The role of any good resume is to provide valuable information—data that helps a recruiter or hiring manager make their decision, and ideally material that causes them to decide in your favor. It is possible, however, for your resume to have too much information. The result? A resume that is either unfocused or simply difficult to read.
But where do you draw the line? When have you officially reached the point where you’re trying to pack too much content into your resume? Here are some warning signs for every resume writer to be aware of.
Signs Your Resume Has Too Much Information
Your resume is too long. Most candidates will have a two-page resume with only senior or C-level job seekers extending their document to three. On the other side of that, one-page resumes are usually only for entry-level job seekers. Remember that your resume is meant to curate your career highlights and arrange them in a way that’s impactful; it’s not meant to be a transcript of everything you’ve ever done or said while on the job.
Your resume has big blocks of text. Your core competency and career history sections should both take the form of bulleted lists—condensing your noteworthy points into brief, easy-to-read points. If you have huge blocks of text, anywhere outside of your executive summary, that likely means you haven’t trimmed or curated well enough.
Your resume repeats itself. There’s really no need to pad your resume by reiterating the exact same skillsets for every single job listing. By all means, opt for a shorter resume instead of a needlessly repetitive one.
Your resume has personal information. To be clear, some personal details are legitimate—even vital. Think specifically of contact information—name, address, phone number, email address. What you don’t need to include are age, marital status, race, etc.
Your resume contains superfluous information. Along the same lines, there are some details that simply don’t belong on a resume. Some common examples:
- High school or college GPA
- Classes you took in school
- Reasons for leaving your previous job
- Salary history—unless it’s specifically requested
- Hobbies—unless they directly tie into the job you’re applying for
Make Your Resume Lean, Focused, and Effective
A good resume packs a wallop by telling your full story without any needless information or repetition. Our resume writers can help you achieve that kind of focus. Contact Grammar Chic, Inc. today to schedule your resume consultation: You can reach us at 803-831-7444 or www.grammarchic.net.
Amanda E. Clark founded Grammar Chic in 2008. She is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University and holds degrees in Journalism, Political Science, and English. She launched Grammar Chic after freelancing for several years while simultaneously leading marketing and advertising initiatives for several Fortune 500 companies.