A trend I've noticed more and more as of late- the end of the "objective" section of a resume. In high school careers classes, as well as college career centers, many people counsel students to include these sections on a resume. Though, in my experience, the objective section often offers more laughs than an actual idea of where the job seeker is headed.To me, if you're not 100% sure your objective section is a winner, then leave it out. A quick Google search pointed me toward this Job Seekers' About.com page on resume objectives. While the site's suggestions are relatively solid, something tells me a killer cover letter will do more than a buzzword-laden business-speak objective section could ever do.
(Bonus, I've even embedded a clip of Stephanie Pratt from The Hills-- my guilty pleasure-- interviewing for a job at a prestigious fashion PR firm. The owner of the firm laughs off her "Design handbags" objective as short-sighted and inexperienced.)
Become our fan on Facebook!
Follow @jobsearch on Twitter!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Stephen says: (11:58AM on Jul 13th 2009) Vote Up Vote DownReport2/5
Randall,
I have mentioned the same thing. The objective section is really a waste of space nowadays. instead, I suggest to job seekers to creat a Summary Section which should highlight their overall experience and their specific skills and abilities as it relates to the job they are applying for. I always mention that if there are ten specific job requirements that the resume summary should give the years of experience with each of those, how they were used, and the level of experience with that requirement. This will help the manager understand immedeatly your skill level and experise as it relates to the job.
Reply
anil atluri says: (1:05PM on Jul 13th 2009) Vote Up Vote DownReport2/5
@Stephen: That's OK for folks with experience but about those freshers and college grads that are breaking into the job market?
Stephen says: (1:19PM on Jul 13th 2009) Vote Up Vote DownReport2/5
Anil,
In that case i would focus on what skills you have picked up in relation to the job from school work, special projects, interneships, self taught skils, and volunteer work. Most of the time jobs that have specific job requirements arent looking for a entry level candidate. also, if the role is technical candidates who are entry level shoudl supplement their minimal skills with certifications or test on sites such as brainbench.com. This will help solidify their skills and experience and prove they have actually mastered what they were taught. Most employers make it known if they will take entry level candidates and expect that their skills will be minimal in relation to experienced candidates. In this market a suitbale objective for a new grad would be: "To attian employment in an unstable economy"... thats a hard enough job on its own.
Alex Rudloff says: (12:48PM on Jul 13th 2009) Vote Up Vote DownReport2/5
The Hills is so unimaginably painful.
Reply
Sara says: (2:36PM on Jul 13th 2009) Vote Up Vote DownReport2/5
I use an objective on my "general" resume - meaning the one I put out there to tell others what I'm looking for (like when I post a resume on Monster or CareerBuilder, or for distribution during a job fair). I don't use an objective when applying for a specific position, since I'd rather focus my resume on showing how I'm qualified for that position. Plus, it's pretty obvious when you're applying for a certain job that your objective is to get that job.
Reply
Alex Rudloff says: (3:53PM on Jul 13th 2009) Vote Up Vote DownReport2/5
That's not a bad way to approach it. When applying for a specific position, the cover letter often serves as a great way to state your objective anyhow.
Will at virtualjobcoach.com says: (3:14PM on Jul 16th 2009) Vote Up Vote DownReport2/5
No - you don't need an objective statement, even for new college grads. Check out the post:
http://virtualjobcoach.com/blog/?s=mission
Will at virtualjobcoach.com
Reply
Barbara says: (10:57AM on Aug 27th 2009) Vote Up Vote DownReport2/5
As a recruiter for many years, if someone did not include an "Objective", I had no time to figure out what they wanted to do. Time is a factor. Objectives can be created in many ways that immediately targets the resume.
Reply