How to Handle Taboo Topics on Your Resume

It's no secret that discrimination does indeed exist, even in the workplace. The hard part is that sometimes it's possible to walk into a discriminatory situation unknowingly.

If you get help with resume writing from a professional then you could avoid adding information that is traditionally taboo but could result in you being discriminated against. If you're not sure what this information could be, take a look at some topics that are typically considered taboo on the resume.

Information that Discloses Your Gender

There is a possibility that you could be turned down for a position if you disclose your gender too soon in the application process. If you're concerned about this occurring, you could leave off any information that would suggest any affiliation with gender-specific organizations, volunteer work or extra-curricular activities.

Details about Your Nationality

If you're concerned that someone could discriminate against you because of your nationality, it's a good idea to leave off information that could suggest specifically what it is. For instance, if you add that you speak a specific language, a hiring manager could deduce that you are of a specific nationality. To avoid this, you could opt to leave any reference to a first language off of your resume.

Other Information to Avoid

In addition to gender and nationality, some other information that you could choose to leave off because it could be considered taboo on the resume is your religion, political affiliation, marital status and even date of birth. Again, disclosing any of these details could result in discrimination, so if you don't have to add the details to your resume, it's good to go ahead and leave them off.

While there is no reason to believe that you would be discriminated against due to your personal beliefs or affiliations, it's better to be safe than sorry. So unless it's absolutely necessary to add it, it's a good idea to simply leave this information off.