Personal Interests / Personal Information

This is the 8th and last in our 8 part series. Follow us at https://twitter.com/fulltimeGiGS for other recommendations that get your resume seen by the hiring manager.

Personal Interests / Personal Information

We do not recommend the inclusion of a “Personal Interests / Personal Information” section on your resume. Often we see resumes with all sorts of information not pertinent to a professional application for a job opportunity.

In some parts of the world it is customary to include certain personal information. However, in the United States it is generally not appropriate to include a “Personal Interests/Personal Information” section on your resume.

Your resume is your initial introduction to a potential employer in your job search. It is a professional representation of you, your skills, accomplishments and abilities. Let’s keep it that way. Keep it professional.

Some items we have seen, but that should not be specified on your resume or shared with the perspective employer at this stage of your job search, include the following:

• Birthdate
• Gender
• Social Security Number
• Photograph
• Marital Status
• Number of Children
• Name of Father
• Hobbies
• Religious Affiliation
• Health/Fitness Status
• Height/Weight/Physical Description
• Driver License Number
• Social Media Addresses

If you are considering the inclusion of a “Personal Interests/Personal Information” section or any of the above listed items on your resume, our recommendation is to leave them off. In most cases they only detract from the professional appearance of your resume and your ability to land a new job opportunity.

We hope you found these tips useful and that they will get you closer to finding that next career opportunity! I encourage you to provide your comments in the “Leave a Reply” box below.

This is the 8th and last in our 8 part series. Follow us at https://twitter.com/fulltimeGiGS for other recommendations that get your resume seen by the hiring manager.
Previous articles in this series include:

Resumes That Get Noticed – Part 1 of 8: Introduction
Resumes That Get Noticed – Part 2 of 8: Resume Styles
Resumes That Get Noticed – Part 3 of 8: Identification & Contact Information
Resumes That Get Noticed – Part 4 of 8: Objective, Skills & Summary
Resumes That Get Noticed – Part 5 of 8: Employment History
Resumes That Get Noticed – Part 6 of 8: Education / Training
Resumes That Get Noticed – Part 7 of 8: Professional Recognition, Honors & Awards
Resumes That Get Noticed – Part 8 of 8: Personal Interests/Personal Information

#GreatJobsTalentedPeople

Sources & Related Articles:

1. “Tips and Advice on How to Write a Resume” (multiple articles)
By Alison Doyle, About.com Guide
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/resumewriting/qt/writeresume.htm

2. “Customized Resume Objective Gets Better Results”
From Laura Schneider
http://jobsearchtech.about.com/od/gettingthejob/qt/resobj.htm

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4. “How to Target a Resume for a Specific Job”
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-target-a-resume-for-a-specific-job0.html

5. “10 Steps: How to Write a …”
by Susan Ireland
http://susanireland.com/resume/how-to-write/

6. Put Your Education to Work on Your …”
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http://career-advice.monster.com/resumes-cover-letters/resume-writing-tips/put-your-education-to-work/article.aspx