Last week I asked this question on Twitter and LinkedIn, "What should job seekers leave OFF of their resume?"  As of this writing, this question has generated 44 responses from recruiting, career, HR, and resume professionals and hiring managers.  The number one thing that was suggested to leave off of your resume is something that most job seekers simply put on there because that's how it has traditionally been done.  I'm talking about the Objective at the top of your resume. 

These days, if your resume is not laser focused on the job for which you are applying there is a good chance it will not make the cut.  An ambiguous Objective statement right at the top of your resume does nothing for that focus.  Career coach Ann-Marie Ditta suggested leaving off  "An objective that states "looking for a growth oriented opportunity where I can use my skills and experience" So what, it says nothing to the hiring manager other than you are desperate, self focused, or need a career coach. Avoid cutesy email addresses. "

Veteran recruiter Michael Kelemen, (AKA the Recruiting Animal) concurred with nixing the Objective, "I would leave off the OBJECTIVE or SUMMARY if they are just filled with hackneyed stuff like telling me they're results-oriented, time-sensitive workers. I've actually asked people for evidence of these claims. They tend to be shocked and angered by the question - again because they just mindlessly put down what some ancient resume book tells them to."

David Graziano, Darryl Dioso, Michael Keane, Andy Lester, Eric Thomas, Courtney Wunderlich, Tiffany Skoog, and Mike Avillion all agreed on eliminating the Objective.  There were only a couple of respondents who disagreed.  One caveat may be for a new grad for whom it's not obvious what they are seeking in a career.  But in general, I think if you are going to put anything in that top spot, it should be something of a positioning statement that speaks directly to the job description and includes every keyword in the employer's requirements.  If you don't have the background to back that up, you may not be a fit for the job.  Absolutely do not put anything there that is ambiguous.  When in doubt, leave it out.

The other main suggestion that was conveyed by the respondents is that job seekers should leave anything off of their resume that does not directly relate to the job at hand.  I think that is clear enough and covers quite a bit.  Less is more.  Bill Vick, author, and founder of ExtremeRecruiting.TV, suggests even that the resume itself is one of the smaller tools in a successful job search.    

"I think what should be included is as important to look at as what should be left off.

Too often smart, brainy and talented people forget what brought them to the party in the first place and spend so much time dinking around with their resume they seem to forget people hire people - not resumes.

Like driving your car glance in back of you as you drive down that road to your next job but concentrate on what's ahead and tell 'future' stories of what you can do - not what you have done. Telling is not selling and ultimately over 70% of all hires are done because of a reference or relationship. Focus on those, not your resume."

Thank you to all those who responded to this question, making this great list possible.

The top 10 things to leave OFF of your resume. 

10. Religious or Political Affiliations

9. Toastmasters

8. Hobbies

7. Photos

6. MENSA

5. Compensation

4. Family Info (Marital Status, Children, Pets)

3. References Available Upon Request

2. Anything not relevant to the position for which you are applying

1. Objective

View the full list of responses here.  What's your opinion?  Would love to hear your comments.

 

View additional comments at the RecruitingBlogs.com posting of this article:  http://www.recruitingblogs.com/top-10-things-to-leave-off-of-your-resume

Here a network, there a network, everywhere a social network.  Perhaps it's overkill, but we are all now a part of so many social communities online that sometimes it feels as if we are no longer growing closer together, but farther apart.  This is especially true in the staffing and recruiting community.  We recruiters, by definition, tend to overdo it in the area of networking. 

Through Ning niche groups like RecruitingBlogs, TalentBar, Recruiter Earth, Fordyce Letter Network, and others, I have met more talented people in the recruiting business from all over the world than I ever thought possible when I started recruiting back in 1995.  But there is so much going on with all these groups that it is sometimes tough to keep up.  And the place where I ultimately end up hearing about much of this activity is Twitter.

Just a short while ago the founders of RecruitingBlogs and TalentBar announced a coordinated effort to bring recruiters together on Twitter to participate in split placements with Splits.org.  This gave my friend, Susan Kang Nam (@pinkolivefamily), a great idea for a monthly get-together on Twitter for recruiters from all these diverse networks to discuss current issues and events, #splits, and generally get to know each other better all in one place and one time, in 140 characters or less of course.

She asked me to help her coordinate this effort and I told her "Hell no!"  Okay, that's not true.  It's nearly impossible to tell her no.  And I have no backbone.  And she threatened my family.  Seriously, I thought it was such a great idea that I enthusiastically agreed, and here we are.  There was much debate on what to name such an event.  Since we were trying to connect networks of talent professionals, I had a brain spasm to call it #TalentNet.  I created a facebook group for announcements and so forth.  You can join it here.  And you can follow #TalentNet on Twitter at @TalentNet.

Please join us this coming Wednesday, April 29th, at 9pm Eastern time on Twitter at #TalentNet to join in the conversation.  We'll do it again on the last Wed. of each month at the same time.  Network with your peers, exchange ideas, and get the latest news from the recruiting community.  The top Twitterers in the talent world will be on hand.  Remember to tag your comments with #talentnet.  If you are new to the whole hashtag thing, just go to search.twitter.com and type in #talentnet.  It's that easy.

Susan and I will be on BlitzTime, a call in networking forum, next Wed. at 12pm Eastern to talk about Twitter and #TalentNet.  Now please go join the TalentNet facebook Group and participate in the discussion on Twitter next Wed. night, or Susan may send @Chris Brogan over to your house with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch. 

Seriously, this is going to be cool.  Can't wait to see you all there.

This is how a highly skilled recruiter tackles an opportunity to land a dream job. 

I got to know Karla Porter through various recruiting networks over the last year or so, and more closely through Twitter over the last several months.  I have grown to respect her opinions, ideas, and her straight forward generosity.  So when she sent me a note on Twitter that said basically, "We are supposed to be the experts at this and I have a job interview pending that is making me very nervous", I immediately sent her some info to reassure her and offered heaps encouragement.  I asked her to keep me updated, and we kept digital fingers crossed through direct messages on Twitter for the next few weeks.

I didn't realize quite what Karla was going through until she told me one day that the finger crossing had worked and that she was offered this very high profile position.  I asked her to email me the details and she did.  But what she sent me was a lesson in expert preparation, interview strategy, and follow-up worthy of review by anyone pursuing a new job opportunity.

"I was a high volume, full-cycle Recruiter for entry through executive level positions in a fast-paced call center. I was there for 7.5 years and was so busy and entrenched I really never looked for another job in all that time. I was very comfortable there, live 5 minutes away and had a good amount of autonomy which I liked. For the past year or so I had toyed with the idea of independent recruiting and the dream of working from home but I know it's a tough market to break into and I never moved on it. I did join an on line staffing service that sucks $68. a month out of my bank account for backend services which I have never used. I think it is wrong I should have to pay a monthly fee and a sizeable cut of the commission too. Something about lifetime residual income doesn't sit right with me. Joining must have been some kind of psychological plea because I could be giving that money to charity each month and it would have a purpose, and I know better. I need to cancel my account.

About a month ago I received a call to ask if I would be interested in interviewing for the Director of Workforce Development position that was recently made vacant by a person who had been in the position for many years. I know this person and she liked the job very much but she had moved on to another chapter of her life. I figured I should give it a shot after I read the job description and it sounded about 85% like me. The other 15% I had no clue about but I scanned for the word algebra and it wasn't there so I assumed it would be safe.

The interview was a 6 person panel and really very conversational. It wasn't the stiff corporate interview I expected or the kind I am used to conducting myself. They said they were looking for "fit" and that they had narrowed down a flood of resumes to 6 very qualified candidates. All the interviews were conducted the same day and I was the last person scheduled. I decided that after a day of interviewing the panel would probably be ready to go to sleep from exhaustion so I strategized to wake them up and engage them.

I went prepared with a flash drive of work examples. They didn't want to see any of it. They said they were familiar with both my professional work and service to the community and my skills were not in question. The interview was scheduled for 45 minutes but they talked with me for 1.5 hours.  I would be kidding myself and you too if I said I didn't have some butterflies behind my rib cage the first few minutes. it had been a very long time since I was on the other side of the table. I took the approach to interview them; asking questions that I knew would set me up for success. Questions like, "Are you looking for someone to maintain the functions of the position status quo or move it to the next level?" and "How important is it that the candidate of choice understand the changing demographic of our local workforce?" These were questions that I knew the answers to and that I asked to further cement my skills, talents and experience in their minds. The interview was full of thoughtful, passionate, dynamic conversation with a sprinkle of humor. I left with a really good feeling.

I also let people I have a solid history with that I would want to use as references know I was interviewing. I called them the day before the interview to let them know of my intent, to let them know of my excitement at the opportunity and to ask for advice. Without having to ask for support they offered to make phone calls to let the organization's leaders know I would be a valuable asset to have on board. I was thrilled!

I did everything that I would expect a top candidate to do; down to the handwritten thank you notes promptly sent the day after the interview, etc. I focused on accomplishments not a laundry list of responsibilities in my resume. I talked to a couple of Recruiters I respect and a friend who is a marketing genius about the opportunity and my interview strategy. I never acted interested in salary during the interview and of course didn't bring it up. When asked why I was interested in the position I said it was my desire to serve my community that compelled me to apply and that I was not an active job seeker. I told them I was perfectly happy with my job but that the opportunity to use my talents for the greater good of the community was more attractive than using them for just one organization.

A week later I got a call asking if I was still interested. There was discussion of salary and benefits and I found out I was one of two final candidates. I offered to come for a second interview or to be assigned a project of their choosing. I was told it wouldn't be necessary but it was putting me over the edge in a good way to offer and that my energy was impressive and to just sit tight. The next week I got the offer call. Though I had very positive feelings the entire time, I was concerned politics might get in my way because I am not politically connected and I didn't know who the other candidate was. I feel really good that wasn't the case, that I was offered the position based on merit and that they were savvy enough to recognize the best person for the job.

My boss claimed shock when I called to give my resignation notice. Other senior staff was surprised too.  But honestly, they shouldn't have been. For years I had worked outside of my job description, stretching it and pushing the boundary of it into other areas. I developed business cases and did presentations on the use of new recruiting technologies and employer brand management, educated my peers at other sites and superiors on Gen Y and effective strategies for multiple generations to work together, driven attract and retain initiatives, developed relationships with Area Agency on Aging for older workers, local technical schools and colleges. I was selected to serve on committees with Directors and VPs regarding HR and other areas like the integration of emerging technologies, for example. This in addition to 185 hires last year alone (The Generalist and I shared an admin assistant but it is a one Recruiter site). The hours were often marathon like.

These were things that my peers at other sites and our HR VP's were not versed on; they all just rely on internet job boards, newspaper classifieds and job fairs. I openly asked for opportunity which was often given but rarely recognized for in the way I had hoped. My hope had turned out to be an unrealistic one, that the company would recognize my contributions with a promotion or the creation of a specialized position. Senior leaders through the highest level expressed that they were sad to lose me but happy for my opportunity. I felt weird about it because I would have stayed with them had they allowed me to grow formally within the organization. Instead, it took an outside organization to recognize my value.

I'm overjoyed to have accepted a wonderful opportunity and high profile position in the community with what I see as endless possibility. I start April 10^th, wish me luck...."

Karla Porter can be found on major social networking sites. She welcomes you to follow her on Twitter @karla_porter .  I highly recommend that you do.  -CF

Last night at a Tweetup in Dallas, a girl who I have become friends with through Twitter asked me why I tweet back a thank you to her when she retweets something I have posted.  "Because I appreciate it!"  I said honestly.  "But you know me."  She replied.  Recently I have had more and more people asking why I thank them for retweeting me.  And some saying that thanks for retweeting is not necessary. 

It is a great compliment to the original tweeter.  And I was raised to always say thank you if I receive a compliment.  Beyond that, I am posting to my network and yours that I appreciate the fact that you retweeted me.  This exposes you to my network as someone who sees value in quality material and will help send that message on to others.  People will follow you because of this.  These are the reasons that I publicly thank you for retweeting me.

Some people feel that kind of thanks is best sent in a direct message, one that only you and the recipient see.  But that doesn't spread the love as much in my opinion.  Does that make sense?  I don't just thank people I am already familiar with.  I thank new followers everyday.  This further gets their name out and helps to build their network. 

Applications such as Twitter Grader track how often you reply to people both in your network and out of your network.  And for good reason.  People who reply and converse publicly, whether it is just to say thanks or to comment further, are more fun to follow.  Its great to follow famous Twitter users who have tens of thousands of followers and provide good content on a regular basis.  But after a while it gets a bit old if you never hear anything from them directly.  And then, if you do hear something back, its only in a direct message.  A direct message from a top Twit is great too, don't get me wrong.  But it doesn't show your twitterverse that the Twitter celeb is actually acknowledging you.  I know that sounds trivial, but unfortunately that's one of the things that gets others to follow you.

Twitter cynics will say,  "But I don't care if people follow me.  I don't need big numbers."  Well, good for you.  But personally, I like networking with many people.  It's sort of my job because I am a recruiter.  And if you have a job, or a business, or anything else that networking is good for, then you should agree.  The whole idea is to get to know new people.  Some of my best resources on Twitter have come from the most unlikely of followers. 

So thanks to you all for retweeting me.  Much appreciated.  Cheers, CF

So do you agree?  Should retweeters be thanked publicly?  Am I nuts?  Let me hear from you.

This week I had the dubious honor of being the featured guest on the Recruiting Animal Show on Blog Talk Radio.  The Recruiting Animal is sort of a Jim Rome type of interviewer.  His shtick is to be bombastic, throw curve balls, cut people off if they don't answer quickly or interestingly enough.  But he is smart and thoroughly researches his subjects who he enjoys picking apart.  So it was, with not so slight trepidation, that I joined him on his show on possibly the worst day for doing so, April Fools Day! 

Well it turned out that some friends called in to support me when the talk turned to searching for job candidates on Twitter.  And we ended up with a very informative show.  I didn't have to talk nearly as much as I feared I would have to for a one hour show.  Some listeners even complained that they didn't get to hear enough from me.  But I was fine with that.  And to Animal's credit, he expertly edited the audio to create an 18 minute file that clearly shows, step by step, how you can use Twitter to identify and contact prospective job candidates.

I have personally had good success recruiting with Twitter.  There are plenty of job seekers there, with good reason (there are lots of good recruiters there)  And I love technology.  And Twitter (as beautifully simple as it is) is still a bit of a technical wonder.  I think we converted some skeptics, and presented some great info for the recruiting community's collective tool belt.  One of these days I'll have time to do a written version of these tips.  But for now, here is the audio:

Here is the short version MP3 file of the edited Audio, How to recruit on Twitter

Here is the link to the show and the full-length audio

And here is Animal's post of the show on RecruitingBlogs.com

As to Animal (@animal on Twitter), I appreciate the work he puts into his show.  He wants it to be entertaining.  And guests are expected to help make that happen.  So I can't fault him for jumping in where he thinks it is warranted.  After all, its his show.  I had listened to it a few times before and winced along with the rest of the audience when he would pounce on an unresponsive guest.  But my experience with him was great.  Not always comfortable, but still great.  Sort of like when a comedian picks you out of the audience. 

Now I have to emphasize again that I had HELP!  Animal had a couple of sidekicks along (ostensibly ready to refute my stance that Twitter is a good recruiting tool) when I called in, recruiters Jerry Albright (@jerry_albright) and Harry Joiner (@ecommercejobs).  Maureen Sharib (@MaureenSharib) acts as producer and is always on hand.  Karla Porter (@karla_porter), David Graziano (@davegraziano), and Jason Davis (@recruitingblogs aka Slouch, creator of RecruitingBlogs.com) all called in for the discussion.  Everyone had something instructive to add and it really made for a good exchange. 

Here is a bit of what I wrote to Animal after the show:

"The only person I didn't know before the show was Harry Joiner.  And he played a great role.  Karla and Dave are pretty good Twitter friends of mine (damn it still sounds weird to say "twiiter friends").  And I kind of know Maureen, Jerry, and JD through Twitter. Recruitingblogs.com, TalentBar.com, etc.  Everyone did well and chipped in, which was quite a relief for me."

Thanks to all.  And a special shout out to Susan Kang Nam (@pinkolivefamily) who connected me with Animal in the first place. 

So, my friends, if you dare square off with Animal, my advice is to be sure you get to the point quickly.  And be sure the point is worth getting to.  Or have your friends ready to prop you up with some great subject matter. 

Good show Animal!