Your Resume: What Belongs and What Should Go

I want to talk with you today about what SHOULD and SHOULDN’T be on your resume in 2024. Like many of the topics I bring to the podcast, this one comes from resumes I’ve seen lately with very old-school information.   What Should Be Included -Branding statement & Summary (which I covered in episode #314 last week).   -Professional Experience section, written in reverse chronological order and going back 15-20 years.   -You can include internships in this section if you are a recent college graduate, but will generally be removed once you have full-time, post-graduate experience.   -Remember: a 2-3-line paragraph for your job duties, followed by up to six bulleted achievements that each start with an action verb and lead with results.   -Education section, also written in reverse chronological order but generally without dates   -GPA is good for recent college graduates but should be removed as your college education gets further in your past.   -Include relevant coursework only if you are a recent graduate.   -Certifications and Credentials that are relevant and current (non-relevant certifications can confuse the reader as to your true career goal). They should be spelled out and abbreviated, preferably with the granting body listed.   -Volunteer experience, provided it is recent or current and relevant, without any controversial element to it.   -Foreign languages, with your level of proficiency in each – where this should go will depend on how important it is to your candidacy.     Let’s Talk About the Order of These Sections   Think of this as an inverted pyramid – the most important, relevant, and weighty information goes first.   -Branding and Summary always goes at the top above the fold.   -For experienced candidates, Experience will be next. If you are right out of college, you may think your Education carries more weight – and it might.   -From there, it’s your decision as to whether your Education, Credentials, and Volunteer Experience is more important for your candidacy – and this may change depending on the requirements of the job you are applying for.     What Should NOT Be Included   -An objective, which tells the reader what YOU want rather than what you can do for them.   -“References provided upon request” or the actual reference list.   -Hobbies, unless they are DIRECTLY related.   -A picture.   -Other personal information, such as marital status or children info.   -You have the option of leaving off any position on your resume, so long as you include that position on a job application. You may leave yourself with a gap in employment, so weigh that against your reason for not wanting to include the position. Especially if it was very short-term, the gap in employment may hardly be noticeable.     A Note About a Separate Skills Section Applicant tracking systems (ATS) score resumes higher when skills are integrated into positions where you demonstrated that skill. While you can have a Skills section – I sometimes find this necessary – you can also try to incorporate as many of them as possible into your Experience section.     Are you in the wrong job that chips away at you every day? The document and coaching programs offered by Exclusive Career Coaching will help you find a job that uses your zone of genius, recognizes your value, and pays you what you’re worth.   If you’re ready to take your job search to the next level by working with a highly experienced professional with a track record of client success, schedule a complimentary consult to learn more:    https://calendly.com/lesaedwards/zoom-meetings2