Objectives: Leave Them Off Your Resume

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Dear Alison,
In the Not-for-profit sector I frequently use "I aim to be a voice for the voiceless" as my objective statement.
This is a life mantra for me, does it intrigue you as an objective?

Rachel of NY 10:02PM January 22, 2012

Well I've hired people and I like them, with stipulations. When I'm hiring for ten or fifteen different positions an objective that indicates the specific job for which the candidate is applying is helpful. It also gives me a chance to, as you mentioned, see who is "mass broadcasting" and who knows how to target a specifice job at a specific company.

Dee of CA 5:32PM December 13, 2011

I wholeheartedly agree with your "waste of space" take on the "Objective" portion of a resume. They lend to the writer looking out of touch with today's market. We're living in a world where everyone is looking for the most amount of information using the least amount of words. An objective is a repeat of what the act of sending the resume did.

Linda Kuriloff of NY 8:33PM November 25, 2011

It is always interesting to see how resume "pundits" view objective statements.
What is most interesting is seeing how passionately and vehemently so-called "experts" will push a bad opinion or position.
There may have been a time when objectives made sense on resumes. That time has long passed.
Even if you don't pay attention to what the writer is articulating in this piece - read what she does:
She manages, hires and fires.
She pushes the buttons in her organization and you would be wise to re-read it carefully and file if in your permanent memory.
As resume and career professionals, it matters little what we think - it matters a lot what the people that do the HIRING think. This is what counts.
As a career employment writing professional, I have written presentations for over 14,000 clients spanning 23 years. What matters most are the things that will get my clients interviewed and hired.
That's it - that's the bottom line. It isn't negotiable.
I have done - will do - whatever it takes to make my clients successful in their job searches.
Period.
That's what I get paid and entrusted to do - I take it seriously.
The only "writers" that still use objective statements on resumes, simply DO NOT get these simple facts. They also have never taken the time - as I have - to interview people that actually push the buttons in the business world.
There are clear metrics in the employment writing and career coaching field, just as there are in nearly everything. It is easy to be opinionated about what "you" want - especially when you're coaching from the sidelines. Or haven't measured or evaluated strategies and tactics.
Test - with and without - objective statements and you'll quickly see validation of this. You could also do something even wiser, and simply ask people that hire how they feel about objective statements.
You hardliners will get an immediate education about the irrelevance and uselessness of writing objective statements in resumes.
Incidentally, my clients enjoy a 93.7% success rate in finding new careers or employment -
- all without objective statements. I haven't used them in over 15 years.

Preston Mars of TX 3:05PM July 02, 2011

this is so lame who cares

billy madison of FL 12:49PM May 23, 2011

The objective should be nothing more than the title of the job for which you are applying. Period. I agree that objective statements described are nothing more than fluff and wasted space. I think many people, including the writer are confusing summary statements with the job objective which should be the first item below your contact info.

JujuKitty of CA 9:02PM April 02, 2011

Having written some 1,500 resumes over the past two years, I must say that I agree with your opinion on the types of objectives you're using as examples. However, I believe that a properly worded objective serves as a successful lead-in to the rest of the resume, and the results my customers have achieved would seem to bear that out.
Written correctly, the objective can be the most important element of the resume (after the personal information, of course). It is the first element the hiring manager will read, and it is critical that the objective grab him/her and not let go. Grammatical errors, poor syntax, confused writing or a focus on what THE JOB SEEKER wants will cause the manager to throw the resume into the "No" pile before s/he reads any further. A manager with some 300-400 resumes to read simply will not fight through a resume from a job candidate who hasn't taken the time to follow these simple guidelines.
The best objective states in clear, plain language the position the candidate is seeking, how that candidate's experience matches up to the company's needs, and that candidate's belief that s/he brings value to that company. For example:
"I am seeking a full-time position with E. Fudd and Company as a wabbit hunter. As this resume demonstrates, my familiarity with wabbit habits, plus my ability to devise imaginative wabbit traps, will provide you immediate value. I am confident that I can help ABC meet its monthly wabbit quota."
Apart from the statement of the desired job, this objective is employer-centered. It directly answers the WII-FM question: "What's In It For Me?" Every element in that resume needs to answer that question, and starting with the objective will demonstrate to the employer that you have his/her interests in mind.

Jack Mulcahy of PA 8:45AM March 30, 2011

I have been unemployed for 18 months. During that time I have volunteered resume creation services to friends and their friends. When anyone fills out a job application, submits a cover letter/letter of introduction (what's the difference, really) and then telephones a potential employer the objective is explicit.

Nick Candelas of CA 2:55PM January 06, 2011

For those in favor of objectives, what kind of objective (in terms of content, and also specific examples) would give a candidate an edge over competing candidates? What would it need to include in order to be advantageous, instead of damaging or neutral?

Emmy 8:31PM January 21, 2010

The ultimate reason for a job seeker to have an objective in the resume is very simple that they want to stand out from others. A good objective will bring job seekers with follow-up interview opportunities. So they do it.
Behavioral interviews are my least favorite part of job search process. Yet I have to do it to enter the real game. Robin of CA may be a professional with much experience, therefore he is courageous enough to say no to behavioral questions. For a lot of new grads like myself, we don't like it but we are forced to come up with good examples to answer these questions. It's not a matter of preference for us. If we don't do it, we get no opportunities for on-site interviews/follow-up interviews. Such a dilemma.

Jen of NC 1:51PM November 18, 2009