Resume Tip: Skip the Objective

Are you still using an outdated objective in your resume?  If so, it's time for a makeover.  Employers are not interested in your personal career goals; they want to know what value you will bring to their organization.

Instead of an objective statement, start your resume with a profile or executive summary. This should be a 3-5 sentence statement listing your specific accomplishments, career highlights, and any honors or awards you have received. Think of it as a very condensed professional biography. “I am a highly motivated executive with strong, persuasive skills and proven leadership abilities. My innovative marketing and advertising strategies contribute to significant sales growth, enhance market positioning, and have earned favorable media and industry acclaim. I bring 25 years of diverse career experience in the public and private sectors .” This statement shows you have a long history of experience in the field and that you have been successful enough to have won industry acclaim for your achievements. Most importantly, it shows that your efforts have contributed to sales growth and will make you a valuable asset to their organization.

When writing your profile, be engaging and descriptive.  Research shows that employers scan resumes for an average of 20 seconds before accepting or rejecting them. To ensure that your profile grabs their attention, describe yourself in clear, specific terms and try to avoid cliches.  Terms such as “dependable” are boring and predictable and do not reveal anything useful about a candidate.  Instead of describing yourself as  a self-starter, give an example of an accomplishment that shows your initiative.  “Initiated an investigation into falling revenues; updating credit policies resulted in a three-fold increase in revenues within 6 months”.   Highlighting accomplishments in this manner tells an employer a lot about you and the value you will bring to his or her organization. 

Writing a resume is like marketing a product; in order to be successful, you need a brand identity.  If you create a brand that is compelling and valuable, you will have no problem selling yourself.