THE RESUME OBJECTIVE
A well-written resume objective
can help you secure interviews - but most people get this part
of their resume wrong. Find out how
to write an objective that sells.
The best way to write an effective
resume objective is not to write one at all.
Huh?
No, I'm not nuts!
It's just that the traditional resume
objective is highly flawed because it focuses on what YOU want
rather than what the employer needs. Think about it. If I'm a
busy manager or recruiter, do I really care that you want to work
for "a progressive company with
good growth prospects?"
Of course not. I don't even know you!
No, I care about my problems. I care that my customers are not
being served properly, or my office is a mess, or my business
is not doing as well as it should - or any number of other
problems that have caused me to look for a new employee.This means
that
the traditional resume objective is ineffective because it doesn't
address my needs.So replace your resume objective with a career
target
headline and a value-oriented profile. Resume Objective Part 1
- Career Target Headline
The headline should describe what you
do or what you want to do. For example:
"Marketing Manager"
or:
"Retail Sales Assistant"
This helps busy recruiters and managers because they now know
which position they should be considering you for.(Remember
they may have multiple vacancies, not just the one for which
you applied).
Resume Objective Part 2 - Value-oriented Profile
After the
headline, you should clearly tell the reader why you are the
answer to his or her problems.
Make this section of your resume unique.
Don't just copy words you see on other people's resumes because
this won't help differentiate you. Instead, take
the time to figure out what makes you uniquely valuable to
your target employers.
Review job postings
to get a sense of what employers are looking for.
Think back to
similar positions you've held.
Write a list of compliments
that have been
paid to you by former managers or co-workers.
Ask people what they
see as your strengths.
The more work you do to define what makes
you special - or what we call your value proposition - the
more effective you
can make your profile.
The Resume Objective - In Summary
The traditional resume objective
tells employers what you are looking for in your next job.
But my approach to creating
a resume objective comprised of a career target headline and a
value-oriented profile ensures that they know you can meet their needs.
Louise
Fletcher is the President of Blue
Sky Resumes, and author of the eBook, The
Complete Guide to Resume Writing. Louise is also Managing
Editor and Co-founder of the preeminent careers blog, Career
Hub. She
is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and many of her resumes
have been published in the JIST "Expert Resumes" series.
She has contributed to many online publications including About.com,
Monster.com, The Ladders, and Net Temps.
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