What to Keep and What to Ditch

Within a few seconds of viewing a resume, recruiters typically decide whether to continue reading or ditch the document. To keep your resume out of the shred pile, craft one that captures the recruiter's attention almost instantly and keeps it for longer than a few seconds. Accomplish this by eliminating useless, irrelevant information that bores recruiters. Keep and expand on the detailed information in your resume that proves you're qualified for the job.

Ditch Basic Job Skills

Avoid wasting space by including very basic skills on your resume. Exclude statements such as "type 20 words per minute," "knowledge of Microsoft Word" or "performs Internet research" from your document, as these are skills that everyone with a high school education should possess. Recruiters want to be impressed when viewing a resume, and including a bunch of common, fundamental skills won't do the trick. Only include highly specialized, marketable and rare skills that make you stand out, and describe your level of proficiency with each skill.

Ditch Hobbies

Busy recruiters don't want to read about what applicants enjoy doing in their spare time when viewing a resume. Unless you have a hobby directly related to the position, leave out this entire section. For example, if you're a professional graphic designer and run a very popular graphic design blog, include this information in your resume. If your hobby doesn't demonstrate an extreme interest or undeniable devotion to the job field, don't include it.

Ditch GPA Information

It's not uncommon for recent high school or even college graduates with minimal job experience to include GPA information in their resumes in an attempt to fill in some blank space. However, once you gain a bit of real-world job experience, this information typically becomes irrelevant. Very few companies require GPA information, and including a less-than-stellar GPA score on your resume might even decrease your chance of getting hired. Unless the job you're applying for heavily emphasizes education and grades, ditch your GPA.

Keep a List of Specialized Skills

Most recruiters search for specialized skills when viewing a resume. In fact, many recruiters go straight to this section first before reading any other information to determine whether the applicant is qualified for the job. Before crafting your skills section, read the job description thoroughly to find out exactly what the employer wants. Highlight the skills you possess, and briefly describe your level of proficiency with each one.

Keep Descriptions of Achievements

When viewing a resume, recruiters want to read detailed information about applicants who accomplished great things at previous companies. Impress recruiters by highlighting your achievements, and be sure to use detailed facts and figures when providing this information. Explain how you secured thousands of dollars' worth of funding for a research project or came up with an idea that increased production by 30 percent. Don't be shy about bragging; this is what recruiters want.

Hiring managers must gather information that helps them determine which applicants are most qualified for certain jobs. As soon as they start viewing a resume, they begin searching for details relevant to the position at hand. Assist with this process by ditching excess, unimportant information that bores recruiters, and focus your document on the specific skills and training directly related to the position.

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