When you are writing your resume, what you omit is almost as important as what you include. The wrong resume information hurts your chances of making it past the screening stage of the hiring process, reducing the number of interview invites you receive. Before you send out another resume, review these resume tips.
If your current resume is written in passive language, update it immediately. Passive language is not a useful tool for telling hiring managers about your qualifications. Instead of using passive voice, sprinkle action verbs throughout your resume. Managed, trained, increased, achieved and saved are all examples of action words to help your resume information stand out to HR professionals.
The key to getting more interviews is not adding extra pages to your resume. Too much resume information is overwhelming to hiring managers, and it can actually hurt you. Unless the hiring manager indicates otherwise, your resume should not exceed two pages. In many cases, one page is plenty. Review your current resume to see if you can trim any text from it to make it more concise and easier to read.
Irrelevant educational information has no place in your resume. Unless you are still in high school, hiring managers do not care where you went to elementary school or middle school. Including this resume information can actually hurt you because it makes you look out-of-touch with current hiring practices. You do not need to include your college GPA unless it is particularly impressive. A 4.0 average might make a good impression on a hiring manager, but a 3.4 average is not likely to move your resume to the top of the pile.
Photos are not necessary in a resume unless you are applying for a job in the entertainment industry. There are two main reasons not to include a photo. One, a photograph does not tell the hiring manager anything about your qualifications. The resume information you include should focus on your achievements, education and skills. Two, including a photo can lead to discrimination in the hiring process. It is better to send a text-only resume that highlights your achievements.
Remove any resume information that seems too obvious to make an impact on the hiring manager. These days, most people know how to use email, so it is not necessary to include email skills on your resume. The same goes for the ability to use a Windows-based computer or operate a photocopier. Use the space you have to impress hiring managers with advanced skills and abilities.
If you are searching for a job, the right resume information can make the difference between scoring an interview and staying unemployed for another month. Follow these resume tips to ensure your resume does not include any unnecessary information.
Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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