7 Useless add-ons that are dragging your resume into the mud

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• 7 useless addons that are dragging your resume into the mud

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7 things that don’t belong on your resume

When looking for a job, your resume often serves as the first impression that potential employers have of you.

As someone who has reviewed more than 500 resumes this year alone, I’ve come across a few mistakes that I see over and over again. In this issue, I’m going to delve into seven of them. Let's get started:

1. The Obvious Objective Statements

We all know you want the job – that’s why you applied. However, starting your resume with an objective statement that communicates the obvious is unnecessary.

Here’s what to do instead:

Replace the old-fashioned objective statement with a brief personal summary that sheds light on your strengths or experiences that are relevant to the job you're applying for. A well-written summary is like a TLDR to your resume - it’ll give the recruiter the key points they’re looking for without having to spend a ton of time reading through the resume.

2. The 'Skills Lists' Dilemma

While it might be tempting to list soft skills and intangibles in your resume's skills section, it’s often counterproductive.

Here’s what to do instead:

Offer concrete examples demonstrating how you've utilized these skills to accomplish something significant in your previous roles. This strategy provides context and paints a clearer picture of your abilities.

3. The Over-sized Headshots

Including a headshot in your resume can be a contentious choice. If you decide to include one, ensure it doesn't dominate the precious first-page real estate.

Here’s what to do instead:

Keep it small and preferably in the corner, so it complements the text instead of overpowering it. Keep in mind that in North America, including a headshot can get you immediately disqualified from the running, especially at larger companies.

4. The Pre-employment Distinguishments

As you progress in your career, it becomes important to remove qualifications from your pre-career (i.e., being treasurer of your school fraternity).

Here’s what to do instead:

Focus on showcasing the milestones and accomplishments that you’ve achieved during your professional journey. Odds are nobody will care what you did before that.

5. The Ambiguous “Skill Proficiency” Ratings

Using proficiency ratings is highly subjective and provides little value to the hiring manager. After all, what does a rating of 3/5 stars (something I see often) mean?

Here’s what to do instead:

Ditch the star ratings and instead illustrate your proficiency through tangible examples that show how you've applied those skills successfully in your career.

6. The Overblown Headers

While a large header is important to a certain extent, an oversized one can unnecessarily stretch your resume to multiple pages, making it less concise and more difficult to read.

Here’s what to do instead:

Keep the header at no more than a 20 font size. Contact information such as addresses, emails, phone numbers, and URLs should be listed in the same font size as the body of your resume (10-12).

7. The Job Description Overload

Focusing too heavily on tasks without at least shining some light on what you accomplished and how you contributed to the business’ bottom line is

Here’s what to do instead:

Highlight the impact you made, the value you added, and the milestones you achieved, using quantifiable metrics wherever possible.

Wrapping Up

Before I buzzout this week, I have a little homework for you: Revisit your current resume and see if it has any of the seven mistakes mentioned. If yes, fix it!

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About the Author

I’m James, Cofounder of Final Draft Resumes. I’ve been in the career consulting space for 13 years, and before that, I was a recruiter for AECOM.

I’ve helped thousands of job seekers, from industries like software engineering, IT, sales, marketing, manufacturing, and more generate job opportunities through well-written resumes that translate unique backgrounds into coherent narratives.

If you’re struggling with your resume for whatever reason, reach out - I just might be able to help!

If you’re more of a DIY person, then check out Resumatic, my free-to-try resume builder.