Are You Including These 4 Things on Your Resume?

To increase your chances of landing an interview, you need to incorporate all the right elements when building your resume. However, you should also keep in mind what elements not to include. If your resume incorporates any of these four resume killers, kick them out and start revising right away to stop scaring away potential employers.

1. An Objective Statement

Once a necessity when building your resume, this outdated element is considered a resume killer. Stating what you want to do has no value for potential employers. Instead, focus on what you've already done, a much better predictor of how successful you would be in the company. The only exception to this rule is if you are making a radical industry change and want to concisely explain your reason.

2. Decorative Elements and Other Unnecessary Elements

Standing out in the job search is important if you want to put yourself at the top of the candidate pile, but using decorative elements such as colored paper or unexpected designs can have the opposite effect. Unless you're vying for a job in graphic design or other artistic professions, keep your resume clean and simple. Text should be easy to read, so use a standard font such as Arial or Calibri in a reasonable font size, and avoid large blocks of text.

Follow the same guidelines for the content itself when building your resume. Don't list every job you've ever held under work experience; instead, stick to the most recent job titles. You should also avoid including personal hobbies that show who you are as a person but not an employee.

3. Broken Links

A digital resume mailed to a hiring manager has become widely accepted and commonplace, and the ability to include links allows you to provide more information about yourself without stuffing your resume. However, a link that doesn't work only frustrates the reader and demonstrates you didn't adequately go over the document. When building your resume, feel free to link to your online portfolio or LinkedIn account, but check every link before emailing the document.

4. Photos or Videos That Aren't Well Thought-Out

Photos are no longer an absolute no-go when it comes to building your resume. A small, professional head shot can complement your resume without coming across as gaudy. However, avoid any other types of photos, and keep the size to a minimum if you're emailing your resume to avoid slow loading times. If you're including a video in your resume, dress professionally and record in high quality with a good microphone, briefly explaining why you're applying.

Building a resume that catches a potential employer's attention means only including what's necessary and avoiding unprofessional elements. By avoiding these four elements, you are taking one important step toward creating the best possible job application.

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