"Employers don't care if you garden or like to spend time with your family," she said. "But mention a hobby if it pertains in some way to the job, or if it's so interesting that it could be a conversation starter."
It's illegal for prospective employers to ask your age, marital status, sexual orientation, religion or political affiliation. So don't volunteer it.
Loose ends
Typos can be lethal to a resume. More than 75% of employers bounce applicants if their resumes contain spelling errors or are grammatically sloppy, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. So run a spelling check, and then ask others to proofread your resume.
If you're still employed, don't include your work e-mail or work number. You could lose the job you have.
Use your personal e-mail and cellphone instead. But keep them professional. Your bunnyboo@gottagetajob.com account doesn't belong on your resume. And when prospective employers call your mobile or home phone, make sure they don't get a voice mail recording of your kids or that ear-splitting jam from Fall Out Boy.
After all, the only horn your resume should be tooting is your own. Just make sure it's playing a song that recruiters want to hear.
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tiffany.hsu@latimes.com
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BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX
The good: Clean, detailed and on point
1
SPECIFICS ARE KEY
* Including plenty of numbers shows recruiters exactly how you'll be good for their budget.
* Explain the how and why of your success by giving examples. For instance: "Saved money by negotiating with providers."
* Skip the Objective section for a Summary that highlights the best parts of your resume early.
2
EMBRACE BREVITY
* Stay away from flowing, ornate prose. Keep the language short and sweet.
* Slice out internships and short-term jobs that don't show off your talents. Prioritize skills that can transfer to the job for which you're applying.
* Keep the resume to one page and avoid flowery graphic design. 3
BE TOPICAL
* Include only awards and interests that exhibit traits and expertise the recruiter can use. The soccer-league reference implies civic-mindedness and competitiveness.
* Language fluency and proficiency in technology are desirable in an increasingly Web-based, multilingual economy. Mention those skills if you can.
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The bad: Distracting, sloppy and irrelevant
1
KEEP IT SIMPLE
* Don't go overboard on fonts, colors, borders, boldface and underlining.
* Avoid clip art and other graphics such as photos. This isn't a middle-school project.
* Skills should be folded into Work Experience. The Personal and References sections are excessive.
2
EDIT CAREFULLY
* Switching back and forth from multiple sizes of bullet points to dashes and from "Calif." to "CA" suggests carelessness.
* Check for repetition as well as spelling and grammar errors.
* "Watching a company advance" could suggest laziness, not eagerness. A fresh pair of eyes can suggest better alternatives.
3
BE RELEVANT
* Details such as your GPA, prom queen nomination or where you went to middle school are distracting to recruiters.
* The Objective should be replaced with a Summary section.
* Offer concrete examples with numbers and anecdotes. Anyone can claim to be a "good people person."
