By Amanda Augustine

An eye-tracking study by TheLadders found that the average recruiter spends only six seconds reviewing a resume before deciding if it’s worth a closer inspection. When you only have six seconds to make the right impression, you have to make every word on your resume count.

Below I’ve compiled a list of 16 items you can remove from your resume right away that will help your job application avoid the hiring manager’s trash pile.

Objective

We’ve all seen those generic objective statements talk about “[ ] professional looking for opportunities that will allow me to leverage my [ ] skills.” Avoid the run-of-the-mill objective statement and replace it with your elevator pitch. In a brief paragraph, explain what you’re great at, most interested in, and how you can provide value to a prospective employer. In other words, summarize your job goals and qualifications for the reader.

Head shot

Unless you’re creating a CV to apply to positions outside of the United States, or you’re in the entertainment world and a head shot is part of the job, you should never include a picture of yourself with your resume. Your photo will likely clue the employer into your nationality, religion and age (among other factors) that could inadvertently lead to discrimination. No need to give them any of those details until they’ve considered your application based solely on your qualifications. Play it safe and leave the head shot off your resume.

Inappropriate email addresses

The email address hotbuns3559@domain.com may have been cute when you were in college, but it’s not the best choice to represent your professional brand today. The same goes for shared family accounts such as joe_and_jane_kane@domain.com and email addresses that are offensive or sexual in nature. Do yourself a favor and sign up for a free address with a provider like Gmail that’s reserved exclusively for your job-search and networking activities.

Mailing address

If you’d like to relocate for work, you probably already know it’s best to leave your current address off your resume. However, it’s becoming increasingly common for professionals to remove this information, regardless of their target location. If you’re searching for a position in your current location and want employers to know you’re a local candidate, include your city and state. However, leave your street address off to protect yourself from potential identity theft.

Read More 16 things you should remove from your resume.