3 Things to Remove From Your Resume

Coco Chanel is often credited with the advice, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.”

The same idea can be useful when updating your resume.

Sometimes improving your resume isn't about adding more. It's about knowing what you can leave out.

Resume conventions change over time, and some information that was once common is no longer necessary for most job seekers. Removing it can give the information that matters more room to stand out.

If you're updating your resume, here are three things you can probably remove.

1. Your Street Address

You generally don't need to include your full home address on your resume.

Employers may want to know where you're located, especially if a position requires you to work on-site or live within a certain area. But they usually don't need your street address at the resume stage.

Instead, you can simply list your:

City, State

or, if you prefer:

Metro Area

For example:

Los Angeles, CA

or

Los Angeles Metropolitan Area

This gives an employer useful information about your general location without putting your full home address on a document that may be uploaded to job boards, databases, and other online systems.

2. Your GPA (Unless It Helps You)

For most experienced professionals, a GPA isn't necessary.

Once you've built a professional work history, employers are generally much more interested in what you've accomplished at work than the grades you earned in school.

There are exceptions.

A GPA can still be useful if you're a student, recent graduate, or applying to a position that specifically requests one. If you're early in your career and have a strong GPA, including it may also help strengthen your education section.

As a general guideline, I would consider listing a GPA of 3.5 or higher if it adds something positive to your application.

Otherwise, it's usually fine to leave it off.

And if an employer specifically asks for your GPA, provide it regardless of whether it's listed on your resume.

3. "References Available Upon Request"

You don't need to end your resume with:

References available upon request.

Employers already know they can ask you for references if they're part of the hiring process.

That sentence doesn't give the recruiter any new information, and it takes up valuable space that could be used to show your skills, experience, or accomplishments.

You also generally don't need to list your actual references directly on your resume unless an employer specifically asks you to.

Instead, keep a separate reference document ready if you reach a stage of the hiring process where references are requested.

Make Every Line Earn Its Place

Your resume has limited space.

You don't need to fill that space with information simply because it has traditionally appeared on resumes.

A good question to ask when reviewing your resume is:

Does this information help an employer understand my qualifications for the job?

If the answer is no, you may be able to remove it.

A cleaner resume gives the information that does matter more room to stand out.