Sending a resume is the first task to apply for a job application. An experienced recruiter only takes 6 seconds to decide if the candidate should be invited for an interview or not. So before you press that send button on your email account, make sure there is no such information you can not justify to the interviewer. There are a couple of things You Should Never Include in Your Resume, which might not make a very good impression on the interviewer.

Sending your resume is just like a non-verbal audition in front of a judge on one of those reality TV talent shows. The person reviewing your resume will quickly decide whether to give you a shot at the big time or send you packing.

“The first impression is the last impression”!

A well informative resume presents your overall persona to the recruiter. Whatever the information you have put, you become liable to it. The Human Resource person will ask for each and every clarification regarding this information. You certainly do not want to make a bad impression on him. To avoid any mistake you must be familiar with what things You Should Never Include in Your Resume and why?

Your Resume - Your Future!

When a job is posted by the recruiter, within a short span, hundreds of applications are received. The recruiters never open all the resumes rather they only chose few. One can only imagine how well crafted the resume has to be to capture the attention in such a short period of time. 

In this article, we will discuss what things you should never include in your resume? This will further help you understand how to craft a perfect resume that the recruiters will love.

Unnecessary details

There is no need for labeling your resume as a resume. Your name is enough to be used as the file name. Hiring managers can easily distinguish a resume. Avoid putting the date when you crafted the resume. The only dates that need to be quoted are related to your education and employment.

Senseless objectives or purpose

Your resume objective should not be unrealistic and unbelievable. instead, it should be realistic, feasible and suit your skills and abilities. Recruiters generally do not prefer resumes which are over-optimized.

Evicting vague and meaningless goals like "looking for a challenging role" or "looking for an environment that allows me to fully utilize my talents" is rather vague. This gives no indication of what your specific goals and objectives are.

A good goal is precise and realistic and talks about the particular role you want to apply for. Following is an example of a career objective

"Executive customer support with 3 years of experience seeking to handle customer calls effectively and increase conversions."

Unnecessary personal information

You need to mention only your personal details such as age, sex, marital status. Avoid including your personal likes, dislikes, and hobbies. Recruiters are not interested in knowing about your personal life.

Things such as gender orientation and religious views are apt to be controversies. Such information can create conflicts in the minds of people who are screening the applications. Always avoid interesting things like your social life and unorthodox encounters which could convey a non-serious picture.

Irrelevant work experience

Only your relevant experience should be highlighted. Avoid putting irrelevant experience which is not related to the current job or keep it precise and concise. You may have had diverse experiences, but if it has nothing to do with the job you are applying for, then it is a waste of the recruiter’s time. They would wonder, "what does this have to do with this work anyway," maybe you're not serious about the job and dismiss it.

Irrelevant achievements

Many people may put anything which is irrelevant like they have done in life as an achievement, these could be very minor things and not relevant to the job. Sometimes, One candidate actually stated that “I came first in school long-distance running”! When it comes to leadership, you can show examples validating that like community service, leadership skills in previous positions held additional duties, and so on.

Excessively lengthy resume

Many people include irrelevant things in the resume which is overlooked by recruiters. This could be a sure-shot way to get your resume going into the trash. You may have a lot of skills and experience, but it should not have long pages of stories of the nitty-gritty of your work. A recruiter will easily lose interest in your resume and can discard it.

You can emphasize the key points, which are relevant and vital to your application and also it will be quite easy. Show what you bring to the organization, and how you can add value to it. Hold it short and compelling and persuasive. Restrict your resumes to just two pages.

Poor grammar

This is one of the important things, you need to keep in mind because it can be the biggest resume killer. Poor spelling and grammar belie the claims you make in your CV regarding your education and are considered as unforgivable. It may cost you dear as this is used as a predictor of your attitude when you are working in the organization. Poor grammar makes you look incompetent to the recruiter and no company would want to employ a casual person.

Make sure you read your CV many times, ask someone to review if you haven't missed anything to make sure it's all accurate, as the input of a third person often helps.

Highlighting negative facts

Negative things could be another resume killer or if you consider negative things you may lose the opportunity. Showing a lack of experience may reflect negatively on you. So try to couch these things in a more neutral or slightly positive way. Instead of saying "I haven't finished this course," write "I'll complete this course by that date." It’s a good idea to highlight the things you've achieved.

Fake information

Always avoid to include fake information also lies and making false claims. These days, personal information is very easy to obtain. And make a careful selection of your terms on your resume. To be honest as possible as you can. Statistics show that candidates are rejected by one in three employers based on information found online.

Do not lie about your salary in order to land a better job. In case you get recruited, and the employer finds out later that you have falsified information, you are liable for criminal action. It is also best to avoid unverifiable information, anything negative against your previous employers, whining and complaints, as this is a sign of lack of professionalism.

Poor structure

Most recruiters agree that chaotic and disorganized resumes are a major reason why they refuse resumes. White space is important. The more the resume material structured, the better it would stand up to scrutiny.

Focus on what makes the resume stand out, not on what tires it out!

In short, we would like to say focusing on things you should never include in your resume will make get you more chances of getting invited for an interview. So, keep the above pointers in your mind and polish your resume accordingly and it will truly reflect you in the best possible way. These pointers can also help you to land a dream job.