Whether to include an Objective statement is as debated as what to put in it.
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I believe there are three outcomes:
1) no objective statement, your resume loses a chance to stand out (-1)
2) poor objective statement, hire-person sees your resume has quality issues (-2)
3) good objective statement, your resume stands out (+1)
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A lot of people avoid these statements because they fear that poor objectives will hurt them. They will. But not using an objective hurts too. So include it… but do it well.
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Read the following (very wordy) excerpt from Bradleycvs.co.uk about what a Resume Objective should be.
Firstly it should be a concise and powerful statement that shows the employer you understand their need and conveys how you can add value to their business. It should relate to the particular role in question, rather than listing in a general way everything you want in a new role. And it should be designed to lead the employer in positively to the rest of your resume and to whet their appetite for the information provided there.
The info is good… but with all due respect to Bradleycvs.co.uk let’s give it the ol’ Resume Objectives trim and twist.
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Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you:
The 3 R.O.P.s (er… Resume Objective Principals)
1) Use concise and powerful statements; convey your knowledge and value
2) Include the specific job title posted
3) Make it lead in well to the rest of your resume
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Bradleycvs.co.uk goes on to say that the following examples are good objective statements (beware).
“A persuasive and commercially minded business studies graduate with sales and marketing internship experience, seeking a successful career in sales management with a market-leading organization.”
“Human resources professional with rounded two-year induction in market-leading organization seeks to employ first rate technical knowledge and exceptional interpersonal skills in first managerial position.”
“Experienced business professional with highly developed training, motivational and presentation skills seeks to develop successful new teaching career in forward-looking secondary school environment.”
Have trouble reading those? I did. I think a hire-manager will too.
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Did they use concise and powerful statements to convey knowledge and value?
No, they were wordy, cliché, and the value appeared to be fluff…
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Did they mention a particular role?
No. I suggest this when you are targeting a “released” job description because being specific is strong and it gives those hiring for multiple positions clarity. If you want to review for multiple jobs at a company submit a resume for each.
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Did they lead in well to the rest of the resume?
No, reading those would make me dread weeding through the rest of the resume…
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The Amazing Resume Creator has great Resume Objectives. I was knocked flat by how concise they are, how direct and simple. They follow the three R.O.P.s and are heaps better than those wordy examples.
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But we can still learn what NOT to do from them. We’ll discuss them a bit more in part 2… cut the fat off ‘em like nice hearty rib-eyes. I’ll also drum up a couple of R.O.P. originals, a small hint at all the great stuff you’ll find in the A.R.C.
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‘Til Then,
Joshua L. Morrison
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