
Resume Content – Keep or Throw Out?
Your resume is your first impression with a new potential employer and it is crucial to make a good one. That being said it can be a confusing process to determine what information to include and what layout is best for you.
If you are looking for general tips on resumes, check out my part 1 resume information at 3 Resume Building Tips. But if you have already read that and read for installment number 2 that focuses on what content to keep and what to throw out then keep reading!

Keep
- Contact information
- Name
- Professional title
- Phone number
- Professional email
- Professional social media handles (if you don’t have any do not include personal, but DO make sure what you post is appropriate, potential employers can still look at your profiles)
- URL to your personal website
- Work history/experience and education
- List relevant jobs in reverse-chronological order, starting with your current position
- Bullet points describing your roles and responsibilities at each job, but use responsibilities and keywords that are relevant to the job you are applying for
- Internships, but ONLY if you have limited experience (fresh graduate)

- Applicable Skills
- Communication
- Leadership
- Time Management
- Teamwork
- Want a list of more skills that are good to include? Here are 10 Best Skills to Include on a Resume from indeed.com.
- Achievements and Awards
- Especially if they relate to the position you are applying for
- Additional sections (only if you have space to add)
- Community involvement or volunteering
- Hobbies – this helps to show your personality and set you apart

Throw Out
- Profile photo
- This is not necessary and should be on your LinkedIn profile
- Exact address
- The only time to use this is if you are applying for a local job and want to show that
- Unprofessional email address
- Please, please, please! Create a professional email address that is just your first.lastname@gmail.com instead of something along the lines of ballerz16@gmail.com
- Education and Experience
- Every job you ever had, try to choose ones that are relevant to the position
- Jobs you only had for a short time, unless you can explain the reason
- Fluff words such as “responsible for” or “duties include”
- Cut down on job duties by listing no more than 5 bullet points
- Skills and Hobby
- Irrelevant skills that don’t relate to the job you are applying for
- Old or controversial hobbies

- Lies
- It may be easy to exaggerate your abilities when trying to get the job, but in the end, it will not turn out well
- Pronouns
- I, me, she, or he. They are just extra words taking up precious space
- Salary
- Requirements and past history
- “References Upon Request”
- Recruiters or potential employers already know they can request references so do not include this saying or a list of references on your actual resume
I hope you found this helpful or if you know someone that is looking for a new job share this with them!