Things you may not want to include in your resume

Resumes are often the make or break portion of your job search. They can propel hiring managers to either follow-up with you regarding potential employment or throw them in the trash.

But it’s often a hair-pulling challenge to figure out how you want to entice the powers that be especially in a one-to-three-page document.

So, to further help you write a top-notch marketing document, we’ve decided to include a few things of what you should think twice about before including:

Your grades or GPA

This is your personal preference. But there are a few factors to consider when deciding whether you want to include your grades. If you’ve been out of school for a while, then the short answer is no, you shouldn’t.

Especially if you’re an experienced professional, whatever grades you got in university or colleges becomes a whole lot less significant.

And if you’re fresh out of school, use discretion. We recommend including your grades if your GPA is anything more than 3.8. If not, we suggest you lose them.

Personal information about yourself

This may be iffy as well. If you have any extracurricular hobbies that relate to the position at hand, or even if you’ve volunteered, then it’s a good option to include them.

It shows you’ve been a busy little bee. But the line has to be drawn somewhere. If you’re an avid hunter, incorporating your hunting hobby may not be a good idea.

And so, try not to include sensitive information or hobbies that have no relevance to the job. Including additional information such as your birthday, looks, or marital status may also be pushing it.

Don’t include every job you’ve ever had

Recruiters have seen this before. It can make your resume long and droning. Keep in mind hiring managers usually merely glance through them, since they have stacks and stacks of resumes to read.

So, instead, focus on your work experience that best relates to your field and the position you’re applying for. And try to go back only 10 to 12 years in your work history at the most. Optimize your resume to the position of which you’re applying to.

Your salary expectations

It may not be a good idea to include your salary expectations – or salary history – in your resume or cover letter. This might give off the impression that you’re only willing to work under a specific compensation.

However, in some job postings, employers do indeed ask you for your salary expectations. If that’s the case, we recommend you to include a salary range depending on your experience.

Above all, keep in mind that resumes are supposed to be glimpses into your professional character. So, try to omit any information you deem unnecessary. Keep it simple and clean.