Most people know what to put on their resumes – name, address, phone number, e-mail, and job history – even if they are somewhat unsure how exactly to present the information. Unfortunately, in an effort to have their resume stand out, many individuals include personal information that has no place on a resume and often backfires, making the resume seem too personal and unprofessional.
Here are the top five pieces of information NEVER to include on a resume.
Age or Date of Birth
Employers aren’t allowed to discriminate based on age, but that doesn’t mean they won’t. Why make it easy for them? Besides, the hiring process is, and should be, about finding the best person for the particular job, whether that person is 16 or 60. To that end, a resume should highlight the skills and experience that demonstrate the candidate’s ability to perform the necessary tasks – and only that.
Note: An employer may eventually ask for date of birth, but this should happen after a candidate has been hired, as it is generally for payroll and tax purposes.
Marital or Family Status
With the increasing struggle for work-life balance, and with many employers touting a “family-friendly” attitude, it can be tempting to disclose marital and family status on a resume or in a cover letter, but this information should still remain private. As with age or birth date, it may eventually be revealed, but this should happen after an offer of employment has been made.
Race, Religion, Creed
As with age and family status, race, religion, and creed are protected – employers can’t use them as an excuse not to hire someone. So, again, since they’re not relevant to the hiring process, they don’t belong on a resume. Of course, this also means not including a photograph.
Note that many employers encourage members of minorities to self-identify, and there are certain jobs or organizations for which the race, religion, or creed of the individual may be relevant. In these cases, a candidate may wish to disclose race, creed, religion, or another personal characteristic (such as a disability), but this should be done in the cover letter, and the candidate should make a point of how this characteristic makes him or her more suitable for the job than other candidates.
Reasons for Leaving Jobs
Unlike the previous three items, employment history is absolutely relevant to the hiring process and is pretty much the entire reason for submitting a resume. However, not all details of previous employment need to be revealed. One detail that is best left off the resume is the reason for leaving previous jobs. Even if the reason is benign, such as the end of a contract or a change of location, there is no need to share it with potential employers. Simply listing the dates of employment should be sufficient.
Employers may ask about reasons in an interview, so candidates should be prepared to address these in as positive terms as possible, but this is easier to do face-to-face once there’s a foot in the door.
Hobbies
Everyone has something they like to do, and these hobbies are part of what makes a person unique. However, unless they’re directly related to the job (and even then, consider carefully), hobbies have no place on a resume. This is not about what you like to do, but what you can do and what you have done. It’s okay to list volunteer work or roles, but only if they pertain directly to the job being applied for. How one spends one’s free time has no bearing on job performance and so has no place on the resume.
Bonus: Links to Online Profiles
With social media use booming, many job seekers use sites like LinkedIn to list their professional background and activities. It makes sense, then, that some might consider including the URLs to these profiles on their resumes. While that may be the wave of the future, today’s job market still revolves around the traditional resume (although it may be transferred electronically). In general, then, include on the resume everything that is relevant to the job being applied for – don’t expect employers to go looking for information.
In short, a good resume highlights the candidate’s skills and experience that pertains directly to the job advertised, and nothing more.
Emily Jones - Emily Jones began her writing career by practising the alphabet on her mother's newly papered kitchen walls. She was promptly given a ...
