Tweet

Should I include "Personal" Information in my Resume

Written by: Tom Hannemann

Article Overview: The short answer is no.

Should I include "Personal" Information in my Resume

Personal information such as your date of birth, age, marital status, country of birth, ethnicity, gender, the number and names of your children and spouses, the breeds and names of your pets and so forth should not be included. It is illegal in Australia (and in many other countries) to use such information to assess a person's suitability for a position. This type of information is therefore irrelevant. In any event, if an employer is biased against people of certain ages or backgrounds, why eliminate yourself at the first hurdle.

Some employers specifically request certain personal information – usually gender, date of birth, country of birth, citizenship – and have good reasons for requiring this information. This includes the United Nations, international aid agencies, military services, police services, accredited security services, secret services, even more secret services, judicial bodies and some other government agencies engaged in national security or defence activities which I can't talk about here. If they do, they are entitled to ask for the information through some form of legislation or other provisions of their legal charter.

However, in general, such personal information is neither required, necessary or useful. Nonetheless, you will occasionally find that some employers still think it's 1965. As part of my market research, I apply for jobs for time to time to maintain my understanding of recruitment trends and issues. As recently as February 2009, I was asked by an employer how old I was because my date of birth was not included in my resume. I asked the hiring manager how my age would be an important factor in determining whether I could do the job as I did not see any particular age listed as a requirement or criterion. He said that he was just curious as I had not included it in my resume. I informed him that he might want to have a closer look at the law covering discrimination in employment and that he might review the case of a well known Australian airline which not too long ago seemed to favour flight attendants who had yet to reach a certain age.

Employers in some countries still believe that personal information has a place in a résumé and for some reason, forms a key element of the assessment criteria. You should investigate this if you are unsure.

Related Articles
  Resumes That Work
  The Creative Resume
  Should You Hire A Professional Resume Writer?
  Where To Send Your Brilliant Resume
  Understanding Resume Styles

Article Tags: australian airline, birth country, closer look, criterion, date of birth, defence activities, discrimination in employment, hiring manager, hurdle, judicial bodies, legal charter, marital status, military services, national security, other government agencies, police services, recruitment trends, security services, suitability, united nations international
Referred by: http://www.kyliehammond.com.au



Related Forum Posts
Securing Financing - This is a short article that a friend of mine put together. He's a business banker and it seems that he would be the right person to put the info together. He compiled it for inclusion in a book about opening a pizza shop. There could be some useful info here - In order for a bank to even consider financing for a business loan such as a pizza restaurant, the first step is to have good personal credit. If you have previous credit issues that have lowered your credit scores, make sure you are prepared to either hear, “No”, or “Please explain this (these) credit marks.” If you have not demonstrated the ability to manage your own personal finances then most likely you will not have the opportunity to manage the financing from a bank for a business. When you make the initial contact with a bank, ask to speak to a commercial loan officer. Other types of loan officers include consumer (think car loans) and mortgage (think home purchases and home equity loans). The commercial loan officer will be able to provide a list of things you will need to give him/her in order to consider the restaurant financing. Information required for a new business most likely will include the following: Personal financial statement (Assets – Liabilities = Net Worth) Personal tax returns (two years) Business Plan If leasing property, copy of the lease agreement If purchasing property, copy of the sales contract Personal History / Resume (may not be required but is very helpful) If an existing business, add the following to the list above: Business tax returns (two years) Copy of State Corporation Commission Certificate Copy of Federal Tax Identification Number or Employer Identification Number (EIN) Copy of Articles of Incorporation (if corporation) Copy of Operating Agreement (if partnership) One common mistake a new business owner often makes with regard to financing is that one loan will cover all the financing needs. This is typically not the case and can lead to cash flow problems that could result in default on the loan, which is not what the lender or borrower want. In most cases, either two or sometimes three separate loans would be appropriate. For instance, if one is purchasing real estate then a long-term mortgage loan would be appropriate to finance that purchase. However, the pizza restaurant may need to purchase equipment and have cash available monthly to meet payroll and purchase rolling inventory. An equipment loan could take the form of a five or seven year loan with a fixed monthly payment much like a car loan. A line of credit, on which one would pay interest monthly on the outstanding balance, may be prudent for short-term cash flow purposes. All three should be addressed in the business plan and discussed with the commercial loan officer. Chris
Re: Defamation of Your Business: What To Do? - If I were you I would do this... [quote:2a5rtu2h]I was planning on blogging about it (didn't decide whether to include the persons name or not) and explain the situation and what one person thought after reading a small line of text on my site. I would include the emails (again, not sure whether to include the name or not) along with my replies and clarify what is actually said and why this person was confused, clearing up any misunderstanding.[/quote:2a5rtu2h] But do NOT include the persons name! That is just asking for a war. It might also make you look bad to your readers as in they might be afraid you will "name and shame" them some day if you have a disagreement. If the person sees it and decides to reply with their name to make who they are public then that is their choice. But I think it's in your best interest not to do it first.
Re: What Sells Online? - I agree with topeyinka, Information products(how to's) are whats selling right now.
Re: Twitter vs Facebook - I know this is a naive question but i'm really not sure: What do you tweet ? Business? promote your business? Personal? Are there things you can't do? ALSO :Is there a rule book? Is there a success formula using twitter?
Re: Best Internet Marketing Strategies - Personal development and knowledge are important but as Mat says without action nothing will happen. So don't spend so long learning that you fail to follow through, rather learn as you go along but do something everyday towards achieving your goal. MichelleJ


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Looking for an Easy Online Business Opportunity?

9 tips to increase ROI in PPC Campaigns

Are You Too Good for Your Job?

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.