Your resume is a great opportunity to leave a good first impression on your potential employer. Hiring managers must go over hundreds of resumes, and they may not always have the time to read every detail written on your resume.

On average, the recruiter will spend 7 seconds on your resume. So, you must ensure your resume is crisp and concise while covering all work experiences and achievements relevant to the position you are applying for.

The last thing you need is for the employer to get annoyed due to the sheer number of distractions or irrelevant information on your resume. We review a couple of ways to improve your resume by eliminating all such distractions that may make your resume appear wordy and hard to read.

Your Full Mailing Address

Initially, you only need to provide your primary email address and phone number where the employer can contact you. You can also add your LinkedIn URL for the employer to look at. However, your full mailing address is information often required by the human resources department after hiring.

Irrelevant Work Experiences

If you have had many job experiences in the past, you may be tempted to list all of them down. However, it is best to include experiences relevant to the position. For example, you can add job experiences in similar industries. Ensure there aren’t any unexplained employment gaps in your resume.

Personal Information Or Details

There is no need for you to include details like marital status, religion, social security number, ethnicity, and more than one phone number on your resume. Employers discourage having this information on resumes as it has led to instances of discrimination in the past.

Your Interests And Hobbies

If your hobbies and interests are not relevant to the job or add value to your resume, don’t include them, as this is only a waste of space and the employer’s time. Employers often cover this information during interview questions while getting to know you better.

Long And Wordy Objective Statement

Your objective statement should not be longer than 3 to 4 lines and must summarize your experiences, qualifications, and achievements that make you the perfect fit for the job. Make sure to avoid writing long objective statements!

References

Don’t add the contact information of your references unless explicitly specified. There is also no need to add the “references available upon request” section. If the employer needs references, they will ask for them at them.

Too Many Bullet Points Under Each Heading

Don’t add too many bullet points. The employer doesn’t need to know everything you did at your previous job. Read the job description of the position you are applying for and add relevant past experiences accordingly.

Your resume must be clear and concise. It must highlight all the information that makes you the perfect candidate. It is good to proofread and edit your resume before sending it in.

Removing irrelevant information and de-cluttering your resume will make it easy for the employer to evaluate relevant accomplishments and skills. Follow the tips mentioned in this blog post, and you will have a better chance of passing the screening test.