Our resume writers know what works and what doesn’t when it comes to creating the perfect resume. Your resume portrays how you want to be seen as a professional and while It’s great that you also happen to be an awesome person with a cool personal life, stray from including any personal information until you secure the job and get to know your professional environment and coworkers better. Check out what our resume writers had to say about the issue:

1. "I often tell clients that, unless an employer specifically asks for it, a photo is not required and does not work with many of the ATS-optimized systems that employers use." – Resume writer, Lauren

2. "Don’t include dates that indicate you are over 40 or any information that places you in a protected class." – Resume writer, Carrie

3. "Age and marital status. Some places ask for these things, but it’s just a lawsuit waiting to happen!" – Resume writer, Tara

4. "In the U.S., we should never include date of birth, age, social security number, etc. – Resume writer, Mark

5. "I think that job seekers should avoid clichés “like the plague” – tired, trite phrases like “go getter” or “self starter” or “team player” … and bland, boring verbs like “responsible”!" – Resume writer, Joanna

6. "Hobbies." – Resume writer, Keith

7. "Any red flags… political affiliations/preferences, religious affiliations/preferences, gender preferences, or personal information about family (spouse, children)." – Resume writer, Cheryl

Remember that your resume should demonstrate what is unique about you, the skill-sets that you have obtained, and how those experiences could positively impact your future workplace. Be sure to include the items listed above in addition to your career history.