5 Things to Delete From Your Resume Immediately (2026 Update)

By Suhaib Karimbanakkal | 2026-01-17

Last month, a candidate sent me his resume for review.

Ten years of solid experience. Great companies. Real achievements.

But his resume? It looked like it was written in 2005.

Father's name. Mother's name. Date of birth. Religion. Marital status. A full postal address with PIN code. And at the very bottom—a "Declaration" stating that everything above was true.

I stared at it for a moment. Then I understood why he wasn't getting calls despite applying to 200+ jobs.

His resume was screaming "outdated" before any recruiter even read his experience.

Let me show you exactly what to delete. Today.

1. The Word "Resume" or "Curriculum Vitae" at the Top

I see this constantly. People write RESUME or CURRICULUM VITAE in big bold letters as the first thing on their document.

Why? What else would it be? A restaurant menu? The recruiter knows it's a resume.

What to do instead: Your name. That's it. Your name should be the biggest, boldest thing on that page. That's your headline. That's your brand.

See the difference? The second version tells me who you are AND what you do in under two seconds.

2. Personal Details That Belong on a Biodata, Not a Resume

This is the biggest one. And it's going to sting for some of you. Stop listing:

• Father's Name
• Mother's Name
• Date of Birth / Age
• Religion / Caste
• Marital Status
• Spouse's Name
• Blood Group
• Height and Weight

I know what you're thinking. "But this is how we've always done it in India." Yes. And that's the problem.

This isn't a biodata for a marriage proposal. This is a professional document.

3. The "Declaration" Nobody Reads

Let's talk about that paragraph sitting at the bottom of your resume:

"I hereby declare that the information furnished above is true to the best of my knowledge and belief."

I need you to understand something: No recruiter in the history of hiring has ever read this line and thought, "Oh good, he declared it's true. Now I trust him."

This practice is a leftover from government job applications from the 1990s. It makes zero sense in 2026. It wastes space, attention, and flow.

What to do instead: Just end your resume after your last section. No declaration. No sign-off. Simply stop writing. That's the modern way.

4. Your Complete Home Address (With PIN Code)

I've seen resumes that include three full lines of address details. For what?

No recruiter is going to mail you a letter. This is 2026. They'll call you, Email you, or WhatsApp you. Plus, putting your exact house number on public job portals is a security risk.

What to do instead: City and State. That's all they need.

5. Generic Hobbies That Everyone Has

Let's play a game. Tell me if you've written any of these:

• Listening to music
• Reading books
• Watching movies
• Travelling

Congratulations. You've just described 95% of the human population. These tell the recruiter nothing about your professional value.

The Rule: If your hobby doesn't show leadership, creativity, discipline, or a transferable skill, leave it out.

What Your Resume SHOULD Have Instead

Now that we've cleared out the clutter, let's talk about what actually deserves space:

1. A Strong Professional Summary: Not an objective. A 3-4 line pitch.
2. Quantified Achievements: "Increased sales by 40%" beats "Responsible for sales".
3. Relevant Skills: Keywords that ATS systems actually scan for.
4. Clean, Modern Formatting: White space. Clear headers. No tables.
5. Results, Not Responsibilities: What you accomplished, not just what you did.

The Hard Truth

Your resume is not a government form. It's not a biodata. It's a marketing document. It exists to sell you in 6 seconds. Every line that doesn't sell you is a line that hurts you.