Resume Content – Keep or Throw Out?

  Back to blog Savanna Cordle

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
  • 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!