Before you start heading to search engines to hunt for scientist jobs near me, getting your resume into shape is a must. While ensuring you include the right pieces of information is essential, making sure that specific personal details aren’t included is just as crucial.

Certain personal tidbits can come with ramifications, such as increasing your odds of becoming a victim of discrimination. Here’s a look at five personal things to leave off your resume.

5 Items to Leave Off Your Resume

1. Your Photo

Generally, including your photograph – even if it’s a professional headshot – on your resume isn’t a wise move. It’s generally considered inappropriate by hiring managers. Plus, it can lead to bias, as your photo reveals a significant amount of demographic information.

Any images can also make your resume hard for automated screeners to scan. As a result, it could lead to interpretation errors that cause you to look like a poor fit, decreasing the odds that your resume is ever viewed by a person.

2. Age-Revealing Dates

Every resume is going to have some dates, particularly in the work history section. However, it’s best to avoid any dates that may reveal your age, as that could increase the odds of discrimination.

Your date of birth is never needed on a resume, so don’t include it. Additionally, it’s best to avoid high school or college graduation dates unless you’re a relatively recent graduate.

Finally, it’s wise to pair down your work history to ensure it doesn’t cover more than 10 to 15 years unless more time is explicitly required by the employer. Usually, that timeframe does enough to showcase your capabilities, so anything more doesn’t typically provide much value and may do little more than reveal your age. Plus, it gives you more space to dig into those roles, which is beneficial.

3. Family Information

Any details about your marital status or whether you have children open you up to discrimination. Plus, it’s not particularly relevant, as it shouldn’t impact how well you can do the job. As a result, it’s best to stick with pertinent details and leave any mention of your family off your resume and out of your cover letter.

4. Religious or Political Affiliations

Discussing your religious affiliation or political preferences on a resume isn’t usually wise. Along with potentially leading to discrimination, it’s generally considered unprofessional or unnecessary in the majority of situations. Since that’s the case, leaving those detail off usually works in your favor.

5. Non-Pertinent Hobbies

While there are situations where your hobbies may be relevant to the job, the vast majority aren’t applicable. Usually, candidates add them thinking it helps them look like a well-rounded person. While that’s not wholly untrue, the hiring manager’s primary concern is whether you can do the job they’re trying to fill. As a result, it’s usually best to avoid listing those activities on your resume, as they’ll do little more than waste space.

Reach Out to Alpha Today!

If you’re searching for scientist jobs near me and want to find an exceptional opportunity quickly and efficiently, Alpha Consulting wants to hear from you. Contact us today.