Resume advice from Cheryl Palmer, M.Ed., CPRW, career coach at Call to Career.

More people are including the URL to their LinkedIn profile on their resume. Is this a must-have today?

If you have a dynamic LinkedIn profile, then you should definitely include the URL for it on your resume. It shows that you are social-media savvy, and it can provide more information to an employer than a standard two-page resume.

How necessary is an “objective?”

It’s only necessary if you are a recent graduate with little to no work experience—or if you are changing careers. Otherwise, a professional summary is what should be at the top of your resume after your name and contact information. The summary is only five or six lines and gives employers a teaser of who you are and how you can add value to the organization.

How about your GPA? Leave it in or omit it?

You only need to include your GPA from your undergraduate and graduate education if you have a recent degree and only if it is impressive. If your degrees are more than five years old, you can feel comfortable leaving off your GPA. And if your degree is recent but your GPA was less than stellar, still leave it off. You want to put your best foot forward in this very important document.

Opinions differ over including references. Where do you fall?

You should not include them. It is assumed that you will furnish a list of your references at the time of the interview or when the potential employer follows up for that information.

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