How to Decide What to Leave Off Your Resume
Read each job posting carefully., Highlight the job duties and desired qualifications., Think about relevant qualifications not listed in the advertisement., Tailor your resume to the particular job., Include only relevant information., Exclude any...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Read each job posting carefully.
Every posting will provide specific information about the company, the job, and the kind of candidate the employer is seeking.
If you pay attention, the job description and the language used to describe ideal candidates will help you determine what to emphasize on your resume.
For example, a job ad may say that a particular company is looking for “an IT Project Manager with strong networking experience.” In this case, you would know to include whatever information reveals your ability to do that job successfully.
You’d highlight relevant past experience (“worked with a team to improve networking capabilities”) and leave off irrelevant accomplishments (“top insurance sales agent”). -
Step 2: Highlight the job duties and desired qualifications.
As you read the job posting, take the time to highlight the duties specific to the job and the qualifications that the company wants applicants to possess.
You’ll then know to include any matching experience and qualifications you may have.
For example, if the job posting asks for applicants with “at least 3 years of IT Project Management experience,” highlight that information.
If you have, say, 5 years experience in that area, be sure to include it on your resume. , Don’t assume that the list of required skills and experience is an exhaustive one.
Consider what other qualifications might be relevant to the job, so that you can include those as well.
This might involve reading between the lines a bit or doing some research on a particular company or job. , You should not send identical resumes out to all of your potential employers.
Rather, using the information you’ve gleaned from reading each posting and highlighting relevant qualifications, you should construct a resume tailored to each job. , Based on your review of the job posting, include any information that will present you as the right candidate for the job. , Information that does not add value to your candidacy for a particular job does not belong on your resume.
If, for example, you are applying for a job as an IT Project Manager, you can feel confident that the recruiter or hiring manager does not care if you are an investor in two restaurants or if you sometimes freelance as a sales consultant. , Your reader will understand your qualifications immediately, and your resume won’t seem overly long or cumbersome.
Avoid excess verbiage whenever possible.
Consider, for example, the following sentence: “Was able to manage the operations of large teams of 15 and 20 to successfully work on complex projects.” You could make this sentence shorter and more effective by revising: “Successfully managed teams of up to 20 to complete complex projects.” , Most recruiters and hiring managers will not care that you worked three nights a week delivering pizzas.
Do not include every way that you ever earned a paycheck. , Standard resumes used to feature a short description of your career objective, but this practice is now outdated.
Your resume should simply provide the information a potential employer needs and wants. , When you go back beyond ten years, even if your jobs were relevant, your resume will become unnecessarily lengthy.
Besides, much may have changed in that particular industry and job role.
To look current, focus more on the present.
If you held a job, say, seven years ago, but you started working there fourteen years ago, go ahead and include it.
You want accurate dates. , In general, you do not need to include your reasons for leaving each job on your resume.
Adding this information will only add excess bulk to your resume while opening you up to questions you might feel uncomfortable answering.
Don’t write that you quit or that you were fired or asked to resign, and certainly don’t feel the need to say that you were in prison or institutionalized.
The main exception to this rule is if you have a reasonable explanation for a major gap in your employment.
In this case, it is fine to write that you had to leave your job to care for a family member, go back to school, or recuperate after a major illness or injury. , Do not include a list of references on the resume itself.
Have an updated list of references ready to go, but wait until a potential employer requests them.
Many people include the line “References available upon request” on their resumes, but this is no longer considered necessary.
Employers know that you will provide references when requested. -
Step 3: Think about relevant qualifications not listed in the advertisement.
-
Step 4: Tailor your resume to the particular job.
-
Step 5: Include only relevant information.
-
Step 6: Exclude any information that is clearly not relevant.
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Step 7: Eliminate “fluff.” By keeping your sentences concise
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Step 8: you will be able to create more impact.
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Step 9: Leave out part-time or irrelevant work.
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Step 10: Consider eliminating the “objective” section.
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Step 11: Focus on the last ten years.
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Step 12: Remove reasons for leaving a job.
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Step 13: Keep references in a separate document.
Detailed Guide
Every posting will provide specific information about the company, the job, and the kind of candidate the employer is seeking.
If you pay attention, the job description and the language used to describe ideal candidates will help you determine what to emphasize on your resume.
For example, a job ad may say that a particular company is looking for “an IT Project Manager with strong networking experience.” In this case, you would know to include whatever information reveals your ability to do that job successfully.
You’d highlight relevant past experience (“worked with a team to improve networking capabilities”) and leave off irrelevant accomplishments (“top insurance sales agent”).
As you read the job posting, take the time to highlight the duties specific to the job and the qualifications that the company wants applicants to possess.
You’ll then know to include any matching experience and qualifications you may have.
For example, if the job posting asks for applicants with “at least 3 years of IT Project Management experience,” highlight that information.
If you have, say, 5 years experience in that area, be sure to include it on your resume. , Don’t assume that the list of required skills and experience is an exhaustive one.
Consider what other qualifications might be relevant to the job, so that you can include those as well.
This might involve reading between the lines a bit or doing some research on a particular company or job. , You should not send identical resumes out to all of your potential employers.
Rather, using the information you’ve gleaned from reading each posting and highlighting relevant qualifications, you should construct a resume tailored to each job. , Based on your review of the job posting, include any information that will present you as the right candidate for the job. , Information that does not add value to your candidacy for a particular job does not belong on your resume.
If, for example, you are applying for a job as an IT Project Manager, you can feel confident that the recruiter or hiring manager does not care if you are an investor in two restaurants or if you sometimes freelance as a sales consultant. , Your reader will understand your qualifications immediately, and your resume won’t seem overly long or cumbersome.
Avoid excess verbiage whenever possible.
Consider, for example, the following sentence: “Was able to manage the operations of large teams of 15 and 20 to successfully work on complex projects.” You could make this sentence shorter and more effective by revising: “Successfully managed teams of up to 20 to complete complex projects.” , Most recruiters and hiring managers will not care that you worked three nights a week delivering pizzas.
Do not include every way that you ever earned a paycheck. , Standard resumes used to feature a short description of your career objective, but this practice is now outdated.
Your resume should simply provide the information a potential employer needs and wants. , When you go back beyond ten years, even if your jobs were relevant, your resume will become unnecessarily lengthy.
Besides, much may have changed in that particular industry and job role.
To look current, focus more on the present.
If you held a job, say, seven years ago, but you started working there fourteen years ago, go ahead and include it.
You want accurate dates. , In general, you do not need to include your reasons for leaving each job on your resume.
Adding this information will only add excess bulk to your resume while opening you up to questions you might feel uncomfortable answering.
Don’t write that you quit or that you were fired or asked to resign, and certainly don’t feel the need to say that you were in prison or institutionalized.
The main exception to this rule is if you have a reasonable explanation for a major gap in your employment.
In this case, it is fine to write that you had to leave your job to care for a family member, go back to school, or recuperate after a major illness or injury. , Do not include a list of references on the resume itself.
Have an updated list of references ready to go, but wait until a potential employer requests them.
Many people include the line “References available upon request” on their resumes, but this is no longer considered necessary.
Employers know that you will provide references when requested.
About the Author
Gary Freeman
Specializes in breaking down complex DIY projects topics into simple steps.
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