<p>I feel like "Proficiency in Microsoft Office", for example, should be left off because it's so.....generic, basic, expected, and trivial. It's presumed that you know how to use these programs.</p>
<p>What else should we not put on a resum</p>
<p>When I look at a resume, I’m looking for relevant job skills, not character traits. For example, I’m in the accounting field, so I like to see things like “Accounts Payable,” “General Ledger,” “Reconciliations,” stuff like that.</p>
<p>If I like your skills enough to ask you for an interview, that’s where I will assess your communications skills, your enthusiasm, how generally sharp you seem, and how well you would fit into our organization. I’ll ask you about your past achievements, how you approach problems and setbacks, details about past jobs you’ve done. If I like you after that, I might call former employers to ask about your reliability and your value to the team.</p>
<p>Don’t even mention computer skills on a resume, unless you’ve worked with something really specialized or complex. Basic computer skills are assumed.</p>
<p>I think most employers want info about your schooling, relevant publications, recent honors/awards, prior work experience and relevant volunteer work. Don’t think they really want many adjectives or details about basic computer skills, as it would be assumed UNLESS you have a particular computer certification or something special, like was said above.</p>
<p>Would you toss the honors and awards section if it pushes the resume to over one page?</p>
<p>My sister is looking for work in the accounting field and, in her interviews, they were interested in specific industry-standard software packages (I think that they wanted experience with some PeopleSoft package). Her resume got her the interview but it sounds like listing that particular software package would have made her stand out in job postings where they wanted that particular skill.</p>
<p>Following along.</p>
<p>it would be helpful to know what field you are talking about. For example, in my international field, travel (even if not professional) is important to see. But that would seem trivial in another field.</p>
<p>In my experience there is a wide range of proficiency in Excel and Word. Just being able to build a simple spreadsheet in Excel or write a 10 page term paper in Word is to be expected and not something that needs to be mentioned. If the applicant has built large databases and has created pivot tables in Excel, I’d like to see that. Similarly, if they have used Word to prepare 100 page reports with embedded charts, photographs, linked table of contents for publication, I’d like to see that, too.</p>
<p>As others have mentioned, the resume should ideally be customized for each position you are applying for. Do a little research about the company, the industry and the job itself. Some skills and experiences will be more relevant for some jobs than for others.</p>
<p>BC- depends on what kind of awards. Nationally known ones- Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude- keep. Local ones that don’t have much impact “Alumnus of the year for City High School, class of 2007” gets deleted. Anything that is so obscure or complicated that it takes a paragraph to describe- for sure delete.</p>
<p>Eagle Scout? It stays forever. I have SVP’s at my company who consider it as much a badge of honor as Navy Seal or Rhodes Scholar-- and we’ve noticed a pretty high correlation between Eagles and other distinctions down the road!</p>
<p>Eagle Scout is one of the last “old boys network” type things you can put on a resume. If you are interviewing in a field that likely has former Eagle Scouts it is a plus. If you are interviewing with women or others that were not allowed to be boyscouts it’s probably a minus. So know your audience.</p>
<p>Female hiring managers at my company do not consider Eagle Scout a minus. It’s a distinctive award- and the fact that women don’t become Eagles in no way minimizes that.</p>
<p>Girls can get the Gold award in girl scouts. Unfortunately it does not seem to be as widely known as Eagle Scout.</p>
<p>My daughter’s mother in law put “Churchwoman of the Year-1991” on her resume and linkedin profile. We suggested to her that it needed to be removed.</p>
<p>I agree that specific software trumps general though excel these days seems to be a lost art so that one can’t hurt and is very helpful.</p>
<p>Also, DO NOT send a resume and cover letter (please include the cover letter and personalize it - yes it may get thrown out but for many companies it is the line between read and don’t read), but don’t send from an email address that is silly or suggestive or has a signature quote - regardless of what that quote is!</p>
<p>Shillyshally- great advice. I can’t believe how many resumes I get from “Partygurl101” or “livingfortheweekend@**********”.</p>
<p>Like I want to hire someone who is living for the weekend?</p>
<p>LOL Me too - I have read thousands of resumes and while many do get a chuckle, the ones that get a chuckle also don’t make it past my delete button :)</p>
<p>“When I look at a resume, I’m looking for relevant job skills, not character traits”</p>
<p>Excellent point. </p>
<p>Unless you are carpet-bombing potential employers with your resumes or taking copies to a job fair, you should make some attempts to create a new resume for each position you are applying to, i.e., your resume should be somewhat tailored to the position/ad. If they ask for experience with Western blots, mention that. If they want someone who knows all major and minor tricks of Photoshop, it should be on the resume. Of course, it is never OK to lie about the skills.</p>
<p>Here is a nice short article on what could send your resume to the trash bin:</p>
<p>[5</a> Common Reasons Resumes Get Discarded - News, Search Jobs, Events](<a href=“5 Common Reasons Resumes Get Discarded | BioSpace”>5 Common Reasons Resumes Get Discarded | BioSpace)</p>
<p>Proficient in MS Office (I would hope so)</p>
<p>Fluent in English (it’s implied given your resume is in English)</p>