4 Easy Steps to a Powerful Resume Objective

I am a hiring manager and I honestly ignore objectives. I really like resumes that summarize the candidate's strengths and attributes at the top of the resume. Tell me what you have done that you will replicate for me and the company. "Increased sales 78%". I will read on for this if I am trying to hire a sales person. Decreased defect rates 7% in assembly". When I was looking for a manager of our assembly line, this was the line that kept me reading, got the person the interview and I might say, the job also. A good hire who is successful makes me look good.

Great insight, Michaela. It's so helpful to know the viewpoint from the other side of the interview desk.

I still think an Objective can really help clarify the applicant's career direction when their skills come from different areas, or if they have no relevant work experience or education in the field.

A NOTE TO PONGO USERS: If you want to eliminate the Objective section from your resume and substitute a Summary of Qualifications, click the "Headings" button in the upper-right menu bar when your resume is open. Unassign the Objective heading, and assign Summary of Qualifications from the dropdown menu. Be sure to move the new heading to the top of the list using the up/down arrows or it will appear at the bottom of your resume instead of the top!

I'm a hiring manager also, and I usually ignore the objective on a resume. In most cases I see meaningless cliches for objectives. I get much more and better information from a person's employment summary than I ever do from their objective.

And if you have a lot of information to put into your employment summary, dropping the objective off the resume is a great way to free up some extra space for more relevant information.

And speaking of space, Julie, maybe you can do a future post about the myths of the "one page" resume? Some people feel strongly that a resume should never be more than one page in length. In several cases, though, it's not possible to do depending on one's work experiences, education, etc.

Jan, Good points, especially about freeing up space. I think the bottom line is that if you HAVE "relevant" qualifications to summarize, then use a Summary, not an Objective.

But a well-written Objective (for students or career changers) can tell the reader, "I haven't done this job before, but I want to, and here are the things that will make me good at it."

Then again, you're the second hiring manager who tends to ignore OBJECTIVE, so maybe we should just call everything a SUMMARY? Food for thought!

Thanks!
-Julie

I am a new graduate and I have posted my resume at various cites. Unfortunately, I have rarely been called back from a cite that I have posted my resume on. What do I need to do in order to get employers to notice my resume so that I get called back?

@Jen G.
Thanks for writing, Jen.

I assume you are talking about web sites like Monster.com or CareerBuilder.com, where you can post your resume for public viewing. While that is a good first step, it is a passive method of job searching, meaning you hold no power over whether anyone ever reads your resume or chooses to call you after reading it. In addition, a resume posted online is by nature a one-size-fits-all resume, not targeted to the specific needs of a particular employer.

Here are some steps you can take to make your job search more active, and to take the power back into YOUR hands.

-Leave the resume online, because you never know! (But in general, you have to go after the jobs, they don't come after you.)

-Double-check that your resume is error-free and focuses on the strengths you can offer an employer, not on what you want from them. (For example, solid education in X and strong Y skills).

-Go to a site such as Indeed.com or Simplyhired.com, which are job board "aggregators," meaning they search ALL the job sites for you (including Monster, CareerBuilder, company web sites, local newspapers, etc.). Select the keywords that are likely to be in the title or job description of your desired position, and do a search. You can narrow the search by zip code and other criteria.

When you find a job that interests you, edit your resume and cover letter so that they address exact keywords and phrases you find in the job description. For example, let's say they are looking for a "senior office manager" and your resume shows you are a "senior administrator responsible for office management." Those mean the same thing, but you'll have better luck if you edit your resume to match their terminology.

You need to do that each and every time you apply for a specific job. So you'll have one "basic" resume and cover letter, but you'll tweak them for every employer. You may end up with 20 or more versions, each slightly different. It's a pain, but it is necessary.

Another important step you need to take is to spread the word among your friends and family about what type of job you're seeking, and what your main skills are. Ask for their help. People are usually glad to help, since we've all "been there"!

If you have online profiles in MySpace or Facebook, clean them up. Employers will probably check them if you are being considered for employment, so make sure you are presenting a professional face.

If there are certain organizations you'd really like to work for, check the Career or Employment sections of their corporate web sites to see if they have any jobs posted. Even if they don't, you can always craft a resume and cover letter introducing yourself and your qualifications, and explain what you know and admire about their organization, and ask whether they might have any openings. Many job openings are never advertised.

You can even contact employers and ask if they'd be willing to schedule a brief "informational interview" where you can ask them some questions about the industry and what types of things you should focus on to win a position in that field. Informational interviews are not about getting hired; they're about learning some inside tips that can help you get hired elsewhere.

Think about what it is that makes you a good employee, what strengths you can offer that will help build the employer's business, what you're really good at, and put it all together in a paragraph or two that defines your unique value. Then practice reciting your statement, or value proposition. That's what you can use as the basis for your answer when you get an interview and they say, "Tell me about yourself." (Hint: They don't want personal details, they want to know what you've done as a student and an employee and what would make you a good hire.)

Finally, you can read older posts on The Pongo Blog and articles in our Learning Center for lots of other hints on how to conduct an active job search that will give you the best chance of landing your dream job.

Best of luck!!!

Julie

I am the owner of a small business, receive many resumes and I actually have negative feelings about the "objective" statement. I am pretty sure the person has the objective of working for me as he/she has dropped off a resume at my place of business.

Most objectives sound false and hollow, many of them nothing more than a cliche. Here's an actual "objective" quote:

"I would like to put my skills to use in a retail atmosphere to gain experience in working with the public."

When I learned to write a resume there was no "objective" statment included. I see it as pointless.

Most of them say the same thing, just using different words. Quite honestly if someone brought in a resume saying they wanted to earn lots of money to buy a Corvette I would hire them for their honesty and ambition.

A quick comment on Jen G's earlier post. If someone misspells words in their resume it gives a negative impression. You said "I have rarely been called back from a cite that I have posted my resume on."

Actually where you posted your resume is a site, not a cite. Poor spelling and poor grammar on a resume will get it tossed on to the "no" pile in a hurry. You should always have someone read what you have written before you post it online or take into a place of business.