Resume Checklist: What Must Be Included and What Must Be Left Out

Must Include

Must NOT Include

Full Name & Target Title: First and last name, along with a professional header (e.g., Data Analyst).

Full Home Address: Street address, apartment number, or zip code (this poses privacy and security risks).

Professional Email Address: A simple email like firstname.lastname@email.com.

Unprofessional Emails: Avoid old or casual email handles (e.g., coolcoder2015@email.com).

Phone Number & City/State: Primary phone number and general location (e.g., Austin, TX or Remote).

Personal Demographics: Marital status, age, date of birth, religion, or national identification numbers.

Optimized LinkedIn URL: A customized, clean link to your active LinkedIn profile.

Headshots or Photos: Unless applying for modeling/acting or working in specific overseas markets, photos can trigger bias or ATS rejection.

Must Include

Must NOT Include

A Strong Professional Summary: 2–3 sentences highlighting your top achievements, core skills, and total years of experience relevant to the target role.

An Objective Statement: Outdated statements focusing on what you want from the employer (e.g., "Looking for an entry-level position to grow my skills").

Value-Driven Statements: How your expertise directly addresses the employer's needs and pain points.

Vague Self-Praises: Generic claims without backing, such as "Hardworking team player with a positive attitude."

Must Include

Must NOT Include

Action Verbs & Metrics: Start bullet points with strong action verbs and quantify results (e.g., "Increased sales revenue by 35% in Q3" instead of "Responsible for sales").

Passive Task Lists: Copy-pasted job responsibilities that read like a job description rather than accomplishment bullet points.

Relevant Experience (Last 10–15 Years): Focus on positions directly relevant to the role you are applying for.

Irrelevant or Ancient Jobs: Summer jobs from high school or roles older than 10–15 years (unless directly relevant to a career change).

Reverse Chronological Order: List your current or most recent job first, followed by previous roles.

Unexplained Employment Gaps: Sudden timeline gaps without context (briefly label sabbatical, caregiving, or further education if needed).

Must Include

Must NOT Include

Hard Skills & Tools: Role-specific software, languages, frameworks, or certifications (e.g., Python, Salesforce, SEO, Financial Modeling).

Basic Everyday Skills: Standard tools everyone assumes you know, like Microsoft Word, Email, or Web Browsing.

ATS Keywords: Specific keywords mentioned in the target job posting to pass automated screening filters.

Visual Skill Rating Bars: Skill levels shown as 4/5 stars or percentage bars—ATS parsers cannot read these graphics accurately.

Contextualized Soft Skills: Demonstrate soft skills (leadership, problem-solving) inside your experience bullet points with concrete examples.

Standalone Soft Skill Buzzwords: Throwaway lists containing terms like "Punctual," "Motivated," "Creative," or "Detail-oriented."

Must Include

Must NOT Include

Education & Relevant Certifications: Degree name, institution, graduation year (if recent), and professional credentials.

High School Information: High school diploma or GPA details once you have earned a college degree or gained relevant experience.

Clean, Scannable Formatting: Simple fonts (Arial, Calibri, Helvetica), consistent spacing, standard 1-inch margins, and bullet points.

Flashy Graphics & Multi-Columns: Complex graphics, tables, text boxes, or multi-column layouts that break ATS parsing.

PDF Format (or Word): Save as PDF to preserve formatting unless the employer explicitly requests .docx.

Typos & Grammatical Errors: Spelling mistakes, tense mismatches, or inconsistent formatting (always proofread or run through a spell checker).

Concise Length: 1 page for entry-to-mid level roles; max 2 pages for senior or extensive experience.

"References Available Upon Request": This phrase is redundant and wastes valuable resume space.