12 Things to Avoid On Your Resume

Marcianne Kuethen

September 3, 2013

Writing a resume can create a lot of anxiety, we’ve learned! When we host a job search workshop, many of the questions we answer have to do with resumes. Should a photo be included? How many pages can it be? What size font should be used? Should I give my age? What do I do about a gap in my employment history? Do I list all my hobbies? Should I include references?

On BusinessInsider.com, Vivian Giang has produced a great photo essay reviewing some basic what-not-to-dos from Peter S. Herzog’s book, How to Prolong Your Job Search: A Humorous Guide to the Pitfalls of Resume Writing. (Herzog also includes helpful parameters along the way for the right things to say or include.)

You may have noticed that resume-writing rules have changed slightly over the years. For instance, it used to be imperative that you state your objective. Now, the experts recommend instead, “Don’t include an objective–especially if you’re applying for a job that’s different than your listed objective.”

As you can see, it’s good to be aware of what can help or hurt you before you finalize your resume. And even when you think it’s done, always have a friend proofread it for things like spelling, grammar, and correct contact information.

You can’t possibly put every single thing on your resume, however, and some information, such as your photo, special characters or graphics, or your birth year, don’t even belong on it. But having helped people get hired for over 50 years, we’ve learned that it is worth spending time to tweak your resume for each job. Be sure to use 1-inch borders and a 10-12 point easy-to-read font, and sprinkle key words that pertain to the job throughout your resume so an applicant tracking system can find it. Your goal is to bring to the forefront your specific skills and experiences which the potential employer is seeking.

So put away your anxiety, read these 12 resume-writing no-nos, and get to work crafting a great resume!As always, job seekers, we wish you success.

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By Marcianne Kuethen