The Surprising Things You Should Cut From Your Resume

What should be included on your resume and what can be left out? This week I am going to help you create the perfect resume—in form and content.

There’s a lot of conflicting information out there on what should be included on your resume to help you stand out from the crowd.

Keep it to one page (some say). Always include a summary (according to some). It is important to that you don't show any gaps in employment (yep, according to some). The point is that different sources say different things, even in the same industry.

What this often leads to is a cycle of canned, buzzword-heavy job descriptions, and boring, canned resumes created by job seekers. But it turns out that this stressful, frustrating grind is totally avoidable.

So what can you leave off your resume?

To start, write down the keywords from the job description you are interested in. Pay close attention to the order of these words—you’ll see the?skills and experience that are most important to the company for this position will often be listed first. These keywords are often a good sign of what the recruiter will be searching for and help you rank high in the Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

Then look through your resume, and highlight the relevant experience that matches. If you find that there aren’t very many matches, it may be that this job isn’t really right for you. If there are many matches, it’s time to start customizing your history to best show how you’re the person for the job.?

Here are some suggestions for what to cut, and why.

6 Things to Cut From Your?Resume?

Resumes are still one of the most important documents in the job application process. Whether you apply online or via networking, there is a very good chance you will be asked to send your resume to the hiring team so they can view your qualifications. We also know that the attention spans of recruiters, hiring managers, and HR professionals are dwindling.

That means you have the challenging job of creating a document that highlights why you're perfect for the role in a concise, clear, and consistent?way. Easier said than done during your job search but one of the best ways to help you combat sharing too much information and losing their attention is with a long resume.

As a former recruiter, I am neither a 1-page or 2-page resume camp person, but I am one that will tell you that you should be focused on only including the most important and relevant information for the hiring team.

As a former recruiter, I’d rather see a few specific skills (like 5-10) that are super relevant to the job I’m hiring for, than a long list of general skills used throughout your career that aren't all relevant to the job.

I know we live in a world that more is better but not in a job search. Don't create more work for the recruiter. And yes, this advice spans across the different resume formats: a functional resume, reverse-chronological order resumes, and combination resumes.

When you include a long list of general skills, a recruiter is not going to be able to quickly understand your expertise. Yes, an experienced recruiter can review a resume in 10 seconds or less, and decide if it goes to the "Yes" or "No" pile. Make your resume laser-focused and targeted to the specific job and company you're applying to!

1. Cut: Information That Doesn’t Have Anything To Do With The Job Description You’re Responding To

If an item on a previous job’s bulleted list has no relevant connection to the job you are trying to land, let it go. It’s not that all of your previous achievements don’t matter at all, it’s that certain accomplishments will resonate better with certain positions. Remove any information you've listed in your bullet points under your resume work experience section that can't be connected to what the new job is looking for.

Additionally, I recommend cutting any information that only tells us about your responsibilities vs. your accomplishments in a role. Many people will copy/paste from the job description to create their bullet points but that only shows what you did—not how you did it, the results you got, etc.

Instead, Use That Extra Space Strategically

Cutting irrelevant bullet points from past jobs means that you can expand on jobs that?do?matter. Make it a priority to focus on those experiences first and foremost.

Start by selecting only the past jobs that are relevant to the job you're applying for now. Next, review each bullet point and see if you can include keywords from the new job posting or at least connect the bullet point to the skills needed for the new role.?When you write your bullet points, lead with an action verb and illustrate your achievements with facts and details.

For example, if you have a bullet point that says "Experienced in project management" and the new job is looking for someone to "Identify project issues or resource gaps and facilitate resolution" then you might edit your bullet point to this:

"Experienced project manager who works across teams to fill resource gaps, identify issues, and provide a list of solutions to management. Most recently I documented a new workflow for client intake forms which increased our response time by 20%."

2. Cut: An Objective Statement That Isn't Customized To The Job

The resume objective is outdated and irrelevant in today's job market. You know the that usually starts “Seeking to work in a team-driven environment and add value to the company” and the predictability of this standard can be a disservice to clearly describing what you really bring to the table.

Truth, most objective sections say nothing—and that's because they aren't customized to the specific job.?

Instead, Include An "Professional Summary"

Long story short, a resume objective looks to the future, while a?resume summary highlights past achievements. However, whichever one you choose to include, they should both be tailored to the role you are applying for, referencing keywords in the job posting. They are also both listed at the top of your resume.

Remember everyone is seeking to be gainfully employed at a place that resonates and is looking to add value. Here's a career summary example:?

"Ambitious communications professional with experience developing and directing strategic public relations and communications initiatives in ever-changing, dynamic environments. Exceptional knowledge of aligning business needs with communication and content strategy efforts. An effective collaborator and thought leader with an ability to create expert communications plans alongside business leaders, company executives, and other clients."?

Pro tip: if it feels canned when you write it, remove it. Look at what you’re trying to say from another angle.?

3. Cut: Old Or Irrelevant Job History

If you have very little job history because you’re just starting out, you may elect to include your whole work history, but make sure that the skills you used at each position clearly relate to the job description.

Instead,?Choose an Angle

Rather than listing out your work history in reverse chronological order like a ticker tape of boredom, angle each job listing toward the skills that are relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Tailor your resume’s contents to the job by showing how working at that coffee shop gave you swift cash handling skills and demonstrated a high level of trust from management. For each previous job, ask yourself why the hiring manager that will read your resume should care.

A great formatting tip I recommend that can be especially helpful when you're listing your work history out of order is using headers. Here's an example of how you would format your work experience section:

RELEVANT MARKETING EXPERIENCE

Job Title, Company Name Dates of Employment - bullet point 1 - bullet point 2 Job Title, Company Name Dates of Employment - bullet point 1 - bullet point 2 ADDITIONAL?WORK EXPERIENCE

Job Title, Company Name Dates of Employment - bullet point 1 - bullet point 2 Job Title, Company Name Dates of Employment - bullet point 1 - bullet point 2

The headers that you include help you showcase the angle of your work experience right away for recruiters. And it puts less focus on when you had the job vs. the skills you learned in that job.

4. Cut: Redundancy

If you have 5 positions where you scheduled appointments, it’s not necessary to elaborate on all five of those positions. Make sure that each piece of experience highlights what you did best or the most unique aspects of your responsibilities, and clearly demonstrates value that will translate to the new job.?

Instead, Focus on Quality

Rather than focusing on the number of jobs you've had—or quantity—focus on quality. A recruiter would rather see fewer positions listed but have the ones you do list be deeply considered, well-crafted evidence of your being a perfect fit for the job. Focus on the quality of each piece of information before you worry about the quantity. Once you feel good about the quality, go back and see what you could still cut out.

Most importantly, remember that there is a great position out there for you, that will fit your experience, your needs, and your temperament. Keep refining, and don’t give up!?

5. Use Your Space Wisely

Your resume is prime real estate and it is important to ask yourself if everything you are including offers some type of value. This could be achieved by expanding your skills section with things like communication skills, time management and/or technical skills.

Another option is adding a unique but relevant resume section to your resume template. Some ideas include highlighting your personal website and/or blog, relevant coursework, publications, etc. The goal here is to only include the information that will bring value to the person reading your resume.

6. Cut: Resume Fonts That Make It Harder to Skimm Your Resume

Some fonts make it harder to read the information on the page. Naturally, stay away from those. But did you also know that applicant tracking systems can't read fancy fonts? Additionally, please don't try to fit more information onto your one-page resume by making your font size so small a recruiter can barely read it. It's not appreciated and nor is your resume reviewed (just have a 2 page

Instead, Stick To Resume Fonts That Are Readable

There's an easy fix here and that's to stick with resume fonts that are easy to read. You have more options than just Times New Roman, too! Test out Garamond, Calibri (my go-to font), Cambria (my 2nd favorite font), Tahoma, Verdana, Ariel, Helvetica or Gill Sans.

By following these guidelines, you'll create a resume that grabs attention, conveys your unique value, and keeps recruiters engaged. Your career journey is a unique story—let your resume tell it effectively.

For more personalized guidance on crafting your perfect resume, don't hesitate to reach out I would love to help support your career aspirations.

P.S. Have questions about your resume? Contact me for expert advice tailored to your unique situation!

Did you like this newsletter? Here are a few things you can do for me.

1. ????Add a comment and share your thoughts
2. ??Share this with a friend (DM, email, social post, etc.)
3. ?? Follow me (Melanie Mitchell )
4. ?? ?Ring My Bell On my profile to be notified when I post
5. #???Follow my hashtag:?#findsucceedachieve ?to search old posts.

Find Succeed Achieve | ?Clubhouse ??| ?Twitter ?| ?LinkedIn ?| ?LinkedIn Company Page ?| ?Instagram ?| ?Facebook Business Page

?? TONIGHT, Thursday, September 14th at 6pm ET: LinkedIn 101: Becoming A LinkedIn Rockstar on LinkedIn Audio