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10 Things to remove from your CV What to Include Instead When your resume is facing the six-second resume test, it's important to exclude information that will distract the hiring manager from seeing your true qualifications. On top of that, there are life and career details you should omit as they are obstacles or present illegal information as is defined by the Equal Employment Opportunity people. In fact, there are at least 15 things you should NOT include in a resume. Learning Outcome By the end of this blog post, readers will learn: The most common mistakes people make on their CV. 10 things to remove from your CV to improve your chances of getting hired. Why removing unnecessary or outdated information is important. What should not be included in a CV. How to create a cleaner, more professional, and job-attracting CV. Read also: Avoid 10 Common Mistakes When Applying for Jobs Topic Contents Outline Introduction Why You Must Remove Certain Things from Your CV 10 Things to Remove from Your CV Irrelevant Personal Information Outdated Work Experience Unnecessary Skills Long Paragraphs and Big Text Blocks Irrelevant Hobbies and Interests Negative Words or Phrases Unprofessional Email Addresses Salary Expectations References Available Upon Request Unclear or Fancy Fonts Conclusion Self Assessment References Read also: How to Write a CV for an NGO Job in Nigeria Topic Goal The goal of this blog post is to help job seekers understand the things to remove from your CV so that they can make their CV more attractive and professional. This will increase their chances of being selected by recruiters and employers. Introduction Your CV is your first chance to make a good impression on an employer. It tells the company who you are, what you can do, and why they should hire you. But many people put things on their CV that should not be there. These things can make your CV look messy, unprofessional, and boring. If you want to get a job, you must know the things to remove from your CV. In this blog post, we will talk about the 10 things to remove from your CV. These are things that do not help you get a job. In fact, they may even stop you from getting called for an interview. We will also explain what should not be included in a CV and why removing unnecessary details is very important. This guide is simple to understand and will help you make your CV better. Topic Content Why You Must Remove Certain Things from Your CV Before we look at the things to remove from your CV, let’s talk about why this is important. When a recruiter reads your CV, they only spend a few seconds to decide if you are the right person for the job. If your CV is full of useless or old information, the recruiter may not see the important parts. Removing unwanted things from your CV will make it look clean, clear, and professional. It will also help you focus on the most important things to include in a resume. Now let’s look at the 10 things to remove from your CV. Irrelevant Personal Information Many people make the mistake of putting too much personal information in their CV. You do not need to tell the employer your age, marital status, religion, or full home address. These details are not related to the job. Read also: Best Samples of Cover Letter for NGO Job in Nigeria What should not be included in a CV? Personal details like: Date of birth Marital status Religion Full home address These things do not help you get the job. In some cases, they may even cause bias. Instead, you should only include your name, phone number, email address, and LinkedIn profile (if you have one). Outdated Work Experience Another important thing to remove from your CV is old work experience. If you have jobs from more than 10-15 years ago that are not related to the job you are applying for, it’s better to leave them out. Things to remove from your CV sample: Old jobs that do not show the skills the employer wants. Employers want to see recent and useful experience, not every job you ever did. Focus on the most recent jobs that are relevant to the position you are applying for. Unnecessary Skills It is good to have skills on your CV. But if you list skills that everyone has or that are not useful for the job, you are wasting space. Remove these words from your resume: "Hardworking" "Team player" "Good communication skills" These are expected by all employers. Instead, list real, technical skills like “Project Management,” “Adobe Photoshop,” or “Data Analysis” if they match the job. Long Paragraphs and Big Text Blocks Recruiters do not have time to read long paragraphs. If your CV is full of big text blocks, the reader may get tired and skip it. Things to remove from your CV: Long and boring descriptions. Use short sentences and clear bullet points. Make your CV easy to read. Keep your points short and simple. Irrelevant Hobbies and Interests It’s okay to list hobbies, but only if they relate to the job. Saying you like watching movies or playing chess does not help if you are applying for a bank job. What should not be included in a CV?Hobbies that have nothing to do with your work. For example, if you are applying for a design job, you can mention your interest in painting or photography. But if your hobby is gardening and the job is in IT, you can leave it out. Read also: Guide to Get Work with NGOs in Nigeria Negative Words or Phrases Remove negative phrases like: "I was fired from my last job" "I am looking for any job" "I have no experience but..." Things to remove from your CV: Negative words or phrases that make you sound weak. Stay positive. Show your strengths, not your weaknesses. If you lack experience, focus on your skills or education instead. Unprofessional Email Addresses Your email address is part of your first impression. If your email is funny or childish, it looks unprofessional. Things to remove from your CV sample: Email addresses like: crazydude123@gmail.com princesscutie@gmail.com Make a simple email like: john.doe@gmail.com This looks clean and professional. Salary Expectations Some people put their expected salary on their CV. This is not a good idea unless the employer asks for it. What should not be included in a CV? Salary details unless the job advert says to include them. Talking about money too early may turn off employers. Discuss salary later, during the interview stage. References Available Upon Request Many CVs end with this line: "References available upon request." Things to remove from your CV: This sentence. Employers know they can ask for references. You don’t need to write this. It saves space to remove it. Unclear or Fancy Fonts Some people use fancy or strange fonts to make their CV look unique. This is a bad idea. It can make your CV hard to read. What should not be included in a CV? Fonts that are: Too fancy Hard to read Very small or very big Use simple fonts like Arial or Calibri, size 11 or 12. This makes your CV look clean and professional. The Most Important Things to Include in a Resume Now that you know the things to remove from your CV, what are the most important things to include in a resume? Your name and contact details A short personal summary Relevant work experience Key skills that fit the job Education and certifications Achievements or awards By focusing on these, you make your CV strong and attractive to employers. Why Removing Unwanted Things is Important When you remove the wrong things from your CV, you make room for the right things. Your CV becomes easier to read, more professional, and more likely to catch the recruiter’s attention. Many people don’t know what should not be included in a CV. They add everything, thinking it makes them look better. But this is a mistake. Quality is better than quantity. A good CV is short, clear, and focused. Also, by removing things like old jobs, useless skills, and irrelevant hobbies, you show that you understand what the employer wants. This gives you a better chance to get the job. Tips to Make Your CV Better Check your CV carefully before sending it. Remove these words from your resume: hardworking, team player, responsible. Use strong, real action words like: "led," "managed," "achieved." Keep your CV short, 1-2 pages is enough. Make sure your contact details are correct. Save your CV as a PDF so the formatting stays the same. By doing these simple things, your CV will be stronger. Conclusion Your CV is your personal marketing tool. It shows employers who you are and why they should hire you. But if your CV is full of things that do not help, you may lose your chance. In this post, we talked about 10 things to remove from your CV. We also discussed what should not be included in a CV. These things include irrelevant personal details, old work experience, unnecessary skills, and more. By removing these things, your CV will become clearer, stronger, and more professional. You will make a better first impression on employers. Remember, less is more. A clean, focused CV is better than a long, messy one. So, take time to check your CV today. Remove anything that does not help. Make your CV the best it can be. Self Assessment Answer these questions to check your understanding: Why is it bad to include irrelevant personal information on your CV? How old should work experience be before you remove it from your CV? Why should you not use fancy or unclear fonts on your CV? What is wrong with using an unprofessional email address? Why should you avoid writing "References available upon request" on your CV? If you can answer these questions, you understand what things to remove from your CV. References "CV Writing Tips." Indeed.com. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resume-samples "How to Write a Resume." The Balance Careers. https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-write-a-resume-2063339 "10 Things to Remove from Your Resume." Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2016/08/21/ten-things-to-leave-off-your-resume "What Not to Include in a Resume." Monster.com. https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/what-not-to-include-resume

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