I recently did a small poll on LinkedIn with people in the Career Management field and asked “Should a resume have an objective on it?” The responses were both for and against and, as one responder put it, there is no right or wrong answer.
Some of the reasons against the job objective were:
- Too narrow a focus for job opportunities
- Many are too wordy, fluffy and meaningless
- The objective is all about you instead of the company
- The hiring authority may dismiss your resume because there is no opening
Some of the reasons for the job objective were:
- It focuses your resume to the job you can do and want to do
- It states who you are in the job market
- It works when you are applying for a specific job
- It respects the reader’s time by stating what you are looking for
Many people are putting a title of the job they are seeking at the top of the resume instead of a job objective such as Customer Service Professional or Staff Accountant to identify what they want to do.
Several responders talked about putting your objective in a Cover Letter. In my experience cover letters are read after your resume is reviewed and there is interest. Perhaps that is a topic for another poll.
Finally, what is most important, whether you have a job objective/title or not, is a well written Career Summary at the beginning of your resume. Putting a job objective on your resume is up to you and when you do make sure it is short, specific and has no “Fluff”.
www.dmscareercoach.com
