Items to Remove from a Resume as Soon as Possible

Summary: Resume writing has changed over the last decade, which is why you should take note of the items listed in this article that should be removed from your resume now.

There are so many tips and tricks out there about resumes these days, but which ones are legitimate? For starters, this post will discuss the items to remove from your resume as soon as possible so it becomes more effective in your search for a job. Our list will consist of unnecessary items and even some things you think are important and should be on all resumes.

Weird Interests

Some people love to include their interests on a resume because it shows the interviewer or hiring manager what type of person you are out of the office. Well, these interests can actually prevent you from finding a job if they are weird or polarizing. A hiring manager will judge you based on everything included on your resume, so be careful here. If the interests pertain to the job for which you are applying, then include them on the resume. If they describe your night out on the town, it is best to leave them off the resume.

The Objective Statement

Objective statements are a dime a dozen, which is why they need to be removed from resumes this instant! Instead of including an objective statement, consider using something like an ‘About Me’ section. Take a look at the target audience of the resume and play to your strengths in this section. It will be a lot more helpful compared to a generic objective statement.

Third-Person Voice

A resume should never be written in third-person. For example, “Jim raised more than $40,000 for the company’s charity event this year.” Hiring manager see the name and contact info of the applicant at the top of their resume, which means they know who wrote it. If you want to include that info, simply write, “Raised $40,000 for the company’s charity event this year.”

Big Words

If you do not use big words in everyday conversation, do not include them on your resume. It will only make it seem like you spend too much time reading the dictionary or a thesaurus.

Email Address from Current Job

Please, please, please remove this email address right now. If it is the only thing you remove from your resume after reading this article, then we have succeeded in helping you search for a job. Your contact info needs to be personal in nature, so make sure the email address in that section is not from your current job. This is a great way to get fired from that job.

Lies

Lying on a resume is never a good idea. This includes tiny white lies too. All information can be checked by a hiring manager, and most likely will be verified. So be sure to remove all lies from the resume immediately so recruiters do not throw away your documents.

Very Old Jobs

If you have any jobs listed on your resume that are 15 years or older, remove them right now. They bring absolutely nothing to the table. Employers want to know what you have done recently, not what you did right out of college 20 years ago.