What’s Your OBJECTIVE?
February 18, 2009 by Darlene McDaniel
Filed under Jobs
I have reviewed countless resumes over the years and it is not an exaggeration that most OBJECTIVE statements on resumes are wasted space at best. Most are not well written, and when it is all said and done, most people take jobs that have absolutely nothing to do with the OBJECTIVE statement highlighted at the top of their resume.
Can I make a suggestion, no, maybe a request – Omit the OBJECTIVE Statement. The truth of the matter is your OBJECTIVE should be above all else, to get the job. Think about it for a moment. Isn’t that the overall objective of your job search. You want to work. You want someone to hire you. You want a paycheck. And you are willing to do just about anything to get that job offer.
One of the keys to a successful job search is differentiation. How do you differentiate yourself from the other candidates you are competing against? One of the best ways to differentiate yourself is to be clear about your OBJECTIVE. If your OBJECTIVE is to get the job, than you will ensure your resume, and your cover letter are strong. But even more important, when you walk into that next interview, be clear that you are there to get the job. Every thing that comes out of your mouth should be communicating why you are the best person for the job. You should never have to say those words, but your responses about your skills and abilities should be giving the hiring manager a “yes” about you.
“Yes” I can see this person working for me. “Yes” this person is credible. “Yes” this person can solve my problem – fill my position. “Yes” this is the best person for the job. These are the OBJECTIVE of your job search. Most people write an OBJECTIVE statement out of habit. It is a waste of space on your resume. Use that space to highlight a skill or ability that will give the hiring manager a “yes” about you. If you can do that, you will ultimately meet your OBJECTIVE!
Tags: Interivew Chatter, Darlene McDaniel, Objective, Job Search, Resume, Job Offer, Differentiation
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I see lots of “Objective” statements in resumes I review. Most are worthless. A generic Objective is not an objective. Either make it absolutely specific to the job you want or forget it.
By the way, the same goes for your resume. By the time you have had a couple of jobs, you should be matching your resume to the job, by focusing the content on the specifics. For example, if I were applying for a teaching job, I could write a teaching-centered resume. If I were applying for a management job, I could write a management-centered one. Not cheating, just a matter of emphasis.
Hi Jean! Thanks for stopping by Interview Chatter today! Thank you for your contribution to this post as well. Targeted resume are excellent for the job seeker that wants to be noticed in a pile of resumes. Please feel free to stop by any time!
Darlene
You have pointed out a very good point. Yes, many times we can see that people are doing something else which is very different from what they wrote in their job objective in resume. It is true that the initial objective is to get a job or is to get hired by someone or an institution, but the main objective of writing an objective statement is to narrow down the objective of the interviewee.
Hi Deb! Thanks for visiting Interview Chatter today! I appreciate your comment about the objective statement narrowing down the candidates objective. I like to play with words. I completely understand the intent. The post was a creative thought I had. I still think the OBJECTIVE statement is a waste of white space on a resume, but your point is accurate. Please feel free to stop by Interview Chatter any time!!
Darlene