When constructing your resume, you may turn to online templates as a guide for how to structure your resume to present your work experience in the best possible way. If you’ve been working on your resume over the course of a few years, you’ll notice that there’s been a subtle shift concerning the first part of this document. For a long time now it’s been recommended that applicants should include an Objective Statement in the beginning of their resume to state up front what they’re looking for. Now, that is no longer necessary and can actually hurt your chances at being hired.
Initially, the Objective was used to make it clear to the employer what you’re looking for and what you have to contribute to the company. While that may have worked for a few years, it is now no longer relevant as a number of applicants don’t utilize this section correctly. There are a number of reasons why this doesn’t work.
- Too Vague– As someone who has worked in Human Resources and has seen over 1,000 resumes, I can personally tell you that the Objective doesn’t actually provide any relevant information about the candidate or their capabilities. Generally, vague statements are given such as, “I’m looking for a place to utilize my skills,” or “Looking for a reputable company where I can grow and learn.” These statements don’t tell the employer anything about the applicant and tend to make the resumes blend into one another. Your goal is to stand out.
- Takes Up Space– A generally accepted idea that most employers still agree on is that resumes should be limited to one page if possible. Depending on your job experience and what you’re applying for, you may need more pages, but the idea is to keep it as short as possible. Writing an Objective, especially one that doesn’t add any relevant information, takes up space on your resume page that could be used to highlight your skills and accomplishments. Use that space wisely.
- Repetitive– When applicants do write a specific Objective, they’re usually just repeating information that is included later on in their resume. Again, this takes up space that can be filled with new information or more specific details about your qualifications. The goal of your resume is to grab the employer’s attention and convince him or her that you’re ideal for the position.
Instead of writing a resume Objective Statement, more people are beginning their resumes with a list of relevant skills aimed at a particular job. By listing Relevant Skills first, you’re creating a summary of your qualifications as they apply to the job you’re interested in. Making one generic resume doesn’t cut it anymore. Each career you apply for many need its own resume.
For example, if you have experience in customer service, sales, and inventory management, and are applying to different career fields to increase your chances of being hired, you’re going to focus on each skill set differently for each job. If one job relies more on customer service than inventory management, you’ll focus your resume on your customer service experience. If another job requires more sales experience, your resume would hone in on that skill set instead. Then you can go into your job history and go into more detail about what you’ve accomplished.
Being able to tie your relevant experience to the job requirements instead of stating a generic Objective allows your resume to stand out and shows the employer that interviewing you won’t be a waste of their time. Be direct. Make it easy for them to see why they should pick you. You’ll have a better chance at success and won’t be using an outdated resume template.
