Recruiter question #4: Objective statements
Objective statements on resumes...a good idea or not so much?
If you like them, tell us what you want to see.
Comments
Anonymous
November 06, 2006
I think in the IT industry they are absolutely necessary for very specific positions. Well, let me reword that... Either A)take the time to write an objective statement very specific to the job you are applying for or B)don't write one at all. If you ride the fence and come up with a generic objective you'll find yourself getting oodles (don't think I have ever used that word) of "$$$$... want to make six figures working from home" job opportunities instead of the job that you're passionate about and will satisfy you. Stick you neck out there and be specific!Anonymous
November 06, 2006
Heather's getting into recruiters' heads to help jobseekers. You'll want to look at their answers to her questions. What is the first thing you look at on a candidate's resume? What are common red flags on a resume? What will...Anonymous
November 06, 2006
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November 06, 2006
Bethany-great point. That's exactly the advice I would give. I do find, in general, that many objective statements are aspirational and not necessarily rooted in the reality of a candidate's skill set. So the candidates need to be honest with themselves about whether or not they have the skills required for the specific role and whether what they say about themselves in the objective really plays itself out in the rest of the resume, if they list it in their objective. For that reason, I find that objectives can be easy to skip over. Not because I am lazy, as Simone suggests, but because similarly to cover letters, they can be fluff and can contain diversionary language ("what if I call myself 'strategic in my objective...will that make it so?'"). The candidate has to make the objective statement concrete and realistic to get me to look at it. Anyway, everyone should listen to Bethany's advice. OK, I say that because I agree : ) Oh, also, I can't tell you how many times a candidate has listed a position in the objective statement that is entirely different than the position they are expressing interest in. Sloppy! I file that in the same place as the cover letter that says "Dear Google recruiter".Anonymous
November 06, 2006
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November 06, 2006
Heather: "I can't tell you how many times a candidate has listed a position in the objective statement that is entirely different than the position they are expressing interest in" So is the objective statement, then, a way of presenting your skillsets in a readable manner to the recruiter, or should it reflect what you would really like to achieve in your career? If everyone is focusing on impressing the recruiter with a fantastic objective section, how unique can each applicant's objective be?Anonymous
November 07, 2006
I think objective statements are pointless. Mainly because the whole statement is a lie. If we were to be truthful, then it would read “My objective is to do as little as possible for as much money as I can and work tirelessly to not be anywhere near my desk without actually being fired. As soon as financially possible, I plan to sell all the paper clips I will hoard over the time on site and retire on the proceeds” :)Anonymous
November 07, 2006
Tom - good point. They may just put it in there because they feel they have to. They don't! Lauren Smith-I'd say that the objective statement is a marketing pitch for your overall background. If you think in marketing terms, it's your value proposition stated in a few sentences. They aren't that unique and that is part of the reason that they can be fluffy. The really funny thing is that they represent the candidates objective (to secure a particular type of opportunity), but they are rarely even close to objective. I've said before that candidates are not always great at self-selection. It's hard to remove your personal feelings when evaluating a career move. A candidate might look at a job description that requires experience in lion taming and the candidate might think "I don't have lion taming experience but I have a cat...I'm sure I can do it". OK, that's a little exaggerated, but it's because of the difficulty of being objective about ones own skills that make things like objective statements something that recruiters frequently look past. The best that you can do on an objective statement is help a recruiter get to the salient points more quickly. For example, if it was me, I'd put something about being an experienced staffing professional with 13 years of experience in position of increasing responsibility with a focus on candidate identification and engagement. Not really anything someone wouldn't have figured out by reading the resume. For the record, I don't have an objective statement on my resume and my resume is 2 pages long (for 15 yrs of experience total). Duncan- haha...funny. Hey, maybe I should add an objective statement to my resume...mind if I steal yours above? Hee!Anonymous
November 07, 2006
Why do they have to be an objective statement? I myself don't even have that on my resume. I opted for a "Primary Assets" type blurb. That way I can prove my credentials in a meaningful way, while giving a potential employer a reference point if they decide to toss my cover letter. I usually don't make it longer than 5 short sentences.Anonymous
November 07, 2006
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November 07, 2006
I don't mind objective statements if, as many have stated already, they relate to the job the person is applying for. It can show that a person is thinking ahead, tell you where they want to go, and then hopefully will be backed up with their past experience and education. Too often, though, I find that the objective ends up telling me that the person really doesn't have an idea of what the thing they say they want to do is. ("I'd like to be in sales, but I don't like leaving my office or talking to people." Hmmm.....) As for Duncan, a true objective statement for me would probably not involve being at the office at all. And it would probably include something about beaches and drinks with umbrellas in them. ;-)Anonymous
November 07, 2006
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November 08, 2006
I don't understand the need for objective statements. If I'm sending in my resume for a specific job, then it must be obvious that my objective is to get that job. Why do I have to make a statement of it?Anonymous
November 08, 2006
I hate to ask this, but I haven't been able to deduce the answer...what's an objective statement in the setting of a resume?Anonymous
November 08, 2006
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November 09, 2006
I've always been told they're not unnecessary. I've had countless interviews at large companies and I've never had an objective. Unless you're looking for a very specific role in a specific industry, they're useless IMHO. -ErichAnonymous
November 10, 2006
I pay no attention to them. Talk is cheap. It's too easy for a candidate to create a slick sounding objective. Candidates: Show me what you have done. Do you have a strong track record of creating MEASURABLE value for your companies and building deep bench strength? QUANTIFY those accomplishments on your resume and be prepared to explain your accomplishments in clear, rich three-minute career chapter stories that have an "arc" (a beginning, middle, and end).Anonymous
June 23, 2008
It is important to understand that the accomplishments and their relation to the job you are applying for is important. The CV only talks about what you have done.. and an objective gives a clear picture of what you want to do..Anonymous
June 23, 2008
Yeah, but I assume that when someone applies for a position, the role represents what they want to do.