10 Things to Leave Off Your Resume to Get More Interviews

Resumes are often an employer’s first impression of you. They allow a hiring manager to get to know more about your personal brand, work experience, and impressive accomplishments in a short, concise document. If done correctly, your resume is your ticket to securing an interview. However, knowing what information should be left off a resume is just as important as knowing what to include.

Below is a list of things to leave off your resume, why you should leave them off, and what to include instead. Using these tips will increase your chances of making a good first impression on the hiring manager.

1. Objective statements and introductions

Including an objective statement is one of the most common resume mistakes to avoid. They are not an effective way to get your personal brand across to the employer because they typically explain what you are looking for in a job rather than the skills and experience you can bring to a company. Employers spend an average of six seconds reading over your resume. You want to display your skill set and how your work history sets you apart from others who are applying for the same position.

Instead of having an objective statement, replace it with a summary paragraph. The summary is three to five general sentences that explain more about your skills, personal brand, and accomplishments. This allows the hiring manager to get a better feel of how you can contribute to a company rather than your career objectives.

2. Jobs from 15+ years ago

When thinking about what should not be included in a resume, remember that it’s important to emphasize current, relevant experience that correlates with the job to which you are applying. Therefore, you can leave out anything from 15+ years ago. This will allow the hiring manager to focus on your recent achievements and envision how you can contribute to their company. You’ll also protect yourself from age bias.

Pro tip: Just because you aren’t detailing more than 15+ years of work experience doesn’t mean you have to leave it off your resume entirely. You can add an “additional experience” section to your resume for anything beyond 15 years that includes the position title, company name, and company location. Adding an additional experience section shows that you have further experience than what is on the resume but does not include the dates of those roles.

3. Graduation year

You don’t need to add your graduation year unless you obtained your degree within the past five years. This is another way to avoid potential age discrimination.

4. Unprofessional email address

Be sure to leave out any personal email addresses that aren’t seen as professional, such as [email protected]. Unfortunately, AOL and Hotmail accounts can date you as well. Instead, create a new email that includes your first and last name with a number if needed, such as the current year. Along with looking more professional, it also keeps you organized by having one email address for all employers to contact.

5. Multiple phone numbers

Adding multiple phone numbers can cause confusion for the hiring manager. They may question which phone they should call first or how to best contact you. It is best to include only one reliable phone number that you can be easily reached on.

6. Personal information

Any personal information beyond your address (city, state, zip code), legal name, phone number, and email address should not be included on your resume. Your resume is a professional document – not an autobiography. Personal things to leave off your resume include irrelevant hobbies, place of birth, marital status, driver’s license, political affiliation, and more.

7. Headshot

Unless you’re going for an acting gig, your resume should not include a headshot or photo of you of any kind. Headshots can be hard for applicant tracking systems (ATS) to read and can make the hiring manager susceptible to age discrimination claims.

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8. Old software programs

In the age of modern technology, software is constantly being updated. Be sure to include only relevant, updated software applications in your technical proficiencies section in the resume. Adding older software will not be useful to the hiring manager and can date your skill set.

9. Filler words

Filler words – a, an, the, etc. – are a common part of our vocabulary. However, a resume should be a streamlined, concise, and detailed document that does not contain filler words. You want to express many ideas, concepts, and achievements in a short amount of space.

Pro tip: Read your resume out loud and try to identify if there are any words that are not necessary for getting your point across.

10. “References Available Upon Request”

Last on our list of what should not be included in a resume is an old favorite, “References Available Upon Request.” You do not need to add this phrase to the end of your resume. Employers know you’ll provide references when they ask for them, so save this space for something else.

Now that you know what not to include in your resume and other common resume mistakes to avoid, use the tips above to strengthen your document and increase your chances of securing an interview with your dream company. Get even more resume advice in our Resource Center, try our Resume Builder, or explore our resume writing services.