What Not to Put on a Resume

An effective resume can make or break a deal and is the first and the most important step in securing a job. While what to include in a resume is important, it is equally important (and which is usually neglected) to know what not to put on it. Many people concentrate on putting the right things in and forget that there has to be a filtering system that prevents them from putting information in it that is not needed, does not help their cause and probably gives a completely different image than the one they are looking to portray. It is therefore in the best interest of the candidate to know what not to put on a resume in addition to knowing the proper format. In the article that follows, we shall be looking into the don'ts of resume writing and helping you understand how to formulate that perfect resume.

What Not to Put in a Resume

Writing a resume for a job is probably one subject that has been handled by most of us but it is just as important to know what to exclude from a resume. Given below are some pointers that you should use:

• Do not talk about monetary expectations on the resume. That should be discussed in person at the time of the interview.
• Do not put in anything that is irrelevant. That goes for the experience that you have. Filling in space with irrelevant work experience does not help your cause.
• Do not include references or phone numbers on the resume. These can be printed onto a separate sheet and supplemented on request.
• Never ever lie about work experience on the resume. You can be easily caught and if that happens you'll be disqualified not only from the hiring process of that company but a word might be sent out to other companies as well.
• The resume objective cannot be unprofessional. It is important to take this tip and make sure that the objective is punchy and precise.
• Do not complain about your last job, your boss or co-workers. That just gives an impression that you're not a team player.
• Do not include any personal information in terms of age, sexual preference, health and/or marital status. These do not, in any way further your cause of asking for a job there. If on the other hand, a particular hobby in personal life has positive effect on your objectives in the company, then (and only then) should you include it in your skills to list on resume.
• Make sure that you do not account for every small job that you have worked on like being a waitress or babysitting. You can leave these out completely if you have gathered work experience that is more relevant.
• Do not include salary details of the previous jobs held.
• Follow this tip to the letter. Never write in something that gives the impression that you're overqualified for the job. This will work in a negative way.
• Do not supply an informal email id that goes something like 'babydoll@abc.com'. If you do not have a professional id, then create one! Nothing will work more against you than this one. It just shows that you so not know your boundaries and are not capable of handling a professional arena.
• Do not make grammatical mistakes in your resume. It only goes to highlight your carelessness. Always have it checked by someone else.
• Similarly, check and re-check your resume before sending it. Check for grammar, information and contact details properly.
• Do not use sarcasm in the resume. Ever. Put this one out in neon lights and bold! Sarcasm is not appreciated in the business world and puts you in bad light, like you're trying to hide behind a tool.
• Do not give the impression that you're overconfident. Understand the fine line between being confident and overconfident (read - pompous).

So there you go. It is important that you understand what to exclude from that resume and probably more so because it goes to take away from the otherwise good resume that you've listed. Why take away your chances at a good job when you can easily get it? Take pointers now and research on resume styles and go on to create an even better resume.