Information You Should Avoid in Your Resume
Do you ever wonder if there is any information in your resume that shouldn’t be there? There is a big chance that you currently have some information you should avoid in your resume if you do.
If you’re thinking a resume adds little or nothing to your chances of getting a job, you are mistaken. Your resume is the first impression a prospective employer has about you. In roughly all cases, a job seeker applies for a job with a resume attached before they get a chance to meet their interviewer. For this reason, some applicants get called for an interview while others don’t.
The aim of writing a resume is to provide valid information about yourself to your potential employer. Since you only write a resume for official purposes, it only makes sense that most of the information you present on it should be professional or academic.
This article explains why some information is not to be included in your resume. You will also discover some of the personal and sensitive information you should never have in your resume.
Let’s get started!
What should not be in your resume
While you must give certain personal details of your life on your resume, not every detail is necessary. In fact, some things about your personal life and history should never be on your resume. Although some are debatable, most of this information is strongly advised against.
Religion
Some things are part of human lives that must be respected even if third parties do not understand or agree with them. As important as your religious beliefs are to you, it has no place on your resume. It is unnecessary to include your religion. The only exception to this is if you were vying for a religious-based position like a teacher in a religious setting.
Also, the topic of religion is very sensitive. People could easily get offended if they feel any form of prejudice or disrespect towards their religion. As a result, more employers are leaning towards taking religion out of the work environment so that the subject doesn’t come up.
Sexual orientation
In today’s world, diversity is a big issue in every sector all over the world, especially in the workplace. One of the sensitive topics of the 21st century is sexual orientation and LGBT rights. Since not many people know how to handle the situation, and what pronouns to use for addressing LGBT people, employers tend to tread lightly.
It is a personal thing that should be brought up in a conversation naturally. The last thing an employer wants is having to worry about not offending a potential employee the moment they lay hold of their resume. Although some employers today are beginning to add sexual orientation options during application for those who don’t mind, not everyone does yet. Let everyone see you as a human being first, then a professional.
Race
Perhaps the most controversial and sensitive topics on the planet are race and racism. In reality, people are perceived differently when the subject of race comes up. There is discrimination in every sector and the workplace is not excluded. It is advised to leave your race out of your resume.
Some employers might see a red flag immediately when they see your race on your resume. It understandably gives an impression that you wouldn’t hesitate to throw the “race card” any chance you get. If you aim to show how proud you are of your race, you don’t need to spell it out still. The fact is that most people can tell your race just by learning your name.
Political affiliations
Although rare, some fanatics would proudly indicate their political affiliations if given the chance. It’s best to leave political matters out of your resume at least for now for many reasons. People have strong political views that affect their personal lives and relationships. It even clouds their judgment at times.
You never know who your interviewer or potential employer might be rooting for and it could be dangerous to be on opposite sides. Also, it is a bold move to state your political affiliation and employers could be worried that your open support for a party might stir up trouble for them, their clients, and the entire workforce.
Nationality
It is advised to always be proud of where you come from- your country, family, and heritage overall. However, some information – no matter how important they are to you- has no place on your resume. Your nationality is one of such important, yet unnecessary details to have on your resume.
Although nationality is not nearly as controversial and sensitive as many others, it could cause some tension in the workplace at first. Stereotypes still exist in the world whether we like it or not and people get quick to judge based on nationality.
By including your nationality in the resume, you are giving others the opportunity to make assumptions about you. Leave your nationality out of your resume, let your employer know, and appreciate you for your expertise first, before revealing your nationality when the topic comes up.
Age
Including age in a resume used to be the norm some time ago. That didn’t age well. Nowadays, people are refusing to add their age more than ever due to recent findings. The number one reason is due to discrimination against people of a certain age. Your age has nearly nothing to do with your competence or experience on the job.
Age doesn’t play a major role in how talented you are or your exposure either. It only gives room for some people to be condescending toward you. On the other hand, you might be seen as “past your prime” even when you still have a lot to offer.
Previous salary
Asking a job candidate for details about their salary in their previous jobs used to be common. Even though you have to reveal it, do you think it is a piece of private information that you shouldn’t disclose? Yes, it is. Your salary is very personal and even when no Non-Disclosure Agreement binds you, it should stay with you.
These days, there have been several laws upholding employees’ or job seekers’ rights to not divulge that information. Thus, employers are bound by law to not request such details. Your salary at your previous organization should not be on your resume. Besides not being mandatory, they don’t tell the full story of how much of a good fit you could be for the company.
Photograph
One of the perils of using resume-building apps is that they tease you with a plethora of resume designs that can be misleading. Some resume-building apps have templates where you can add your photo. That is grossly unnecessary. Unless you are applying to a modeling agency as a model, there is no need to have your picture on a resume.
People often say that sometimes big things come in small packages. Likewise, experience has taught employers not to judge a book by its cover. What you look like in person does not reveal anything about your work ethic, skills, strengths, or flaws.
The important thing is what you can bring to the table and not how you look. No employer would value a pretty face that offers nothing other than a normal-looking guy who brings the biggest clients into the company.
Personal social media account
Social media is changing the world- more than how we interact with each other. It affects how we do business and our professional lives. Nowadays, it is advised to include your social media details in your resume. However, you should not use your personal or private social media profiles.
Never mix business with pleasure especially when it comes to job search. Just imagine your employer reading the many posts you have made without caring about the consequences. Consider the pictures you posted when you were in your elements. These are private and nobody should judge you for them.
Yet, people are quick to judge and they easily get a wrong impression of others without getting to know them. Don’t let potential employers think you can’t be a complete professional when you have to because you enjoy partying or gaming. If you think your potential employers would pay no attention to your social media accounts, you are mistaken.
Final thoughts
Your resume introduces you to your future employer. It speaks on your behalf especially when you are not there to defend yourself. Thus, you need to include information that makes your interviewer see potential in you. As much as you need to be transparent and honest in every possible way, there are some details about your life that you should never include in your resume.
As a rule, make sure that every detail on your resume is accurate and more professional than personal. For the most part, any information outside of your contact information that does not speak of your expertise should be looked at carefully before being included in your resume. Please share this information on your social media with friends and colleagues.
