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| What NOT to Include in Your Resume |
by Sonia Lelii - February 18, 2009
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It’s a tough job-hunting environment, so in your zeal to stand out you may have made a mistake on your resume that could sink your chances instead of enhancing them. So, in the interests of helping you stay safe, we present highlights of HR World’s list of 25 things you should never include in your resume. Some are pretty standard, like don’t include what you hated about your last job, boss or co-workers. Others include irrelevant job experience, religion and sexual preference. However, there is one that did make me scratch my head a bit:
Hobbies: While some employers like to see that interviewees are active in the community or have won nonprofessional awards, no one really wants to know that you love knitting with your grandmother or were named the beer-chugging contest winner in college. When in doubt, leave it out.
I know this is an area where you should be careful, but many are starting to load up that part of their resume in an effort to show they have good social and communication skills. That said, it’s true the wrong type of hobby can send the wrong message or lead to a misunderstanding. Plus, younger workers may include some type of activity that is mainstream for them - tattooing, maybe? - but uncomfortable to older workers.
Another area where you should err on the side of caution is your physical characteristics:
Just as you should never submit a photograph along with your résumé, it's also best to leave out your physical characteristics, such as your height, weight and hair color, in writing. Describing yourself as a "hot blonde" is asking for trouble; conversely, overweight job seekers are sometimes unfairly discriminated against.
I can attest some CEOs don't like overweight workers. In one company I worked for, the CEO masked his prejudice by saying the person was "not a market-facing" candidate. So: Leave out the physical description, and try to shed a few pounds before the interview.
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| simpamba joe (Zambia) |
on 21 Jul 2009 at 3:45 am |
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| Please send me more information so that i can understand the topic correctly |
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| Va. (Virginia) |
on 22 Apr 2009 at 5:59 pm |
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| The article is well-written but does not live up to the title. I would expect to see an actual resume format that demonstrates the authors point. |
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| sakutemba elisha (zambia) |
on 02 Mar 2009 at 2:39 am |
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| This article is good but i want more on the typical structure ofthe entire resume. |
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| Tom (Chicago) |
on 28 Feb 2009 at 9:25 am |
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| Is the author an example of one of the first people to be downsized last year? |
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| Monica (United States) |
on 27 Feb 2009 at 3:13 pm |
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| These are the HIGHLIGHTS of "HR World's list of 25 things..." While these things seem like common sense tips, you'd be surprised at the number of resumes that reflect this kind of information. I view hundreds of resumes each week and cringe every time I see that someone has listed their marital status and/or their kid's ages. |
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| Andriy, Ukraine (Kyiv) |
on 26 Feb 2009 at 12:43 pm |
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| Useless article |
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| durr (durr) |
on 25 Feb 2009 at 12:55 pm |
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First paragraph of this article says "So, in the interests of helping you stay safe, we present HR World’s list of 25 things you should never include in your resume. "
So... where is the list of 25 things??? |
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| Adebayo Olajide (Lagos, Nigeria) |
on 25 Feb 2009 at 7:42 am |
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| It's so nice and commendable |
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| John (Kalamazoo, MI) |
on 24 Feb 2009 at 7:01 pm |
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| Wow, I thought I might find at least 1 helpful tip in this article, but, NO. All these tips are common sense. Can we get some helpful, valuable tips in the future? |
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