resume basics

Information you can safely leave out

The following list is not definitive. And don't forget, this kind of information can be presented later in the application process if you make it to the interview list.

  • Marital status
  • Number/ages/names/sex of children
  • Details of your primary school
  • Your high-school grades unless you are a very recent graduate
  • Any exams/qualifications you failed
  • Place of birth
  • Nationality
  • Hobbies and interests. If you have represented your country at the Olympics, have written a bestselling book, or hold the record for the largest stack of pennies balanced on your nose while unicycling, by all means include this. If your interests are gardening, DIY and golf, as most people's are, then leave them off.

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