Writing a resume can be a difficult task. There are several resources that tell you what to put on a resume, but hardly do you find an adequate resource that tells you what you shouldn't put on a resume. This information could be the critical component to getting a call for an interview or not. Not knowing what to leave off leaves many job seekers with ineffective resumes that will land in the do not call pile.

1. Putting a picture on your resume. In theory, this may seem like a great plan. It could tell the recruiter what you look like and possibly give you a more familiar feeling when you interview; however this is also an open case for discrimination. Many employers will not accept resumes with a picture on them for legal reasons, so you should never include a picture. It sends up two warning flags… you either don't know about hiring practices or you are looking for a lawsuit; either way you will probably not get the interview.
2. Your inappropriate personal email address. Many of you have read this from me before, but I will stress it again because I still have students who submit a resume to me with a personal email address. An employer doesn't want to hire sexycarebear@.... It is unprofessional and makes an employer wonder what type of employee you will be.
3. Disconnected phone numbers. This is probably the number one way to get tossed. Even though I have attended career fairs for more than 6 years, it is still shocking to see the number of people who hand out resumes with disconnected phone numbers. As a recruiter, I am not going to track you down. If you don't have a valid phone number, or didn't update your resume regardless of the reason, you are getting tossed.
4. Spelling and grammar errors. This is the number one pet peeve of most recruiters. Spell check your document and have a minimum of 3 friends read it for you. You should read your resume before you give it out…every time. A reason is a reflection of you. If it has typos and grammatical errors you either don't have a solid command of the English language, lack communication skills, or don't care enough to proof read your document. Either way… you are going to get tossed.
5. To much personal information. Religious statements, religious affiliations, personal hobbies, birth date, social security number, number of children, marital status, etc. should not be included in a resume. As a recruiter, I would hope you could fill a resume with information that shows me your work history and what you can do, not what you like to do when you are not working. Having to much personal information can lead to discrimination (read #1) and can cause an interviewer to not go any further in the interviewing process. Leave it off; it doesn't help you and will only hurt you.
6. Inflated skills sections. Be sure the skills you list are the skills you indeed have. Resumes that are seen as unrealistic will surely get tossed. Hiring managers like to see training and adequate skill sections, but if you graduated two years ago you shouldn't possess 20 years experience unless you truly have 20 years "work experience." Check out www.computercoach.com if you would like to increase your skills by taking additional online computer classes.


Finding a job can be a full time job. Don't waste your time and energy by providing ineffective resumes to employers. If you are going to take your time to hand out a resume be sure you are giving the best resume you can. Check back for future career coaching articles.