What Information Should You Leave Off In Your Resume? 15 to Remove

Your resume is your best tool for highlighting your work experience, education, and relevant skill sets. It's the first thing employers read to help them decide on inviting you for a job interview. This is why it's essential to beef up this document if you want to impress your potential boss.

But when learning how to write a resume, it's just as important to ask yourself: what information should you leave off in your resume? Which details should you include? Making your resume lean but mean ensures you don't waste a word in convincing employers why you're the right person for the job. Creating a brief resume also achieves the following:

Holding the employer's attention

Hiring managers go through many applications; if yours is too long, they're likely to scan it and miss the crucial details. If your resume is down to a page (or two), employers know that they won't have to endure flowery information before getting to the meat of your credentials.

Highlighting your communication skills

A concise resume shows employers how well you communicate, including your attention to detail. The ability to condense your career into a single page is an impressive skill–and comes in handy when reporting to clients, peers, and bosses.

Showcasing your professionalism

Fresh graduates tend to write long resumes because they seek to impress. Even if you are just out of college, try to keep your resume short because this shows that you value the hiring manager's time and energy.

Keeping the info relevant

When you keep your resume short, you're forced to focus only on the details relevant to the role. This makes it easier for employers to gauge your competence.

Also read: Impress Employers With a Killer Resume: 15 Templates You Can Download for Free!

15 Things You Should Remove From Your Resume

To help you build an impressive resume, know which items to keep out of it.

1. A list of references

While adding references to your resumes is okay, it's better to put them on a separate page. Unless the recruiter specifically requested it, don't. Also, remove the "References: Available Upon Request" line from your resume because it's understood that you will. This way, you save space and the employer's time.

2. Complete sentences instead of bulleted points

The hirer won't have the time to read through all your credentials in sentence form. With hundreds of other resumes on their plate, make the selection process easier by condensing the info on your education, skills, and work experience in bullet points.

3. Generic accomplishments

HR personnel look for numbers, figures, and data in your resume. When you say you've helped grow company sales, they want to know by how much, and adding numbers highlights your accomplishments.

4. Enumerating duties and responsibilities

Frame your tasks within achievements. For example, instead of writing "headed the sales team," consider "led the sales team to exceed sales target by 50%". Again, the numbers paint a better picture of your capabilities

5. Spelling and grammatical errors

Recruiters may pass up your resume after finding even just one spelling or grammar error. Use online spelling and grammar checkers to proofread your resume, or have someone check it for you. Errors indicate carelessness and a lack of professionalism.

6. An unprofessional email address

Keep your email address simple and respectable by using your name. If you're a die-hard K-pop group or a cartoon character fan, keep that personal and make a new one for job-related correspondence. One more tip? Only use your current work email if you are self-employed.

7. Your photo

Only add your photo to your resume if you're applying as a model or an actor. Let your skills, education, and experience speak for you.

8. A tone that's too friendly and personal

Resumes are professional documents, so they shouldn't sound too friendly or divulge too much personal information. Let your personality shine through your resume by including volunteer experience.

9. Personal info

There's no need to include your marital status, religion, nationality, and political beliefs. Nowadays, leaving your street address off is wise because this can be a security risk. It may help to state your general location if you're applying for a workplace near you since proximity can work in your favor.

10. Several phone numbers

Choose only one phone number to include in your resume. The HR personnel may get confused about which to use if you post several. Ensure that the phone number you post is one that you check frequently. Additionally, it's better to use a mobile number instead of a landline to monitor any calls or messages while you're on the go.

11. Irrelevant past details

You don't need to mention your secondary education if you've completed the tertiary level. If you've worked for more than ten years, skip saying where you had your internship. If your first few jobs are irrelevant to the role, avoid putting them on your resume.

12. Outdated knowledge or skills

Refrain from including your knowledge in software, technology, or machines that are no longer used by the majority. These don't have a place on your resume, especially in today's age of rapid digitalization, wherein companies are streamlining their operations to future-proof their businesses.

13. Previous salary

The salary negotiation comes in much later when the job is offered to you. When that time comes, you can choose to reveal your previous salary or the pay you deserve. Stating this in your resume may work against you, especially if the wage needs to be higher, resulting in a lowball offer from your new employer.

Also read: Top 5 Salary Negotiation Mistakes: What They Are And How To Avoid Them

14. Hobbies and interests

Leave them out unless your personal pursuits are related to the job opening. The employer doesn't need to know that you enjoy walking your dog in the park or watching romcom flicks.

15. Fancy layouts and images

A simple layout doesn't need to look dull. You can still play around with text placement and colors and come across as professional. But this doesn't mean you can go all neon and avant-garde with your resume. Check out our free and downloadable resume templates for a creative yet clean look.

With hundreds of candidates vying for the same job, it can be tempting to embellish your resume with half-truths. Whatever you do, don't fall into this trap. Use your resume to highlight your potential as a future employee. The simpler, the better. Good luck!

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