ETI’s Advice on the Things You Shouldn’t Put On Your Resume

When it comes time to hit the job market, your resume is the single most important document when it comes to your future success. The information that is included on your resume can make or break your job prospects and while it is important to include certain aspects of your life, there are also things that should not be placed on your resume. Things like your college degree and past work experience are obvious, but what about the rest? Read on to learn more about the five things you shouldn’t be including.

Personal Objectives

Employers seek goal oriented staff members, but there is a difference between being goal oriented and using your resume to tout personal objectives that are of no interest to the person who will be interviewing you for the position. Sure, we all want to be millionaires, but if you’re applying for a position that pays $40,000 per year, including this objective on your resume is probably not wise.

Summer Jobs

That summer job that you spent working at the local amusement park when you were 18? It is probably in your best interests to leave this off of your resume. Chances are, no reputable employer is going to be impressed by your array of summer jobs from your high school and college years. Keep irrelevant job experiences off your resume and don’t use old gigs to pad it out.

Unrelated Achievements

A prospective employer is likely to be impressed by an applicant who finished at their top of their class. But, there are achievements from your younger days that do not need to be included. No one cares if you were elected class president of your high school. The fact that you were named Prom King is not going to bolster your prospects. The same goes for your achievements in the world of high school or college sports. That is unless the job you are applying for is related to this field.

Weird Hobbies

There is nothing wrong with including a possible hobby or interest. It needs to be somewhat germane to the job that you are applying for, though. If you decide to choose this route, be sure to include normal hobbies. They should not raise any eyebrows. Your resume should not be approached as a chance to express your individuality. Steer clear of things like “knitting sweaters for my puppies” and stick to generic activities like reading and running.

Religious Beliefs

Certain matters about an employee’s life should be kept private. No reputable employer is going to disqualify you from consideration based on your religious beliefs. Including information of this nature will only cause needless controversy during the interview process. It is also irrelevant, so be sure to keep facts like these to yourself.