There is a ton of information on what you should include on your resume. Let’s explore what you shouldn’t use.
Your street address is unnecessary; stick to metro area/state or province. Online identity theft and zip code bias are both of concern.
Photos should never be used on your resume in North America unless you are in the entertainment industry; if your interviews don’t include a head shot/portfolio/demo reel – no photos. The reason for this is bias and potential discrimination from readers.
Trite, generic, overused phrases and personal attributes (soft skills). You want every word and piece of information to be detailed and contextual.
Strong team player. Instead, give an EXAMPLE: built out a team knowledge base from information shared in multiple Slack channels including internal teams and points of contact, external resources, and a list of common acronyms.
Attention to detail. Better example: conducted an audit of 3K+ chat transcripts to find common questions for new customer FAQ.
Strong communication skills. Try a detailed example: Bilingual instructor giving 2 classes per week for English and Spanish speaking call center representatives.
You should not include old and outdated information on your resume.
For example, if you took a class an advanced Excel in 2016 and you use v-lookup and pivot tables in your current job, you can delete the training. If you have a certification that isn’t relevant to your current career, leave it off.
When it comes to your experience, hiring managers are really only interested in the last ~5-7 years (no more than ten unless you are at the executive VP or above). While you may have a body of foundational work, it doesn’t need to be on your resume. *Make sure your LinkedIn profile MATCHES your resume in terms of years/dates.
“References Available Upon Request”. If an employer wants to make you an offer, they are confident you will provide the information they need to move forward if you are interested.
NEVER include the names/contact details for former managers/supervisors on your resume. This is a violation of their privacy, and unethical staffing agencies will use this information for business development. Technically, the below information is true:
“I got your name for Pat Smith. I see you hire business analysts, I’d love to set up time to chat with you about how we can help fill your positions faster.”
But this is a fast way to lose a valuable work reference.
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