6 things to delete to get your resume noticed

From the pace of conversation to walking to decision-making, Americans move quickly.

And guess what? All those potential employers you’re courting are no different. They’re busy people and the last thing they want to do is sift through a resume full of unclear or irrelevant information. We provide tips on how to clean up your resume and make it easy for employers to see just how great you are.

1. “Volunteer”

We were all Peace Corps Volunteers (and we’re proud of it!), but that isn’t the position title we have to use on our resume. For a lot of employers, the term “volunteer” brings up images of a short-term project or infrequent, entry-level tasks.

Peace Corps work is, of course, much more than that. To help make this clear, use a title that describes the work you did. Instead of using the general sector, such as “Education Volunteer,” use the specific job title, such as “Math Teacher.” If you didn’t have a specific job title as a Community and Economic Development Volunteer, try to describe it as specifically as you can, such as “Business Development Specialist.” The more descriptive title paired with the bulleted descriptions of your work will make it clear to employers that you worked in this role while serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

2. Activities

As mentioned above, the hiring process is all about what you can do for the employer. So, unless the activities you list relate to the job you’re applying for (e.g., your photography hobby might be relevant if you’re applying for a communications position), leave them off your resume.

3. Acronyms

Using Peace Corps-specific acronyms is a sure way to make an employer’s brow furrow as soon as they look at your resume. Instead of using acronyms, replace them with explanations that define exactly what you’re talking about. For example, a “SPA grant” becomes a “federal grant” (and just like that, you’ve added the much sought after “experience with federal grants” to your resume). “Submitted quarterly reports for the VRT,” becomes, “Monitored projects, submitting quarterly progress reports to headquarters.” Dropping the acronyms not only makes your resume more easily understood, but spelling out exactly what you mean gives you an opportunity to include key terms from the hiring announcement (important for getting past electronic screening systems) and showcase the skills you bring to the organization.

4. Objective statement

Your college career counselor may have told you to include an objective statement to help the employer get to know you and what motivates you. But today’s hiring process is all about what you can do for the employer—not the other way around. If you drop the objective statement, you’ll have more room to highlight the impressive skills you’re able to bring to the organization and how you are uniquely qualified for the role.

5. Mailing address

Are you job hunting for an in-person position in San Francisco but having trouble getting interviews? If you're using an out-of-state address on your resume, listing a local address might help you get noticed.

Employers receive stacks of resumes from qualified candidates and hiring an out-of-town candidate presents them with potential complications—negotiating moving packages, waiting for the candidate to move before they can start, going through the hiring process again if the candidate doesn't like the city. To try to avoid these complications, many employers will start their candidate search with the local resumes.

What if you don’t have a local address? It’s simple—don’t list any address at all. Sure, you’ll have to discuss your living situation eventually, but at least by then you’ll have gotten your foot in the door!

6. “References available upon request”

Employers know that your references are available upon request, so there’s no need to state that. Leave this line off your resume and use that valuable space to highlight all your dazzling skills instead.

RPCVs go on to do amazing things after service. Read some profiles to get inspired.