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Your resumé decluttering challenge

Published Date

Resume on a table in front of a laptop.

Nishwa Chaudhry

by Nishwa Chaudhry

4th-Year Student in International Management & Marketing

Many think that keeping all the information to showcase all their experience on their resumé is a good strategy to impress recruiters. In fact, it only makes it harder for hiring managers to find exactly what they need. While it is important to provide a good amount of relevant information about yourself, it is equally important to stand out quickly in a tall stack of resumés. Here is a little tip: hiring managers much prefer a resumé that is easy to read. Here are a few tips on how to declutter your resumé.

  1. Take out any irrelevant or short jobs

If your temporary jobs showcase the necessary skills required for your target job, then keep them on your resumé. You don’t want to seem like a job hopper or like you are not able to commit to a position for too long. If a position you had is completely irrelevant to what you are applying for, it’s taking up unnecessary space on your resumé and it should be taken out.

  1. You don’t always need an objective

In the past, objectives were a staple part of resumés, and it was one of the first things hiring managers would look at. Today, it can be seen as unnecessary, because your objective is made explicit in your cover letter. Instead, you can choose to replace the objective with a summary of your qualifications. If you decide to put a professional objective, however, make sure it is concise, yet detailed, and tailored to the posting.

  1. Don’t get too personal

Your resumé shouldn’t include details about your personal life such as your full address (city and province should be enough), your previous salary, new salary expectations, why you were terminated or laid off from a previous position, and don’t include photos either. It’s unnecessary, and if your resumé happens to get into the wrong hands, it could create further issues for you down the line.

Getting just the right amount of information on your resumé to find a job can be tricky. Hopefully, these tips will help you save space on your resumé, so you will have room for what’s necessary. When in doubt, don’t hesitate to book an appointment for a resumé critique with the Professional Development Coordinator through Career Launch.