Your resume can make or break you in the hiring process. If you were a hiring manager for a day, how would you select the right individual for the job from a pool of candidates? Based on their skills, experience, and accomplishments mostly, and after considering their educational qualifications and any relevant personal strengths mentioned. The other information included wouldn’t matter and you might wonder why the candidate added the unnecessary details. And this would be true regardless of whether you were filling permanent or temporary jobs.
Extraneous information should have no place in your resume. So, what exactly should you leave off your resume? Here are some tips:
Unnecessary personal information
Your full name and contact details need to go on your resume, but your age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, disability and marital status are not required. Moreover, under federal law, employers cannot discriminate in their hiring process based on these dimensions of diversity.
Dishonest statements
Exaggerating your skills or experience is risky because it paints a false picture of your abilities. If you land the job and cannot perform in your role, you will most likely have a short stint at the company. On the other hand, hiring managers verify information provided by candidates. So you would be instantly rejected when the false information is discovered. Also, falsifying information on your resume would be grounds for termination if discovered after you are hired.
Negative statements about a former employer
Avoid criticizing them in your resume or cover letter. Even if you had an unsatisfactory experience at your previous company or believe – with good reason – they are not a good employer. It will reflect poorly on you and create the impression that you’re difficult to work with or cannot handle criticism.
Hobbies and Outside Interests
While it may be tempting to make yourself known more thoroughly to a potential employer by, say, mentioning your interests outside work, it won’t likely influence in their hiring decision. Although it could distract from what is relevant. The exception is when your interests are directly related to your work and allow you to put your skill to use in ways that might make you a more desirable candidate.
Irrelevant experiences
Adding your full work history may unnecessarily lengthen your resume while providing no extra value. Include older or non-relevant roles only if necessary to show length of job history. Include experiences that are related to the position you’re applying for and leave out early jobs or internships that aren’t relevant to it. Similarly, highlight the skills that the job requires, excluding those that aren’t expected in the role.
Minor educational details
While writing down your education in your resume, your GPA and Honors are optional. Include courses and certifications relevant to the position. If your job prefers international experience, then an exchange program you participated in will look good. Or else, it will amount to a waste of space.
In Conclusion
For your job search to bear fruit and land you an interview, your resume should stand out for all the right reasons. Trim the unnecessary information in your resume. Impress hiring managers with your skills, depth of experience, and the things you did that benefited your previous company.
About The Resource Connection, Inc.
The Resource Connection, Inc. (TRC), can empower you with some of the best temporary help opportunities, helping you realize your career goals in the process. We are one of the most preferred staffing agencies, specializing in temporary help and temp to hire as well as direct hire placement. Check out TRC’s current job opportunities.
TRC has been offering staffing services to the North Shore, greater Boston, across Massachusetts and in southern New Hampshire for over 30 years. Our staffing expertise covers a range of backgrounds, including finance, accounting, administrative, human resources, and customer service.