying it is just a waste of space.
12. Lies, exaggerations and embellishments.
Pretty much everything you state on your resume can be verified. If you are hired and it is later discovered that you were untruthful on your resume, you could be fired “for cause,” which usually means you receive no notice or severance pay.
The above ideas were sourced and adjusted from a write up by Gerald Walsh.
Have a wonderful day.
1. Generic objective statements.
Yes, wouldn't everyone like a “challenging position at a company that provides a great work-life balance and the opportunity for growth”? If you can't take the time to customize your resume for the specific job you’re applying for, why should the employer bother reading any further?
2. A less-than-professional email address.
If you still use an email from your younger years, like BeerLover789@gmail.com or PartyAnimal123@yahoo.com, get rid of it. It’s unprofessional and childish. Getting a new one only takes a few minutes and is free. Or buy your own domain name. For under $10, you can purchase a professional sounding domain name.
3. Lengthy description of duties and responsibilities.
Instead of writing a laundry list of what you did in the job, focus on what makes you stand out. State your accomplishments. Explain how you added value to your company.
4. Jargon or abbreviations.
Don’t write anything that might limit the reader’s understanding of your capabilities. Always use generally-understood descriptions on your resume unless you are certain it will be read by people who are familiar with the terminology.
5. Gaps in work history.
Explain all gaps. If you took a couple years off while your children were young, state this. If you were between jobs for a bit, fill in this gap with volunteer or consulting work.
6. Irritating buzzwords.
Words like “mission-critical,” “traction,” “synergies,” and “foster” are simply annoying and greatly overused. Under no circumstances should they find their way into your resume, cover letter, or interview.
7. Where you live.
It’s highly unlikely any employer is going to be sending you anything by mail and it could introduce the risk of economic profiling or an assumption about the length of your commute. All you need is your name, email, cell number, and link to your LinkedIn profile.
8. Political or religious affiliation.
Unless you are applying for a job within a political or religious organization, avoid mentioning any involvement you might have with these organizations.
9. Reason why you left previous jobs.
This will come up during the interview and you can discuss it then. If you’re forced to fill in this blank in an online portal, simply list “career advancement” as the reason, unless it was a contract in which case list “contract only.”
10. Salary history.
Any salary discussion is best left until later in the hiring process. Salary is a process of negotiation and revealing your salary history too early could put you at a disadvantage.
11. References.
Providing references in advance means that the employer could call one before you even know if you want the job. This could be embarrassing especially if your references are connected with your current employer. You can even leave out the standard line “References provided upon request.” Everyone knows that already and saying it is just a waste of space.
12. Lies, exaggerations and embellishments.
Pretty much everything you state on your resume can be verified. If you are hired and it is later discovered that you were untruthful on your resume, you could be fired “for cause,” which usually means you receive no notice or severance pay.
The above ideas were sourced and adjusted from a write up by Gerald Walsh.
Have a wonderful day.
