Personal information:
What to leave off
your Resume or CV

• Resume
• Executive Resume

We like to label things, and based on a small amount of information a recruiter or prospective employer can and will make a number of assumptions about you.

Like it or not, we do need to provide some basic information on our Perth Resume or CV and cover letter including Name, Address and Contact Information, but what else do we need to share on the Resume? Actually - not that much.

Resume tips: Name Format

• First Name | Last Name
• First Name | Middle / Other Names | Last Name
• First Name | Initials | Last Name

What happens if you prefer to use an alias or preferred name on your Resume or CV?

When you are hired by a new employer, you will need to fill in all the legal paperwork – contracts, tax declarations and you will need to supply information regarding bank accounts and superannuation, especially if you want to be paid. These forms require your legal (real) names, but you can state on your contract (usually) if you would prefer to be called something else in the office. I have used the name Elle Bradshaw for a very long time. Bradshaw is my maiden name and Elle is just a lengthened form of my initial L. My “real name” according to the legal documents I sign is Lorraine Lovett, which is what you will find on my Resume or CV. My "preferred" first name comes after I have been offered the job.

Perth Resume tips: Address Format

You can use a standard address protocol on your Resume or CV such as:

Address Line 1
Address Line 2
Suburb, State, Postcode

Perth Resume tips: Social Media

I am more than happy for people to view my LinkedIn profile, and my Resume also contains links to all my social media profiles as I know a potential employer is going to google my name and I want to make it easy for them to see who I am and what I do. As a digital marketer this is an important part of my professional life, so I add it to my Perth Resume or CV to make it easier for them to find me.

However, if your social media contains less than "professional" content eg., Facebook and Instagram, it is wise to put your accounts to private and / or limit who can see your posts.

I worked for a number of years as the Marketing Coordinator for a Family Owned, Christian Brethren Company. While I left my social media accounts public, one of my colleagues was a cage fighter in his spare time. Not wanting people to know (he asked me of course because of my expertise in the area) he tried to get his name removed from images that littered social media and as a consequence Google and Bing as he didn't want this information to go against him within the company.

Have you Googled your name recently? It's an important step if you are applying for a job - don't give anyone a reason not to ask you to attend an interview. Put everything on private and if necessary try and untag yourself from less than flattering social media posts. Your future you will thank you for it.

Perth Resume tips: Email and Telephone Number:

The final pieces of personal information I would add to a Resume or CV is at least one method of contact information. I prefer to provide both my mobile number as it’s the fastest and easiest way to contact me as well as an email address. But it is up to you which you provide.

Perth Resume tips: Other personal information

Unless the position description / advertisement specifically asks you to provide information such as Date of Birth, Marital Status, Number of Children, Sex, Religious or other beliefs – DO NOT provide this information on your Resume or CV. As mentioned above, there will be a requirement to pass on this information when you are filling in your details for payroll, now is not the time to give it as we do not want anything to stand in the way of our Resume or CV getting to the YES pile and a potential job offer. Age Discrimination is rife and in a tough job market we need all the help we can get. If they don't ask - don't give.

Perth Resume tips: Hobbies

I prefer not to have a section on my Resume or CV containing this information. However, they can be useful if they demonstrate a character trait that is important to a job role you are applying for that is. A good example is team sports. Playing a sport shows that you can:

• Work together to achieve a group goal.
• Support and encourage your team mates.
• Understand the importance of leadership and following directions. Or provide those skills to your colleagues.
• Be on time wearing the correct attire; and
• Have fun

If your Perth Resume or CV is light on other examples that prove you are a good team player, then this is an excellent way to highlight these skills, especially for new graduates and school leavers.

One Resume or CV and job application I put together recently was for a graduate engineering role. The candidate had a lot of retail experience (working part time while studying) but it was his passion for electronics that made this Perth Resume and cover letter stand out. This person had researched the specifications, ordered the components and then built his own computer. His hobby was a vital piece in this candidate getting the graduate position.

Perth Resume tips: Why do we leave personal information off our Resumes?

Discrimination is still rife in our society and we do not want to give a potential employer any reason to not consider us for our next role.

If in doubt, leave it off your Resume.

• Resume
• Executive Resume