Your resume should stand out from all others, so it's important that you spend time crafting, editing and tweaking until you have the perfect document to sell your skills, experience and qualifications. Find out the 10 things you should remove from your resume, and discover the 10 things you need to add.
Remove: Your Street Address
The employer isn't going to send you snail mail, so include only your city and state on your resume.
Add: URL for LinkedIn Profile
Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and presents a professional image.
Remove: Embarrassing Email Addresses
Your resume is no place for that hotmama85@gmail.com or sportsfanatic1968@yahoo.com email address. Create a professional email address for all job search-related correspondence.
Add: Clean Formatting
Don't clutter your resume with funky formats and crazy fonts. Keep it clean and simple with headings and bullets that are perfectly aligned.
Remove: Boring Objectives
Get rid of that outdated objective statement that explains what job you're looking to land.
Add: Powerful Summary
Incorporate an objective summary that explains who you are, what skills and qualifications you bring to the table and how you can use them to bring value to a potential employer.
Remove: Long, Bulleted Lists
Don't bore the hiring manager with a boring list of bulleted items.
Add: Full Sentences
Convert your bulleted lists to full sentences to describe yourself and your accomplishments.
Remove: Job Duties
Don't just copy your job description and list the job responsibilities expected of you in each position you held.
Add: Impressive Achievements
Tell what you actually did. Provide quantifiable data to explain your accomplishments and achievements. This helps the potential employer visualize your value.
Remove: Employment Months
It's not necessary to provide the exact month of your beginning and ending employment dates. The years are enough.
Add: Explanation of Job Changes
Add a brief and honest explanation to explain why you left each job listed on your resume.
Remove: Old Jobs
Get rid of old jobs that you held more than 10 years ago. Focus on the most current and relevant positions.
Add: Scholarships and Awards
Feel free to brag about yourself in the Education section of your resume.
Remove: Personal Information
Your resume is not the place to explain your love of comic books or gardening.
Add: Human Voice
Let some of your personality and passion shine through on your resume. Avoid sounding like a robot.
Remove: Inaccuracies
Never provide false information or fudged dates on your resume. Make sure all titles listed are accurate.
Add: That Extra Page
If your resume contains a lot of relevant information, it's okay to use that second page. Contain it to two, though.
Remove: Errors
Proofread your resume several times. Look for spelling errors, formatting issues and grammar mistakes.
Add: Relevant Keywords
Scan every job posting, and pepper a few significant keywords into your resume to personalize it to the position.
Don't let your resume be an afterthought. Ditch that weak document, and create something that helps you shine. Follow this checklist to find out what you should remove from your resume and what you should add.
Photo courtesy of California College of the Arts at Flickr.com
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