1. Photographs

While recruiters in some countries do require a photograph with each resume, in the US, this is strictly among the things to never put on your resume. After all, your appearance has nothing to do with your professional abilities and it should not influence whether or not you’ll be getting a job interview. Also, in most cases, a photo takes up valuable space on your resume—space that you should use to promote your key skills. In reality, these skills are what will truly land you that job. For more on modern standards, you can check out Indeed’s Career Advice for the latest resume trends.

2. Irrelevant Job Experience

You are not going to impress your potential employer by mentioning every little job you ever had, especially if they are not relevant to the position at hand. A resume should be short, well-written, and straight to the point. On the other hand, if you don’t really have much job experience yet, experts say that you can include slightly unrelated positions as long as you demonstrate how they prepared you for a job in your new field. This is also a great time to ensure your overall package is strong, perhaps by learning how to write a winning cover letter to help bridge any experience gaps.

3. Hobbies

Most employers are not exactly thrilled about finding out about your personal hobbies while reading your professional resume. The space on your resume should be used in the best possible way to show recruiters that you are the perfect candidate for their role. However, if one of your hobbies is directly related to that company or the industry they are in, make sure you mention it strategically to catch your potential employer’s attention.

Safe Hobbies to Include (If Relevant):

4. False Information

I’m sure you all know you should never lie on your resume, as those lies can be very easily spotted by a seasoned recruiter. Make sure that all the information in your resume is always 100% accurate, because any "embellishments" you might be tempted to add are very easy to verify. Institutions internationally usually offer all kinds of information to recruiters as public records. Additionally, many companies will freely give details about your former position to whoever asks. It is always best to be honest about everything so nothing damages your long-term career.

5. Personal Information

Your resume should not include any personal information beyond your basic contact details like your phone number and professional email address. These are necessary so they can contact you for an interview. Just leave out things like race, sexual orientation, marital status, religious beliefs, political views, or how many children you have. All these things have nothing to do with your skills or your ability to do the job, so why waste precious space? It’s best to simply leave them out.

6. Physical Characteristics

Just like photographs, you don’t need to include any details regarding your physical characteristics in your resume. This kind of information is not relevant to the hiring process, so it’s best to leave it out. There are a few exceptions where certain physical attributes are a requirement, such as for models or security guards. Experts say that in legal terms, this is known as a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ); if the employer specifically asks for this information because of a BFOQ, then you should provide it.

7. Salary History

This is another very important thing you should never include in your resume if you are trying to get that job you’ve always dreamed about. The salary is often negotiated during the interview and usually after you’ve been offered the position. Don't rush and spoil your chances of getting a bigger paycheck by including your salary history upfront. This information is irrelevant to your current value and it could really harm your salary negotiation later on. To prepare for those later stages, you might look into tips for acing your next interview or check The Muse for more resume advice.

These are the things you should always remember if you are trying to get your resume-writing skills to the next level. Do you know any other things one should never include in their resume? Please share your advice with us in the comments section!