Just Say “No” to the Resume Objective Statement

Although there have been many blog posts and articles concerning why an objective statement should no longer be used on a resume, it always bears repeating.  Too often I see the traditional objective statement on resumes saying what a jobseeker wants from a job, company, and career.  Plain and simple, it is always about what the company wants until you are in negotiation for the salary and benefits package.

Instead, use a job title, and let the reader know what relevant experience they will be evaluating in the resume. This of course means you may have two, three, or more resumes, concentrating on the different types of jobs you are pursuing.  You can follow that job title up with one of three choices:

1)      A summary statement (keep it to a short paragraph – no long statements).

2)      Three or four of the best and most relevant bullet points from your resume (remember to reword these back in your resume experience under the specific job for which they apply).

3)      A set of keywords and key phrases tailored to the job you are targeting.

Now, in a very short presentation you can better communicate your relevant experience prior to the reader reviewing your entire resume, and help HR, the Hiring Manager or Recruiter make a more informed decision.