If you're asking 'what does a French philosopher have to do with resume writing?' you'd have a point. But the other day I read this Voltaire quote:

"The best way to be boring is to leave nothing out."

I read it on the same day that I received this question from someone who bought my book:

"Several times in your online course and your ebook, you mention not to include things that do not pertain directly to what you've chosen as your Value Proposition, but you never say why it would be a bad thing to include extra information. Why? Why should you not include a little extra? Most people would probably think that it might set them apart from the crowd. I'm asking about job-related info, not personal hobbies and such."

Here's the thing. Employers don't care about everything you've done - they care about the things you've done that apply directly to their needs. If you've determined a value proposition that you know is important to potential employers, why would you confuse the message by then adding in lots of extra stuff?

The secret to writing a strong resume is as much about what you leave out as what you include. You must be sure that every word is there for a reason. When adding something to your resume, ask yourself 'does this piece of information increase the chances of my being asked to an interview or not?' If yes, put it in. If no, leave it out!

Article by, Louise Fletcher and courtesy of CareerHub.com. The Career Hub blog connects job seekers with experts in career counseling, resume writing, personal branding and recruiting.