Bigstock
The average amount of time a recruiter or hiring manager will spend scanning your resume is seven seconds. That's why it's important to have just the right kind (and amount) of information on your resume.
The phrase “less is more" has often been used for design purposes, but it can apply just as well to your resume. The point is to only keep information on your resume that is clear, simple, and that supports your personal brand. It is a balance of having just enough information to draw the interest of an employer while leaving room for you to further explain during an interview.
The more irrelevant information you add to your resume, the more it dilutes your key message. Employers today also look right through fluff words and are rather annoyed by them.
So, how can you optimize your resume and make sure it contains the precise balance of information?
Try removing these 10 things from your resume today:
1. Replace The Objective Statement On Your Resume With An Experience Summary
Employers today are not that interested in what you want. You need to tell them what you can do for them. The most effective way to achieve this is by replacing your objective statement with an experience summary.
An experience summary is a list of skills you have that are needed for the job you're applying for. They're hard skills and transferable skills, not soft skills. By removing that objective statement, you're able to clearly start proving your value to the employer within the first few seconds they glance at your resume.
2. Eliminate Superfluous Or “Fluff" Words
Bigstock
We can't tell you how many resumes start with "Dynamic visionary…" We call these "fluff" statements because anyone can make them and they add no real value to your resume.
Keep your message on point and stick to the facts. If you want to express certain traits, demonstrate them with what you have achieved or accomplished. Quantify your work experience. Whatever you do, just avoid meaningless, baseless statements.
3. Edit Out Bad Grammar & Spelling Errors
Bigstock
Spelling and grammar mistakes are a big turnoff for hiring managers. Triple check every headline and bullet point. Remove or reword any sentence that doesn't flow. Don't mix up tenses or third and first-person perspectives.
When in doubt, have a trusted friend or colleague review your resume. That way, you can be sure every spelling or grammar mistake is caught before you apply for a job.
4. List Your Primary Phone Number And Toss The Others
Bigstock
You want every section and piece of your resume to be simplified. Having multiple phone numbers right at the top of your resume makes it feel cluttered and disorganized even before you get to the experience section.
If you must list more than one number, make sure to specify under what conditions the other numbers should be used.
5. Remove Discriminating Information
Bigstock
Avoid information that can lead one to discriminate against you, including age, sex, religion, marital status, and ethnicity. This includes the use of photos that should never be on a resume unless your face is an important part of your job (e.g., modeling, TV, etc.). In fact, some employers are forced to ignore your resume if it contains such information because of the chance that they may be accused of discrimination later in the process.
For seasoned professionals, age discrimination can be a very real thing. That's why you should follow these tips on what to remove from your resume. You want to optimize your resume, not submit an outdated one.
6. Throw Out Your GPA
Bigstock
You do not need to reveal your graduating year, the institution(s) you transferred out of, or the high school you attended. You should also remove your GPA if you've been out of school for a while or if the number just isn't impressive.
Keep information on your education specific to the degree received, the major completed, and the institution you attended.
7. Get Rid Of Any Irrelevant Information
BigstockEmployers are not interested in achievements or abilities that are not applicable to the job. If you are in sales and you helped develop an Access database to track supplies, that's nice but not relevant.
Also, be cautious about listing your associations or volunteer work that is irrelevant or may be in conflict with the potential employer. You can find this information while conducting research on the company.
8. Remove Technical Skills For Basic Software Programs
Bigstock
Most employers today expect you to be familiar with basic computer programs, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. So, don't waste valuable space on your resume listing them. It's more than okay to remove them from the document entirely.
When choosing which software programs and technologies to include on your resume, think about which ones will help you succeed in the job you're applying for. Which ones will make you stand out from the competition?
9. Do Not Include References Unless Requested
Bigstock
Employers expect you to offer references when requested, which is typically during the latter part of the interview process.
A big pet peeve of recruiters is seeing "References available upon request" on the resume. Do you really know anyone who would refuse to give references?
10. Cut Back On Lengthy Content
Bigstock
If you are a recent graduate, most employers do not expect your resume to be more than one page. However, if you have had considerable professional experience, your resume should be two to three pages long. The notion all resumes should be one page is not true, especially in this job market. Resumes need to have enough detail to support your positioning so a two- to three-page resume is acceptable. But, your resume shouldn't be so long that it works against you.
Your resume has to have a compelling message and be easy to read, so after you have tightened up your content, format it to have a decent amount of white space.
Finding the right balance of information for your resume can make it impactful. It's not about how long or short your resume is, or how many employers you've worked for, but finding the right information and words to present it in the best light to demonstrate that you have the specific experiences and skills the employer is seeking. So, keep in mind the phrase, "less is more" when writing or updating your resume.
Writing an optimized resume is no easy task. By removing these 10 things from your resume, you'll be that much closer to landing an interview and securing your next job.
Need more help optimizing your resume?
Sign up for our FREE Resume & LinkedIn Bootcamp today to learn how to update your resume and LinkedIn profile the way recruiters want!
From Your Site Articles
- 3 Reasons You Should Never Post Your Resume Online - Work It ... ›
- Top 100 Most Powerful Resume Words - Work It Daily | Where ... ›
- 3 Best Resume Tips For Older Workers - Work It Daily | Where ... ›
- 5 Outdated Resume Tips To Ignore In Your Job Search - Work It Daily | Where Careers Go To Grow ›
- How To Optimize The Most Important Part Of Your Resume - Work It Daily | Where Careers Go To Grow ›
- 4 Ways To Edit Your Resume Like A Professional Resume Writer - Work It Daily | Where Careers Go To Grow ›
- 6 Common Resume Grammar Rules You Should Know - Work It Daily | Where Careers Go To Grow ›
- What Needs To Be On Your Resume (And What Doesn't) - Work It Daily ›
- 10 Ways To Condense Your Resume Without Losing Value - Work It Daily ›
- Compound Modifiers: The Most Confusing Words On A Resume - Work It Daily ›
- How To Use Compound Modifiers On Your Resume - Work It Daily ›
- What Your Resume Must Include To Land A Job In 2021 ›
- 10 Key Components Of A Great Resume - Work It Daily ›
- 3 Reasons Why Your Resume Isn't Working ›
- 3 Ways To Update Your Resume To Land More Job Interviews - Work It Daily ›
- What To Do If You Hate Writing Resumes - Work It Daily ›
- Exit Statements: What To Say When You've Been Let Go - Work It Daily ›
- 7 Reasons Why Your Resume Is Boring (And How To Fix It) - Work It Daily ›
- Why A Summary Isn't Necessary (Or Recommended) On A Resume - Work It Daily ›
- 4 Ways To Turn Resume Fluff Into Marketable Facts - Work It Daily ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Bigstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
BigstockMake a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
- How did I learn about this job?
- How did I apply for the job?
- Did I earn an interview?
- What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
BigstockAre you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
Let's start with resumes!
Every resume should be tailored to the position in order for it to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's actually less work than submitting the same resume over and over again and never hearing back.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
BigstockYour job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
- Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
- Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
- Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
Need more help with your job search?
Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.
Read moreShow less