The job searching market has undergone many changes over the past decade from competitiveness for each open position, to how you apply for a position (internet vs mailing in a resume), to how your resume should be laid out. With all that change many people find it difficult to know what to do. With the wealth of conflicting information on the internet, it is hard to know what is right. One of the most confusing topics is regarding the objective statement and whether or not it is needed on a resume.
Ten years ago a resume would have appeared odd without an objective statement specifically spelling out what you were looking for. The typical objective would sound something similar to:
"Looking for a challenging role where I get to work with people and utilize my skills X, X, and X."
However nowadays, a hiring manager does not care what you want, they are looking to find a good balance between a candidate and the position they are trying to fill. They have a plethora of candidates to choose from and the use of a one or two sentence objective statement that is either so broad it appears you have little passion for anything, or so clearly customized that it is apparent you are dropping words together to appear 'interested', the object statement on an resume is just not helpful for them.
Instead of using an objective statement on your resume, consider filling the space with some of your core competencies or key achievements you want noticed right away. Utilize this prime real estate of your page to call attention to why you are their best candidate and what strengths you possess that you will bring to the position you are applying for.
The objective statement should in essence be turned into a paragraph in your cover letter where you have the ability to go into more detail and sell yourself and your strengths. You will find that if the hiring manager is interested in your resume they will go digging for more information and review your cover letter. The cover letter is the perfect place to tell your story, whether it is to explain gaps in your resume work history or expanding on achievements and strengths you have.
The environment for job searching has changed immensely and with that; unfortunately, many websites have not updated their articles with what the current 'acceptable' new formats are. In ten years' the objective may become popular again but for right now, it is best to omit the objective and utilize this prime eye-catching space to something that is not generic and bland.
Simply Great Resumes has been aiding job seekers for over 7 years get their dream jobs by writing eye-catching professional resumes and cover letters. Find out how you can take advantage of their very affordable resume writing services by clicking on the link below.
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