Photo, date of birth, salary and notice period: what to put on your resume
Which personal details belong on a resume, which can stay off, and how to handle salary and notice period without hurting yourself.
By Avowly · Last reviewed 6 November 2026 · 7 min read · How we write these
In short
- For every detail ask: does it help the reader judge whether I can do the job? If not, it only gives them something to be biased about.
- A photo, date of birth, marital status and family details can usually stay off. Give them where a form or sector asks.
- Keep pay off the resume. Give the true figure in the form or in conversation, and never inflate it.
- State your notice period or start date in real numbers, and only claim flexibility you really have.
Ask five friends what belongs at the top of a resume and you will get five different answers. One says add your photo. Another says your date of birth and your family details are standard. A third says never mention salary. They are all repeating something they were told once.
Here is a more useful way to decide. For each detail, ask whether it helps the reader judge whether you can do the job. If it does, it belongs. If it does not, it only gives the reader something to be biased about.
Rules differ by employer and by sector, so treat what follows as general guidance, and always follow the instructions in a specific application.
Usually worth including
- Your city and region
- Notice period, in one line
- Anything that helps judge if you can do the job
You can leave off
- Photo, unless asked or the local norm
- Date of birth, unless a form asks
- Marital status
- Father's name and religion
Only when asked
- Current and expected pay: answer honestly where a form asks, and add it to the resume only when the application asks for it there
General guidance. Always follow a specific application’s instructions.
Photo
Whether to add a photo depends on where the job is. In the US, the UK, Canada, Ireland and Australia, leave it off: recruiters there do not expect one, and some set a resume with a photo aside to keep bias out of the decision. In much of Europe, the Middle East and Asia, a photo is still common and some employers expect one.
Before you decide, check what the advert or application form asks for, and what resumes from people already in that job look like. Government and public-sector forms often have a photo field of their own; fill it the way they specify. If you still cannot tell, leave it off.
Should you include one, make it a clear, plain, professionally dressed headshot. A cropped picture from a wedding is not it.
Date of birth, marital status and family details
Many older formats list date of birth, marital status, a parent's name, religion and nationality. Most recruiters do not need any of these to decide whether to call you, and several of them can feed bias. You can leave them off.
Before
Date of birth: 14/02/1990. Marital status: married. Father's name: Jorge Ruiz.
After
Ana Ruiz, housekeeping supervisor, Valencia, ana.ruiz@example.com
Why it works: Nothing was added; her name and email were already further down the page. None of the removed lines helps a hotel decide whether she can run a floor of rooms, and a form can ask for her date of birth if it needs it.
Date of birth is the one that sometimes does matter, because some government and public-sector applications, and some campus forms, ask for it. Give it where it is requested, usually in the form and not on the resume itself.
Address
Your city and region (state, county or province) are enough on a resume. A full postal address takes space and shares more than needed. If a form needs the full address, it will ask. The rest of your header is covered in contact details.
Salary: current and expected
Keep pay off the resume unless an employer or recruiter asks you to put it there. Otherwise give it in the employer's form or in conversation, where it can be read alongside the role.
Many job portals and company forms ask for your current and expected salary (some call it CTC) in their own fields. Where expected pay is asked for, give a realistic range. Where current pay is optional, you can leave it blank; where you give it, give the true figure and never inflate it.
There is a reason for caution. A number written on a resume can anchor the conversation. A low current salary can lead an employer to build the offer around it, even when the role is worth more. A figure on the page also travels with the file to every reader, long after it is out of date.
Whatever you do, do not inflate the figure. Employers often ask for salary slips or tax documents at the offer stage, and a mismatch can cost you the offer.
The Builder has an optional section for current and expected pay (labeled CTC), notice period and location preference. Each line appears on your resume only if you fill it in. Leave the pay lines empty by default, and fill them in only for an application that asks for pay on the resume itself.
Notice period
This one is usually worth stating, because it answers a question every recruiter has: how soon can you join?
- Serving your notice, or on a short one: say so, it is an advantage.
- A long notice period: you can write "Notice period: 90 days (negotiable)", but only when it really is negotiable. Do not claim flexibility you do not have.
- New to work, or between jobs: "Available to join immediately" works, as long as it is accurate.
Vague wording leaves the recruiter to guess, and they usually guess the longest answer. Look at your contract and give the real figure.
Before
Notice period: as per company policy.
After
Notice period: 8 weeks, or 6 if owed annual leave is taken at the end.
Why it works: The 8 weeks is in her contract. The 6 came from her ward manager, who confirmed in writing that she could use her owed leave that way.
The same goes for students and people starting out. "ASAP" sounds keen but tells a manager nothing they can plan a rota around.
Before
Available: ASAP.
After
Available from 1 July, after final exams, for up to 30 hours a week.
Why it works: Her last exam is on 28 June, so "ASAP" was not quite true. The hours came from asking her what she could keep up while her course is on a break.
For the conversation itself, see resignation letter and notice period.
A quick test for anything else
For any other detail you are unsure about, such as languages, a driving license, a visa status or a hobby, ask the same question: does this help someone decide whether I can do this job? Add it in one short line when the answer is yes. When you cannot say why it matters, take it out.
One caution about templates
Some resume templates come with fields for photo, date of birth and a parent's name already built in. Having a field does not mean it is expected. Fill in what helps you and delete the rest.
In the Builder, only some templates show a photo at all, and the pay and notice lines appear only if you fill them in. Try a version with and without and see how each reads.
Common questions
- Should I write my expected salary on the resume?
- Only when the application asks for it there. Otherwise give it where a form asks, as a realistic range. A figure written on a resume can anchor the conversation, so share it when asked and talk about pay in terms of the role.
- How do I write my notice period?
- State it plainly, for example how many days or weeks, and add that it is negotiable only when it really is. If you are between jobs or just starting out, saying you can join immediately works, as long as it is accurate.
- Should I put my nationality or right to work on my resume?
- Only when it answers a question the employer will have, such as when you are applying in a country where some candidates need a visa. A short line such as "Full right to work, no sponsorship needed" saves guessing. Nationality on its own is rarely needed.