We all know what should appear on a resume: your skills, experience, employment history, accomplishments, and honors. But what are some of the things you shouldn’t include? When crafting or updating your resume, it is important to remember that items that should not appear on your resume are just as important as the things you must include. These items can often serve as unnecessary roadblocks or, even worse, cause you to be overlooked for a position.
Want to make your resume stronger and more effective? Don’t include these three things:
Your First Job
As you progress in your career and change jobs, it is not necessary to painstakingly detail your first one or two jobs. This does not mean that you do not include these positions on your resume; you should. All that is needed, though, are a few well-crafted lines or bullet points about these positions.
Hobbies
It is great to have hobbies. It shows that you know how to indulge in some work-life balance. But you do not need to include what you do for fun on your resume. You never know who might dislike or be offended by one of your hobbies or volunteer activities.
ABD
If you have completed the coursework within a doctoral program, but never finished the dissertation, do not list the degree on the resume. This often demonstrates a lack of perseverance and is not received well by search committees. If you are currently in a program, it is fine to include your anticipated graduation date.
And Now a Few Safety Tips
- Do not include your personal address on your resume.
- You should use your personal email, not your institutional email address. Make sure that you regularly check the address that you use.
- Do not include any pictures of yourself on your resume.