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She was
proud of the resume she handed me. It was certainly comprehensive, from her
first job in the 60's up to the present. She even listed her marital status,
physical condition and weight.
Most wouldn't dream of putting most of this information on a resume,
and with good reason. If you started working in the 60's, chances are
employers will do the math and figure you're gearing up for retirement.
And, while age discrimination is illegal, it does exist. Listing personal
information, such as marital status and weight, is none of a prospective
employer's business. Plus, it's unprofessional.
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But what if you have been working
since the 60's? What if a cornerstone of your work life began, say, in
1967 and stretched through to, say, 1991? I advise my clients against
listing both sets of years (e.g. 1967-1991) and instead list only the end
year (e.g. -1991).
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I also advise customers to
not put the year of high school graduation, for the same reason. And,
unless your college degree is still fresh (within the past five years), I
advise you to drop the date off that, as well.
Is this just smoke and mirrors? Is this lying? Yes to the first, no to the
second. You are still providing your experience and skills, but taking away
their initial objections. When you eliminate objections, you will be judged
on your merit alone.
There are resumes that list hobbies and activities. Get rid of that
section. You may be asked at an interview what you do in your spare time,
and you can answer. But listing "reading, movies and Scrabble"
wastes valuable space on your resume and is irrelevant to employers. Again,
including this information is often seen as unprofessional.
Another biggie: Do NOT
put anything on your resume that may indicate what religion or political
party you belong to. Sad as it is, discrimination still exists. These are
the two hot buttons your mom told you never to discuss, and you shouldn't
put them on your resume, either.
Also avoid the urge, if you have one, to put your picture or a cute graphic
on your resume. It's sophomoric. One resume came by my desk, in fact, that
had a naked baby boy urinating. How many employers would take someone like
that seriously? Additionally, while you may be quite handsome or beautiful,
if you include a picture of yourself on your resume, employers will often
see you as beautiful and
unprofessional.
IN THE CARAVAN: Don't
give an employer discriminatory ammunition to not call you in for an
interview.
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bSafari.c
The Lion’s Pride: Resumes
