CV Writing - Optional Elements Part 2

Personal Details

Which personal details, beyond your full name, should be included in your CV? Traditionally, both your date of birth and marital status were included in a CV. Today, however, whilst a reference to your date of birth is still expected, it is not – in the UK, Europe and North America - considered necessary to reveal your marital status.

Before you decide whether to reveal your marital status you should ask yourself how the recruiter will consider this information, if at all. If you believe the recruiter will see no relevance in it, do not bother to include it. If you are sure the nature of the job you are applying for is more suitable for someone single or married, include that information if it works in your favour.

For example, if or you suspect a recruiter is looking for someone he can expect to devote at least several years to a job, revealing that you are married with two kids at school may positively influence your application. For the recruiter you are statistically a better hire than a young singleton. On the other hand, if you know a job will involve a lot of travel and time away, a recruiter may be interested to hear that you are single and have no particular ties. In this case a singleton is statistically a better hire.

Gauging how an employer will consider your marital information is a tricky business. For that reason it is usually preferable to omit this information entirely. The earlier sections of your CV – profile, skills, employment, education – should be so well presented that the recruiter makes his decision to progress your application without having to consider anything else.