A strong resume can make or break an applicant's chances at an interview. Including irrelevant experience on a resume is a common mistake among job seekers; while including skills that aren't particularly relevant to the job may bolster a resumes content, in the end, employers may see it as fluff and disregard the resume all together.
Strong resumes include one's skills, qualifications and work experience in a way that will impress employers. One way to do this is to ensure that the resume is tailored specifically to the position. For example, one applicant might tweak their resume just enough to highlight skills and abilities that are more relevant to that job. This includes removing jobs on a resume that do not directly relate to the position.
When should an applicant remove a job? Part-time experiences that one may have kept during college, high school, or as a second job is a good place to start. Cutting these jobs out of one's resume keeps it concise and relevant without the added fluff. Likewise, removing work experience older than ten years is another good way to cut irrelevant experience on a resume that may hold an applicant back.
If an applicant was terminated from a position, it may be acceptable to include that experience as long as a detailed explanation of the termination is added. Focusing on the positives about that position, such as improved skill sets or accomplishments, will keep an employer from focusing on the termination itself. However, if the position in question was held more than ten years ago, it should be removed.
If an applicant is new to the workforce and does not have a great deal of professional experience, listing irrelevant experience may be more forgivable. It can also alleviate any negatives added by things such as a gap in employment. A few sentences about part-time or irrelevant experience on a resume should be included in these instances, but it's best to keep them relevant to new jobs through learned skills or accomplishments. An applicant may also find that cutting jobs from a resume can help keep the resumes length in check. Ideally, resumes should be no more than one page long.
Cutting jobs on a resume should not come at the cost of embellishing or incorrectly summarizing experiences or skills from more relevant positions. The job seeker should keep their resume as precise and honest as possible; if this means including irrelevant experience in order to show skills, it's preferable over exaggerating relevant experiences or lying on a resume.
In conclusion, cutting irrelevant experience from a resume can help job seekers in keeping their information concise and relevant to employers. However, new graduates or those just entering the workforce may encounter circumstances where including any experience at all, even if it isn't relevant to the position, will show competence in the workplace.
(Photo courtesy of Phasinphoto on FreeDigitalPhotos.net)
Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.
Register or sign in today!