3 Reasons Your Resume Objective Isn’t Doing You Any Favors
Simply Hired Staff
At Simply Hired we’ve spent more than a few blog posts talking about the much-debated resume objective. While this short and simple statement can be a valuable tool to provide an at-a-glance insight into your candidacy and experience, it can also be a hindrance in some scenarios. If you’re not seeing much traction on your resume, here are three reasons your resume objective may not be doing you any favors.
Resumes Should Have Substance, Not Fluff
Resumes are the place for the cold, hard facts about your candidacy and what sets you apart from other candidates that may be applying for the position. Many job-seekers make the mistake of crafting generic resume objectives that don’t offer additional insight into your candidacy or skills. This can often make hiring managers overlook your resume altogether.
Keep your resume objective to the point and relevant for the position you’re applying for. Statements such as “experienced candidate” or “highly motivated” are much too vague and have little to no factual backing. Instead, try including active, fact-filled statements such as “engineer professional with five years of management experience looking for an advanced role” to make the biggest impact on the resume reviewer.
Resume Objectives Increase Difficulty of Applying to Many Jobs
Depending on the type of position you’re applying for, even the inclusion of a great resume objective can be a hindrance towards getting considered for an open position. Resume objectives can often peg you into a specific role, making your versatility as a candidate seem limited.
Before sending off your resume with an objective statement, first, consider the specific job listing you’re applying for. Is the position tailored to an individual with a specific set of skills or is it looking for someone with more general goals? Will the job require creating a new program or launching new processes? This may be a key indication that you should appear flexible and not set on achieving a narrow, specific function. When in doubt, leave out the resume objective altogether as it’s far from a mandatory inclusion.
Take An Example From The Experts
If you’re finding that your resume objective isn’t getting much love in your job search, why not go to a “professional.” Many professional specialties have specific resume formats geared towards the individual career or position. A lawyer’s cv, for example, probably looks much different from a doctor’s career portfolio. Individual certifications and schooling for different career paths also create the need for resume personalization.
If you’re struggling with your resume objective, or resume as a whole, consider enlisting the help of your professional alma mater, a recruiter, paid resume services or a trusted friend or mentor in your field. Extra insight from an experienced second set of eyes can not only help identify whether that resume objective is on point or needs to be removed, it can also help catch any other flaws, mistakes or weaknesses that may be tripping up your job search effectiveness. Don’t be afraid to solicit multiple opinions, especially if you’re just starting out in the career world.
Have any strong feelings about resume objectives and their impact on a hiring manager or the job search process? Drop us a line in the comments and tell us how and when you’ve found these often-debated inclusions valuable in helping find the career of your dreams.
Article Updated from the Original on April 7, 2018
