The 5 personal details you can take out of your resume

Part 2 of a two-part series. Click here to read part 1. 

In a previous post, we named three items we usually see in resumes and have decided on your behalf whether they should be included. Here are three more items you might be on the fence with, and we're telling you whether you should include them on your document.

1. Photo

Nope, you don't have to include your photo on your resume. This could be potentially problematic for you (prejudices of the people who will view your resume) and the company (discrimination lawsuits) you're targeting. What you can do instead is put your LinkedIn profile URL on your resume. Just be sure that the picture on your profile looks professional and approachable.

2. Marital status

You can opt to not include your marital status on your resume. However, if you think this could help you get ahead, then you're free to do so. Hirers might take note of your single status and view you as someone who can work long hours while being married and having a family might mean that you tend to look for stability and thus probably more loyal.

3. Date of birth

This is another detail that you're not required to include. The passage of anti-age discrimination in the Philippines and its longtime presence in most of the developed world have made age and birthday a non-requirement when it comes to your resume. You can still include it, although if you're having trouble getting to interviews, you can try removing this to see what happens next.

4. Nationality

Unless you're applying for a government position of looking for overseas work, this might be something that will just add clutter to your resume.

5. Religion

Not really relevant, especially here in the Philippines and the rest of the world where freedom of religion is paramount. You can try adding this if you think it will be an asset for the company you're aiming.

Other information

For the personal details section of your resume, you're all set once you include the necessities mentioned in this article. You don't need to include your hobbies or even the names of your parents, they're just additional information that are not relevant to your job search. Remember that the main purpose of the resume is to get you to an interview and that including irrelevant details about yourself might ruin your chances of getting a call.

After all, you're writing a resume and not a slam book entry.

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