We’ve all seen resumes with an “Objective” section. Perhaps your own resume contains one right now. Usually they say something like “I am seeking a position in a financial institution utilizing my skills in sales consulting and financial planning.” While the Objective section in a resume is common, it is far from ideal. Here are a few reasons why you may wish to let go of your Objective section—and replace it with something more effective.
First, Objective sections almost always break a cardinal rule of resume writing: they include words like “I,” “me,” and “my.” This is problematic because resumes are expected to use a unique syntax that leaves out personal pronouns. For the grammar lovers among us there may be some hope that this will change in the future, but at present, resumes that make use of such personal language are usually viewed as unprofessional.
Second, no matter how carefully an Objective section is drafted, they really all say the same thing, don’t they? Boiled down to their simplest form, all Objective sections state that the job seeker is looking for a job, preferably in the type of institution where the resume has just been received. Since any Human Resources Manager worth her salt ought to be able to deduce this by virtue of the fact that she has been sent your resume, the Objective section seems purposeless.
Some job seekers use the Objective section to specify which open job position the job seeker hopes for. While this can be useful if the potential employer has several open positions at the same time, there are very few situations in which this matter cannot be handled in a cover letter.
At bottom, the Objective section is usually an unwise choice because it tells the potential employer what you want from them—it does not tell them why they should want you. Especially when others are hotly competing for your desired job, it’s important to sell your talent base in every square inch of your resume, especially the opening section. For this reason, it’s a better idea to lead off your resume with a strong summary of your qualifications.
A Qualifications section of a resume (sometimes also called Profile or Summary) is an excellent opportunity to summarize your skill set and highlight those abilities and experiences that uniquely position you to do a fabulous job for the potential employer. You can even name well-known prior employers or high-profile matters in which you have distinguished yourself. Since this is the first part of the resume a reader will see, it allows you to choose the first impression that a hiring manager will have of your resume when they begin to read.
Consider the following example:
Enterprising leader with in-depth legal experience and business acumen including five years managing a successful law firm, Really Big Firm LLP. Demonstrated successes include increasing the profitability of Really Big Firm LLP by improving performance of paralegal team and decreasing recruitment costs by approximately $100,000. Proven performance as project manager for expansion and build-out initiatives. Skilled in software applications including MS Word, Word Perfect, Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint, Lexis/Nexis and Westlaw. Fluent in German and French.
Imagine that you are a hiring manager. Are you more likely to want to interview the person whose resume begins with this powerful paragraph, or with an Objective section that begins, “I am seeking a position in a law firm…”?
If your resume currently contains an Objective section—or no leading paragraph at all—consider amending it to include a powerful opening Qualifications paragraph. It truly is one of the best ways to let a hiring manager know just what you’ve got to offer.
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For some excellent examples of well-written resumes, check out Resumes That Get Jobs
on Amazon.com.
