Things to Remove from Your CV in 2025 to Increase Your Chances of Getting Hired

to Increase Your Chances of Getting Hired

Want to land more job interviews? Learn the key things to remove from your CV in 2025 to make it more professional, relevant, and recruiter-friendly.

The Truth About Modern CVs

Your CV is your first impression — and in 2025, recruiters spend an average of 6–8 seconds scanning it before deciding whether to move forward. That means every word, section, and detail matters. If your CV contains outdated or irrelevant information, it can instantly reduce your chances of being shortlisted.

In this post, we’ll go through the most common things to remove from your CV and why eliminating them makes your application stand out in today’s competitive job market.

Why Simplifying Your CV Matters

Employers no longer want long, cluttered resumes filled with personal details and unrelated work experience. A clean, professional CV that focuses on skills, achievements, and measurable results is far more effective.

When your CV highlights what truly matters, it becomes easier for recruiters and hiring software (ATS systems) to identify your fit for the job.

7 Things to Remove from Your CV Immediately

Let’s look at the unnecessary elements you should delete from your CV right now.

1. Marital Status

Your marital status has no bearing on your qualifications or ability to perform at work. Including whether you’re single, married, or divorced can even lead to unconscious bias during recruitment.

What to do instead: Focus on your skills, education, and professional experience.

2. High School or Primary School Details

If you’ve attended college or earned a degree, there’s no need to include details from your high school or primary education. Recruiters want the most recent and relevant qualifications, not your entire academic history.

Keep only: Your university degree(s), professional certifications, and courses related to the role.

3. Date of Birth

Your age is not relevant to most job roles. In fact, adding your date of birth can expose you to age discrimination, especially in highly competitive industries.

Best practice: Simply include your city and country in the contact section, not your date of birth.

4. Religion

Recruiters are interested in your skills and experience, not your religion. Adding this detail can be perceived as unprofessional and may introduce bias — which both you and employers should avoid.

Tip: Keep your CV neutral and inclusive. Diversity is about your value, not your faith.

5. Hobbies and Interests

While it’s great that you love traveling, cooking, or photography, unless your hobbies are directly related to the job, they don’t add value. A hiring manager won’t shortlist your CV because you love football — unless it’s a sports marketing role.

Exception: Include hobbies only when they demonstrate relevant soft skills (e.g., teamwork, leadership, creativity).

6. ID or National Identification Number

Never include your ID number or any other sensitive personal data on your CV. This can expose you to identity theft or data misuse, especially when applying through online job platforms.

Instead: Share personal identification only after receiving a verified job offer or onboarding request.

7. Irrelevant Work Experience

One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is listing every job they’ve ever had. For example, applying for a nutritionist position and listing experience as a sales executive for skincare products doesn’t add credibility.

Focus on: Relevant roles, achievements, and transferable skills that align with the job you’re applying for.

Bonus Tip — Keep Your CV Short and Focused

A well-structured CV should not exceed two pages (one page for entry-level candidates). Hiring managers prefer concise summaries that highlight your most impactful experiences.

Here’s a quick structure you can follow:

Contact Information (without personal identifiers)
Professional Summary
Core Skills
Work Experience
Education and Certifications
Achievements or Projects

Useful Tools and Resources to Improve Your CV

Want to make your CV stand out? Here are a few trusted platforms and tools to help:

Canva Resume Builder – Design sleek, modern resumes with customizable templates.
LinkedIn Learning – Access courses on writing impactful CVs and cover letters.
Grammarly – Proofread your CV for grammar and tone to ensure it’s professional.

You can also explore job preparation guides or templates from your country’s official job board or career portal.

What Recruiters Actually Want to See

Instead of filler information, recruiters are drawn to:

Quantifiable results (e.g., “Increased sales by 35% in Q3 2024”)
Specific technical or soft skills
Relevant work history
Professional certifications or awards
A short, engaging personal summary

This approach shows that you understand what the company values — and that you’re ready to deliver measurable impact.

Final Thoughts – Clean, Clear, and Compelling Wins

Your CV isn’t a biography — it’s a marketing document designed to sell your professional value. Removing unnecessary details helps you stand out by focusing attention on your achievements and relevance to the role.

Start editing your CV today, and watch your interview calls increase.

Ready to create a professional CV that gets results? Use the Canva Resume Builder to design a clean, ATS-friendly resume in minutes — or visit your local LinkedIn Learning portal for expert guidance on modern CV writing.