Answers to the Main Questions / Write a resume

What should you leave off a resume?

InsightGuidanceAI amplification

Insight

On a typical U.S. industry resume, leave off age, date of birth, photo, Social Security number, full street address, marital status, reasons for leaving, and “references available on request.” Also leave off anything you cannot defend in an interview or that you do not have the right to disclose.

Guidance

  1. City and region are enough for location in most U.S. applications.
  2. Skip photos unless you are applying in a market where they are expected (uncommon for U.S. industry roles).
  3. Delete hobbies unless they are genuine evidence for this role.
  4. Do not list every technology you have ever touched.

AI amplification

Optional. Copy this into ChatGPT or a similar tool if you want a first draft. Replace the [PASTE] sections with your own material. The work stays in that tool; we do not save it here.

Prompt to copy

Rules: Do not invent employers, job titles, dates, metrics, team sizes, or outcomes. If something is missing, ask me or write [unknown]. Keep hedges such as "approximately" and "more than" exactly as I stated them. Never turn a qualitative result into a number.

Strip or flag items that usually do not belong on a U.S. industry resume (photo, age, full street address, SSN, references line, unprotected personal data). List what you would remove. Do not add content.

Resume:
[PASTE]

Other public sources

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