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  When A Resume Screams "Don't Hire Me"  
     
  Dear Annie: I went through a horrendous divorce last year that resulted in my having to quit my job and move to another city. Now I'm job hunting and wonder what to say on my resume about the gap in employment since my last job. Should I briefly state why I was obliged to move? (My ex was stalking and threatening me and our kids.) If not, what can I say instead? -Breathing Easier Now  
     
  Dear BEN: Put nothing on your resume about why you chose to move. There are tens of thousands of towns you could have moved to, so if the question comes up in interviews, concentrate on why you selected this one as your new home. (Closer to relatives? More agreeable climate? Better schools?) Then move the discussion along to what you can offer a new employer.  
     
  The whole question of how much personal information to include in a resume is one that evidently baffles lots of people. "Your resume speaks volumes about you," notes V. Michael Prencipe, a principal at HR Staffing Solutions, a temp agency. "Unfortunately, sometimes it screams, 'Don't hire me.' " He adds, "I look at about 200 resumes a week, and I've read plenty that do refer to the job seeker's divorce." Prencipe has even seen at least one resume that gave the reason for the split-up, i.e., a cheating spouse. This is way, way too much information.  
     
  Prencipe also counsels against "saving your resume as 'ssseexxxyyy_2006' and sending it as an attachment, or listing your reply e-mail address as bruceypants@" - and yes, those are both real-life examples, as are the resumes that detail the reasons why job seekers were fired from previous jobs.  
     
  Alas, in this era of rampant identity theft, even the most innocuous-seeming personal data - your home address, for example - is best left off a resume. Never, ever include your Social Security number, either, especially if you are posting your resume online.  
     
  As for personal information like hobbies, number of children, or any of the other myriad extraneous details that job hunters often feel compelled to list, Prencipe says: Don't. "Adopt this simple motto," he suggests. "Professional, yes. Personal, no." Enough said.  
     
  Anne Fisher is a Fortune magazine senior writer. You can find her full article at http://money.cnn.com/2006/06/05/news/economy/annie/fortune_annie0606/index.htm     
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