How do you describe your entire work history and promote your skills and experience in a relatively short document? What information should your resume include? What should you exclude? With only one or two pages to work with and a recruiter's short attention span, you only have one chance to get it right.
What information should I include on my resume?
1. Professional skills and experience
The most important content on your resume. There are a few key factors to keep in mind when writing about your skills and experience.
- List your previous roles and employers in chronological order.
- Include a bullet list of your primary responsibilities.
- Point out any achievements or highlights with specific examples if you can.
Be careful not to go overboard. This is a succinct summary of your career, professional experience, skills and achievements. There's no need to include every single task or responsibility. The key is to provide enough information to address the job requirements and spark your employer's interest so they want to obtain more information via an interview. Quality is better than quantity.
2. Personal Profile / Executive Summary
It can also be beneficial to write a short Personal Profile or Executive Summary to outline your career goals and what you are looking for in a new position. Think of this as your "elevator pitch". It should be carefully tailored to the job description and show a synergy between the organization and your career goals. Keep it concise and short. No more than 2 - 3 lines, or 100 words. If you feel you need to say more, then include it in a cover letter.
3. Include Relevant Keywords
Pay particular attention to using the same words that appear in the job description or job advertisement. In many cases, your resume will be scanned by software and possibly excluded before even getting in front of a recruiter.
What information should I leave off my resume?
4. Personal Interests
It is usually not a good idea to include personal interests on your resume unless they are relevant to your employment. For example, if you are applying for a role as an Automotive Mechanic, your recruiter doesn't care that you like to play the piano.
There are exceptions to this rule. Many modern employers emphasize "work/life balance", family time and "cultural fit". In this case, it may be considered appropriate to include hobbies and interests. Check if your employer includes a Cultural Statement on their website. If in doubt, leave personal interests and hobbies off your resume.
5. Race and Religion
Any information that might expose you to potential discrimination should be excluded from your resume. For example, your race and religion should be excluded. For the same reasons, it's discouraged to include a photograph.
6. Sex and Marital Status
Employers can not discriminate against you based on your sexuality or marital status. So, whether you are single, married, divorced or just happily living with your partner is nobody's business and should not be relevant to your assessment as a suitable job candidate.
7. Stick to the facts
Include facts not opinions. If something isn't factual and can't be backed up then it should not be included in your resume. For example, saying you were the best salesperson in your office is just your opinion. Showing that you won two awards for best salesperson is a fact that can be substantiated by including a copy of your awards.
