Resume Perfection: What To Include and What Not To

When it comes to resume perfection, there is some information you should definitely include and some you shouldn’t.

Employers want enough background to make their decision, but too much can oftentimes detract from your outstanding qualities.

With helpful job-hunting tips in mind, here are 5 things to include and 5 things not to include on your resume:

What to Include

Building the prefect resume is all about putting the right information front and center.

Although some information, work experience, is a given, there is some out-of-the-box details you might want to include:

1. Include Facts and Figures – Whenever possible, you should include facts, figures, and other quantifiable data in your resume. Hiring managers love numbers, especially when they help explain your accomplishments. So, instead of saying you raised money in a company fundraiser, say exactly how much and how you went about doing it.
2. Think Keywords – With the advent of online job recruiting sites, more and more companies are using automated resume screening software to help handle the increase in applications. As a result, it’s important to include job position keywords in your resume that come directly from the job listing. Doing so helps the automated scanning equipment find your resume.
3. Don’t Neglect URLs – As the following article looks at, if you’re trying to figure out how to prepare your resume for a cosmetology career or any other line of work, don’t forget to include relevant URLs. Whether you have a professional blog or a few reputable social media profiles, sharing URLs on your resume will give employers a more in-depth idea of your abilities and talents.
4. Include Failures – It might sound counter-intuitive, but including past failures on your resume, whether it’s a failed business venture or other, can actually prove to employers that you’ve learned from your mistakes. Likewise, including failures also shows employers you take risks and still strive for success.
5. Don’t Forget About Your Successes – A resume is the one place where you should gloat about yourself. As long as it’s relevant to the job, including awards and other recognition will put you ahead of other applicants.

What Not to Include

Just as there are key details to include on your resume, there are also some details that are better left off:

1. Unrelated Work Experience – If you’re applying for a job in accounting, hiring managers aren’t going to care about your past job working as a camp counselor or waiter. In other words, make sure the work history you include on your resume is relevant to the job at hand.
2. Base Your Objectives in Reality – Employers love go-getters. However, don’t go over the top with your objectives statement. Being confident, but also reasonable, is the most attractive part of any new recruit.
3. Keep Hobbies to Yourself – Hobbies are a good thing to have, but employers don’t really care what you do with your free time. Including your hobbies on your resume says to employers that there’s something in your life that will detract from your work.
4. Avoid Typos – If there’s one thing you definitely want to leave off your resume, it is poor grammar and typos. One poorly placed typo could be a deal breaker for a stingy hiring manager.
5. Non-professional Contacts – If a contact can’t represent you professionally or say something meaningful to your character, leave them off your resume. It’s that simple.

When you’re ready to send off those job applications, keep in mind the resume pointers above.

About the Author: Adam Groff is a freelance writer and creator of content. He writes on a variety of topics including job hunting and resume writing.