Objectives: Leave Them Off Your Resume

Objectives are vile, but...

I have long left my objectives off my resume, because I presume that it is understood that my "objective" is to get the job. Nonetheless, the number one piece of feedback I have received from HR and agencies is that "Objectives help the company know what you're looking for."

This distresses me. Really? The company doesn't know that I'm looking for a stable, reasonably well-paid job with a manager who is flexible and intelligent? Really?

This is the kind of thing that becomes maddening if you think about it too long.

Erica of NJ @ Oct 01, 2009 10:59:53 AM

Possibly a bit short sighted

It's not hard to see that most organizations in the current economic climate are being bombarded with resumes from potential candidates who neither posses the skills nor experience necessary to fill open positions.

These candidates, in an exhausted effort to find decent employment, are applying to any and every position that appears to be meritorious. It seems to me that in this discombobulated environment candidates should use every possible avenue (exercising prudence and judgment of course) to distinguish themselves from those candidates who are merely watering down the pool of great potential hires.

One way to establish your credibility as a candidate of choice is with the Objective statement. While this may not be the only means available for distinguishing oneself from the crowd, if positioned properly, it can serve as a solid anchor for expressing the give and take necessary in any employer-employee relationship, and for conveying the true character of an individual. While I agree that many individuals flippantly jot down an objective statement in an attempt to keep pace with the masses, if carefully tailored, the objective statement can serve to set the applicant apart from all others and establish a solid foundation of respect for the integrity of the individual.

Corey of GA @ Apr 21, 2009 00:31:01 AM

Don't send any more resumes!

Rather than worrying about if the hiring manager likes/dislikes objectives, I avoid all that needless consternation (and more) about resumes. Whenever I see a request for one, be it online or a phone call from an interested party, I politely redirect them towards other means for us to connect. Resumes are terrible documents to market yourself and evaluate talent.

We really need to get both employers and candidates to focus on what job hunting really is all about. It's not about rehashing what you have done for others. It's about what you can do.

It's what I do both as a hiring manager and a candidate. I'm not interested in what you have done for others. If you send me a resume, big deal. If you send me a written letter or proposal that clearly delineates what you will do for me and my company, that's orgasmic!

And it's how I evaluate companies to work for too. If they want me to subject to behavioral interview after behavioral interview, sorry, markets change too quickly to waste time like that. If they'd like to speak of their plans from their launching products to doing new business, then that's an employer/employee relationship worth developing.

Yes, employers, let's start talking about your Goals, your Objectives!

Robin of CA @ Apr 04, 2009 20:49:57 PM

Leaving off your objective surprises me

To me, the objective answers the obvious question, "Why do you want to work here?" Answer? Because doing so enables me to achieve my objective which just happens to be consistent with the sort of person you want.

There certainly was a time when this is what employers wanted; but perhaps it has now run its course.

Cheers,

Dr Bruce Hoag

Organizational Psychologist

http://www.p-advantage.com

Dr Bruce Hoag @ Mar 11, 2009 12:54:04 PM

Response to AGNM

See, I'm one of those people with 5-6 jobs (temporary positions, changes due to relocation, etc) over the course of five years. It's not something I'm particularly pleased with, and I'm more than willing to talk through whatever may need to be addressed with whoever needs to know, it's just getting to the person I need to speak with.

I realize this is tangent to the original post, it's just something I feel passionately about - everyone has a story, and if there is something of interest it's important to at least explore that person's story in a meaningful way. Now, is part of my problem the fact there are umpteen people out there going for the same administrative jobs I am? Probably. I know I've lost jobs to recent college grads, or people who knew someone internally... all the things we "know" we face.

Figuring out all these rules, and the different ways people eliminate resumes, and what will get a person in the position to hire's interest is enough to drive even the sanest, most positive job hunter absolutely batty.

Kelly O of TX @ Mar 10, 2009 13:35:27 PM

My thoughts exactly!

This is something that I always recommend to a jobhunter. My suggestion is to replace the objective with a clear "headline" of who you are - for example, replace "Objective: to obtain a senior marketing position in a growing and stable company" with "SENIOR MARKETING EXECUTIVE - INTERACTIVE MEDIA". This tells me EXACTLY who you are in a summarized form - and will let me know if I'm interested in continuing to look at your resume. If I can't find out who you are and what you do within 10 seconds of scanning your resume, I close it.

However, you have to be careful with headlines - if you leave out some of your other skills, and I happen to be looking for them (as a recruiter) and don't see that, but something else in the headline - it might be reason enough for me to discard your resume. So be concise, but clear and thorough! =)

Jesse @ Mar 10, 2009 12:08:13 PM

Oh Thank God!

I always thought they were stupid and never managed to figure one out for my resume' when they started telling us we should put it on there. Such a waste of space!

Kelli of KS @ Mar 10, 2009 10:59:44 AM

Response to Kelly O

Kelly...you asked about "job hopping." There are some valid reasons for it -- companies that have closed, spousal relocations, but in general, if someone has had several jobs in quick succession, I see it as a sign of trouble and would be less likely to interview that person.

Addressing the issue in the cover letter makes sense . . . but only if there is a valid reason for it. Just not finding the right job or complaining about money or the boss won't work here.

One or two hops? I can live with. But, seriously, I've seen resumes with 5-6 jobs over the course of a few years. Why would I think that person would be serious about staying at my company?

Just so you know where I'm coming from...I'm the President of a small business that employs around a dozen people.

AGirlNamedMe of NY @ Mar 10, 2009 04:14:03 AM