Resume Tip of the Week ~ June 1

This week’s résumé writing tip is simple. I’m going to tell you what NOT to include on your résumé. Of course, many NOT-to-include items are straightforward and obvious, but others may surprise you. Let’s start with a few of the obvious no-no’s: date of birth; marital status; number of children; personal data such as weight, height, ethnicity, and health; and a photograph. Although it’s unfortunate, including any of these items on your résumé could result in discrimination and eliminate you from consideration. We don’t like to think about discrimination, and we hope it doesn’t occur, but we have to be realistic and realize listing age, race, and personal information could exclude you. I recommend you don’t provide any information that could be misinterpreted or misused.

The next items to leave off your résumé are not as obvious, but should be excluded nonetheless. Letters of recommendation and a list of reference names and contact information shouldn’t be added. There’s simply no need to include references or recommendations at this point in the hiring process, so wait until they’re requested and you’re actually being interviewed for a job. Next, listing the date you created the résumé, the date you’re available to start working, and the reasons you left previous positions isn’t appropriate. The only dates you should include are the dates of employment for each position you’ve held. Finally, don’t include salary history. Listing the salary you made in previous and current positions can only hurt you. Ultimately, if the information isn’t going to assist you in obtaining an interview and isn’t relevant to the job, don’t include it on your résumé.

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