First
some background. The Objective Statement
began in a totally different day and age when résumés were written in a uniform
style for almost all jobs and when job titles were more generic. Also at that
time résumés were submitted by hand, mail, and later by fax when there was no
such thing as job boards, résumé databases and tracking software. Likewise, it
was commonplace for decision makers to read a résumé not just spend 6-30
seconds, according to many, scanning one or inputting some key words and having
a computer select the résumés to read.
For
the most part, early résumés weren’t written to tell the story of what makes a
person special and better than someone else. Instead they were Fact Sheets that
followed the convention of the day telling the reader what job is being applied
for, how many years of overall experience the candidate has and what this/her prior
duties and responsibilities entailed, and what is the level of their education.
Moreover
most of these resumes were created on a typewriter (and then a word processor)
with additional copies run off on 24lb to 32lb cotton rag bond paper. This process
made customizing a résumé time consuming and costly. That is why résumés back
then were static generic productions that employers and recruiters considered
as being professional.
For
some of you this may sound like a tale out of the Stone Age, but for many job
seekers 40 and older this describes the résumé they used maybe 2 or 3 jobs ago;
and unfortunately many are updating this same outdated version in 2013.
In
my opinion, technology has advanced and business models have changed so
dramatically thus making old-fashioned résumés and the aforementioned Objective Statement obsolete in most 21st
century résumés.
Today
résumé writing, résumé screening and résumé submittals are light years advanced
and the content and format in a résumé is vastly different as are the mindset
of the people and machines reading them. People who screen résumés now take
less time to do so, look for specific information, and want to be sold on a
candidate not educated.
When (and why) using
an Objective Statement (OS) is Objectionable
1:
The Objective Statement is positioned
at the top of Page One, the prime real estate on a résumé; therefore it is the
first thing people’s eyes will gravitate to. Unless the Objective’s information
is crucial, or it is the first thing you want people to know about you, placing
an Objective Statement in your résumé
is objectionable. It is a waste of premium
story telling space and if it fails to have an impact on people they will read
no further.
In
most cases you are better off using a Title Tagline and Brand Statement to let
people know what job you want to be considered for and what makes you special
and worth further consideration.
2:
Most Objective Statements I read focus entirely or in part on what the employer
can do for the job seeker. If this is the case using an Objective Statement is objectionable.
3.
Many Objective Statements are written
to be too specific. When this happens the first impression the reader gets is
of a “know-what-he wants” candidate who’s over or under qualified for the job
at hand and is therefore summarily dismissed from consideration before the
reader ever gets to the meat and potatoes of the résumé.
When (and why) using
an Objective Statement (OS) is Acceptable or even preferable
Ican think of only three circumstances when an Objective Statement should be included in a résumé: if you are
making a total career transition; if you are a specialist and are seeking a
very specific specialized position; if you’re a new grad who is looking for
your first or second full-time professional job. A fourth may be on the rare
occasions an Objective Statement is requested by the employer.
When
writing an objective statement, it’s important to focus on how you can benefit
an employer, rather than on how the employer can benefit you. In all these
instances the statement must focus on what type of work you want, your main
skills and qualifications, and it must include how and/or why you will you be
an asset to the company you are trying to impress.
As always I am available to critique U.S. resumes and
offer suggestions on how to improve them at no cost. You can send me an email
with your current resume to perry@perrynewman.com
No comments:
Post a Comment