Writing the Right Résumé Objective

Writing a résumé without an objective, is like having a pencil without the point. Sure it has lead, and sure it's had writing experience, but it's useless without a point. If you want your employer to read your résumé and not put it in the round filing cabinet, you better have a stellar résumé objective.

As a professional in human resources, I hire hundreds of people a year. I often find that many of the thousands of résumés we receive are inadequate, to say the least. Many of them lack a résumé objective, and very few of the résumés that do have an objective are actually of any value. I find applicants often view the résumé objective as an irrelevant waste of time. However, a decent objective gives the applicant a competitive advantage. A phenomenal objective can really bring home the bacon.

A great résumé objective is going to be succinct, personal to both you and the company, and it should drive the reviewer to actually review your résumé.

Succinct

Tell them what they need to know, make them like it, and do it all before the third sentence ends. This is not a cover letter. This is not the time to drone on about how Aunt Erma taught you to be a people person when she took you to her quilting group. This is the time to say, "This is why you are going to hire me, your company needs me!" Your résumé objective should scream, I am the one for this job. Trust me, there will be time to dazzle them later with stories of the quilting corner, right now though, HR Debbie Does-a-lot has four unemployment papers to fill out, several appointments to make, 35 phone calls, and don't forget that pressing game of free cell that is begging for her attention. Be stunning be brief.

Personal

Objective: To obtain a position where I can utilize my communication skills.

Who are you? What communication skills? What kind of position?

I'm not going to give you an résumé objective that you can copy, paste, pretend it's yours and be done. You know what they say, "Give a man a fish he eats for a day. Teach a man a fish and he never goes hungry. Give a man an old smelly fish that he is stupid enough to eat, well then man steals a terrible résumé objective, doesn't get hired and winds up flipping burgers at the local artery clogger." Either that or food poisoning, but you get the point. You can't just use whatever sounds OK.

Especially when applying over the internet. Often I waste a great deal of time at work going through résumés that have been emailed to me. These general emails make me wonder if they were automatically sent to me by career builder, or if the applicants actually meant to apply. If I receive a one that is geared toward my specific job posting, with a specific cover letter, or a specific résumé objective. I am one hundred times more likely to call the applicant.

For example if you were applying for a position as an administrative assistant for a newspaper, you might write something like this:

Objective: To obtain a full time position as an administrative assistant for an established newspaper, that will utilize my four years of experience in a highly organized clerical setting.

Drive

A specific reason, and reference as to why this job is the right job for you is important, but it is also important not to give away all the beans. Your résumé objective should compel them to continue to read your resume. Mentioning your four years of clerical experience is a good thing, but they will need to read the rest of the résumé to find out where. When they do read looking for that experience on the way they will read about your college degree, and your experience in customer service. The trick is to give them just enough to want more.

If you incorporate a "to the point", personalized objective that drives the viewer to read your résumé, soon the companies that you are applying to, their objective will be to hire you!