What to Keep Off Your Resume

Obviously, a good resume should reflect the value, benefits or contributions that you would bring to an organization. Use simple, direct language to get your point across quickly. Studies have shown that interviewers spend as little as 30 seconds scanning a resume.

But people often feel compelled to put the strangest things in a resume. If it’s not directly related to your work experience and education, then it probably doesn’t belong in your resume.

Here are five things to leave off your resume:

• Avoid giving too much information, but be specific about your qualifications. Unless you’re asked, don’t talk about your weaknesses. Don’t digress about your hobbies. Don’t use too much technical information or use jargon. Spell out terms rather than using acronyms or abbreviations, unless they are well known in the industry, such as HTML.
• Don’t make up work experience. Tell the truth, because employers commonly use services that verify information on resumes prior to making an offer. Also, a criminal record is public information that can be easily verified. Make sure job titles and dates are accurate. Avoid padding your resume with fluff.
• Don’t invent educational degrees. Maybe you have the skills, but don’t claim the educational certificate if you don’t have it.
• Avoid personal opinions or mentioning what you like to do in your spare time. Your feelings about politics or religion have no place in your resume. You may have fun skydiving, playing a musical instrument or collecting stamps, but unless directly related to the job you want, don’t mention your leisure time activities. Try to avoid revealing the “bone in your nose,” anything that may elicit a possible negative reaction from a potential employer.
• Sloppy mistakes can be eliminated by proofreading. Read your cover letter and resume with an editor’s eye, looking for simple spelling errors, inaccurate dates, wrong job titles or other erroneous information. Make sure all the names are spelled correctly. Have a friend or professional resume preparer check your copy for mistakes.