Hiring managers receive dozens —
sometimes hundreds — of CVs for any
given opening.
They don’t have the time or resources to
review each one closely, so they spend
approximately six seconds on their initial
“fit/no fit” decision .
You may be perfect for the job, but if
your résumé has just one typo, if it’s
formatted poorly, or you use the wrong
font, it could easily end up in the “no”
pile.
Vivian Giang contributed to an earlier
version of this article.
1. An objective.
If you applied, it’s already obvious you
want the job.
The exception: If you’re in a unique
situation, such as changing industries
completely, it may be useful to include a
brief summary.
2. Irrelevant work experiences.
Yes, you might have been the “king of
making milkshakes” at the restaurant you
worked for in high school. But, unless you
are planning on redeeming that title, it is
time to get rid of all that clutter.
3. Personal stuff.
Don’t include your marital status,
religious preference, or social security
number.
This might have been the standard in the
past, but all of this information is now
illegal for your employer to ask you, so
there’s no need to include it.
4. Your hobbies.
Nobody cares.
If it’s not relevant to the job you’re
applying for, it’s a waste of space and a
waste of the company’s time.
5. Your age.
If you don’t want to be discriminated
from a position because of your age, it’s
time to remove your graduation date,
says Catherine Jewell , author of “ New
Résumé, New Career. ”
Another surprising way your resume could
give away your age: double spaces after a
period.
6. References.
If your employers want to speak to your
references, they’ll ask you. Also, it’s
better if you have a chance to tell your
references ahead of time that a future
employer might be calling.
If you write, “references upon request” at
the bottom of your résumé, you’re merely
wasting a valuable line, career coach Eli
Amdur says.
7. Personal pronouns.
Your résumé shouldn’t include the words
“I,” “me,” “she,” or “my,” says Tina
Nicolai, executive career coach and
founder of Resume Writers’ Ink .
“Don’t write your résumé in the third or
first person. It’s understood that
everything on your resume is about you
and your experiences.”
8. A less-than-professional email
account.
If you still use an old email address, like
BeerLover123@gmail.com or
CuteChick4life@yahoo.com , it’s time to
pick a new one.
It only takes a minute or two, and it’s
free.
9. Any unnecessary, obvious words, like,
“Phone.”
Amdur says there is no reason to put the
word “phone” in front of the actual
number.
“It’s pretty silly. They know it’s your
phone number.” The same rule applies to
email.
10. Your current business contact info.
Amdur writes at Northjersey.com:
This is not only dangerous, it’s stupid. Do
you really want employers calling you at
work? How are you going to handle that?
Oh, and by the way, your current
employer can monitor your emails and
phone calls. So if you’re not in the mood
to get fired, or potentially charged with
theft of services (really), then leave the
business info off.
11. Social-media URLs that are not
related to the targeted position.
Links to your opinionated blogs, Pinterest
page, or Instagram account have no
business taking up prime résumé real
estate. “Candidates who tend to think
their personal social media sites are
valuable are putting themselves at risk of
landing in the ‘no’ pile,” Nicolai says.
“But you should list relevant URLs, such
as your LinkedIn page or any others that
are professional and directly relate to the
position you are trying to acquire,” she
says.
12. Salary information.
“Some people include past hourly rates
for jobs they held in college,” Nicolai
says. This information is completely
unnecessary and may send the wrong
message.
Amy Hoover, president of Talent
Zoo , says you also shouldn’t address your
desired salary in a résumé. “This
document is intended to showcase your
professional experience and skills. Salary
comes later in the interview process.”
13. Outdated fonts.
“Don’t use Times New Roman and serif
fonts, as they’re outdated and old-
fashioned,” Hoover says. “Use a standard,
sans-serif font like Arial.”
Also, be aware of the font size, she says.
Your goal should be to make it look nice
and sleek — but also easy to read.
14. Annoying buzzwords.
CareerBuilder asked 2,201 US hiring
managers: “What résumé terms are the
biggest turnoffs?” They cited words and
phrases such as, “best of breed,” “go-
getter,” “think outside the box,”
“synergy,” and “people pleaser.”
Terms employers do like to see on
résumés include: “achieved,” “managed,”
“resolved,” and “launched” — but only if
they’re used in moderation.
15. Reasons you left a company or
position.
Candidates often think, “If I explain why I
left the position on my résumé, maybe my
chances will improve.”
“Wrong,” Nicolai says. “Listing why you
left is irrelevant on your résumé. It’s not
the time or place to bring up transitions
from one company to the next.”
Use your interview to address this.
16. Your GPA.
Once you’re out of school, your grades
aren’t so relevant.
If you’re a new college graduate and your
GPA was a 3.8 or higher — it’s OK to
leave it. But, if you’re more than three
years out of school, or if your GPA was
lower than a 3.8, ditch it.
17. A photo of yourself.
This may become the norm at some point
in the future, but it’s just weird (and tacky
and distracting) for now.
This article is published in collaboration
with Business Insider. Publication does
not imply endorsement of views by the
World Economic Forum.
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