What are the things that should be avoided on a resume?

A resume should never include personal information like your age, marital status, race, religion, nationality, political affiliation, health details, irrelevant hobbies, a headshot, negative comments about previous employers, overly casual language, and any information that could be considered discriminatory or could lead to bias against you during the hiring process.

Key points to avoid on a resume:

• Personal details: Full home address, phone number, social security number, date of birth, marital status, number of children.
• Unprofessional email address: An email address that appears unprofessional or uses nicknames.
• Irrelevant skills: Basic computer skills, generic skills without specific examples, languages you are not fluent in.
• Exaggerated qualifications: Claiming skills or experience you don't have, inflating job titles or responsibilities.
• Negative comments: Complaining about past employers or colleagues.
• Unnecessary details about hobbies: Listing hobbies that are not relevant to the job or that could be seen as unprofessional.
• Too much personal information: Including details about your personal life that are not relevant to the job, like health issues or family situations.
• Typos and grammatical errors: Ensure your resume is free from spelling and grammar mistakes.
• Outdated formatting: Using an old-fashioned resume template or layout.
• Overly lengthy resume: Keep your resume concise and tailored to the specific job you are applying for.

Focus on including:

• Relevant work experience:

  Clearly detail your job titles, company names, dates of employment, and key accomplishments.
• Quantifiable skills:

  Use numbers and data to demonstrate your achievements and impact in previous roles.
• Technical skills:

  Highlight specific software, tools, and programming languages related to the job.
• Education and certifications:

  List your relevant degrees, certifications, and graduation dates.
• Tailored keywords:

  Incorporate keywords from the job description to match your resume to the role.