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Weekly Newsletter Vol. 82 - March 26, 2025

Generating your Lead Story…

What Belongs (and What Doesn't) on Your Resume?

Your resume is your personal marketing document. It should be clear, concise, and professional, ensuring that hiring managers can quickly identify your skills, experience, and fit for a role. Unfortunately, many job seekers include elements that detract from their resume’s effectiveness. Below, we break down what doesn’t belong on your resume—and what absolutely does.

What Doesn’t Belong on Your Resume (And Why)

Pictures – While common in some international markets, pictures introduce bias and take up valuable space. Most North American recruiters prefer a text-based resume to ensure a fair hiring process.

Charts/Graphs – Fancy visuals might look appealing, but applicant tracking systems (ATS) struggle to read them. Stick to simple, text-based layouts to ensure your resume gets through initial screenings.

Borders – Decorative elements like borders add unnecessary clutter. A clean, professional design without excessive formatting keeps the focus on your content.

Colours – While a touch of colour might help highlight sections, excessive use of bright or non-traditional colours can make your resume look unprofessional and harder to read.

Paragraphs – Recruiters spend an average of 6-7 seconds scanning a resume. Long paragraphs make it difficult to find key information quickly. Use bullet points for clarity and impact.

Full Address – Your city and state/province are sufficient. Including your full home address is outdated and unnecessary in the digital hiring era.

The Word “Remote” – If a role was remote, specify it within the job description, but don’t list "Remote" in the location field—it’s often unnecessary and clutters the layout.

Previous Locations You Worked (Unless Industry-Specific) – Listing locations for past jobs is often irrelevant unless geography is a key factor in your industry (e.g., real estate, logistics, or local government roles).

Gender – Not relevant to your professional qualifications and introduces potential bias.

References – Recruiters assume references are available upon request, so there’s no need to take up space listing them.

Hobbies – Unless directly related to the job, hobbies don’t contribute to your candidacy. Keep the focus on professional skills and accomplishments.

Quotes – Whether from past employers or personal mottos, quotes take up valuable space and don’t add measurable value to your experience.

What DOES Belong on Your Resume (And Why)

Contact Information – Ensure your name, phone number, professional email address, and LinkedIn profile (if applicable) are easily accessible at the top of your resume.

Personal Summary – A 2-3 bullet points professional summary at the top helps recruiters understand who you are and what you bring to the table. Example:"Results-driven sales professional with 10+ years of experience in B2B SaaS, achieving 140% of annual revenue targets. Proven ability to develop client relationships and drive new business growth."

Skills – A concise section listing relevant skills (both technical and soft skills) allows recruiters to quickly assess your qualifications. Example: CRM Software (Salesforce, HubSpot).

Work Experience – Clearly outline company names, job titles, employment dates, and bullet points showcasing accomplishments. Use the CAR (Challenge, Action, Result) method to highlight achievements. Example:"Led a team of 12 in a digital marketing agency, optimizing client campaigns that resulted in a 25% increase in engagement rates."

Education – Include degrees, diplomas, or relevant coursework, along with the institution name and graduation year (if within the last 10 years).

Certifications – Certifications can set you apart from other candidates. Example: Google Analytics Certified, PMP (Project Management Professional), AWS Solutions Architect.

Projects – If you’ve worked on notable projects, highlight them, especially if they showcase leadership, problem-solving, or innovation. Example:"Developed a recruitment automation system that reduced hiring time by 30%, implemented across three departments."

A well-structured resume ensures that your experience and qualifications shine through without distractions. Stick to a clean, ATS-friendly format and focus on content that demonstrates your value to prospective employers.

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_{(*Disclaimer: these are real experiences provided by RME's community of job seekers and hiring managers)}

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