It’s a great time to be a job seeker! Many employers are currently short staffed, which means that job seekers like you have a lot of options when it comes to applying for new positions. However, this doesn’t mean that you can just throw all of your job searching skills out the window.
One way to get a great new job is to work with a staffing agency. At Liberty Staffing, we help job seekers find new employment that meets their needs. Reach out to us today to find out more about how we can help you find a great new job.
We have posted some advice on our blog about the things you should include on your resume, but when you’re working on your resume, these are some of the things that you should not include. Read on.
1. Drop the Objective
The objective line is mostly a thing of the past when it comes to modern resume-building. Objectives take up a lot of valuable space when you want to be as concise as possible. They are also known for being kind of meaningless.
Instead of writing an objective, you could include a short biographical statement that tells the hiring manager a little bit about who you are and why you stand out from the crowd.
2. Don’t Be Divisive
Unless it is absolutely part of the job description to adhere to a certain set of political or social beliefs, it is always best to drop anything that might be considered divisive.
Strong political opinions, bizarre interests, unusual and off-putting hobbies, and otherwise polarizing details are best left off of a resume.
3. Don’t Make Anything Up!
It seems obvious that you shouldn’t lie on your resume. Unfortunately, it’s still a reality that many hiring managers have to deal with every day. Nothing is more frustrating–and will get you blacklisted by an employer faster–than the discovery of untruths or exaggerations on your resume.
Employers want to hire trustworthy people to join their teams, not just people with the right credentials. When they find out that you fabricated a job title, exaggerated your job responsibilities, or falsified credentials, you’re not only going to miss out on getting the job, but you’re going to be putting roadblocks in the way of getting hired anywhere.
4. Avoid Third Person
When we write in the first person, we write from our point of view, using personal pronouns like I and we. Often, writing in the first person can feel awkward and self-promotional, and may seem unprofessional.
Third person, on the other hand, is when you refer to yourself without using personal pronouns. So instead of I was responsible for managing three direct reports, third person writing would say, She was responsible for managing three direct reports.
This strategy, even though it might help you avoid some of the pitfalls of writing in the first person, looks a little ridiculous to most hiring managers. It comes across as insincere because they know you’re the one who wrote the resume, right? It is also awkward and unnatural.
So what should you do? We recommend that you drop the pronouns altogether. Instead of I was responsible for managing three direct reports, write something like this:
- Promoted to retail manager within six months.
- Managed three direct reports.
- Facilitated weekly staff meetings.
5. Don’t Include a Job-Related Email Address
If your only email address is one associated with your current or most recent job, it’s time to change that.
Employers don’t want to correspond with people who are emailing from an account with a different company. Even if it is in a totally different industry, it sends the idea that you are searching for a new job on company time.
Get a personal, professional-sounding email address that allows you to communicate with potential employers without having any connection to your previous job.
Let Us Help With Your Resume!
We see countless resumes every year as we help connect job seekers with great employers. We can provide you with the valuable advice you need to get your resume in order. When you’re ready to submit it to a potential employer, it will have everything it needs–and will omit the things that should be omitted.
Contact Liberty Staffing today to learn how we can help find the best job for you!
