What should be excluded from a resume?

Unlike some of the other frequently asked resume questions, this one has a straightforward answer: only include material that can help you land an interview. That includes your current contact information, recent employment history that is relevant, and your most noteworthy accomplishments and talents. On the other hand, stay away from any material that would impede that purpose. Adding personal information, in particular, is one area where you might get into difficulty.

Here are some examples of what you should avoid including on your resume:

  • Don’t include physical attributes such as your health, pregnancy status, or age.
  • Don’t include anything that can illegally be used to discriminate against you, unless you want to use that information as a filter.
  • Don’t include any lies. You should be able to back up and detail any information you do include.
  • Don’t include anything negative about previous employers.
  • And don’t use the term “references accessible upon request” in any way. Recruiters prefer you to only bring a list of references to the interview.