WHAT TO AVOID
Watch out for a Career Objective that reads: “To obtain a position where I am able to utilize my skills” – Or your resume just may be thrown out the window! Isn’t that statement the point of every job application? The candidate is trying to obtain a position where he/she will be utilizing some sort of skills to get the job done, right? Do not waste time stating the obvious.
Instead, a candidate should take advantage of the Career Objective to list his/her unique skills, as well as determine what position would be an ideal fit for the skillset. How a candidate describes himself will help set him apart from the rest, and also show a sense of confidence and self-awareness.
STATE A CLEAR, CONCISE MESSAGE
When reading a Career Objective, I hope to learn what the candidate is bringing to the table (i.e. the specific skills that the candidate will utilize). The candidate should describe his or her finest talents and characteristics in one sentence, using action verbs, buzz words, and original phrases. This shows the hiring manager that the candidate is not only unique, but more probable to be technologically-inclined, since they are savvy enough to be using attention-grabbing vocabulary in one concise sentence.
AVOID: “I am a hard-working, results-oriented sales leader.” Phrases such as ‘hard-working’ and ‘results-oriented’ are a thing of the past, since these skills are now the bare necessities for a candidate to get their foot in the door of an organization.
CHOOSE: “I pioneer sales techniques through innovative social media advertising.” Employers are looking for impactful candidate descriptions, such as ‘pioneering,’ ‘innovative,’ and ‘ambitious,’ to name a few.
SPECIFY YOUR CAREER TITLE
My eyes twinkle when I see a Career Objective that specifies an ‘ideal’ position, as it helps me understand what the candidate can do and what she wants to do. Even if I have someone who states a position very different from what I need, sometimes I can see a possible fit. For example, I had a candidate who wrote her ideal position as “Bank Manager” and all of those qualities fit the position I was looking for to fill a “Financial Analyst” position. Knowing what the candidate wanted helped me to see a potential link for a great fit.
Remember, your Career Objective helps a potential employer see what you do, what you want to do, and how you see yourself. That opening sentence or two of your résumé provides a window to how I perceive the rest of the document. You can make sure I see your professionalism as you want me to see it if you have a Career Objective that guides me to only one conclusion: This candidate is headed in the direction where she will be the “right fit” for the position.
Definitely, all resumes should avoid goopy, nonsense language that means nothing. Specificity is the key. “To obtain a position where I can utilize my skills.” I laughed.
Great article, enjoyed reading it.
Thank you for the feedback, Jay! You are right when saying that specificity is definitely key.
Also glad to give you a laugh. 🙂
Thanks for sharing Ashley. I previously taught professional development courses for a private medical/technology school. Those antiquated phrases are deeply ingrained in people’s memory. Great job at being a voice for current practice!
Very true, Kimberly. Those antiquated phrases are still the root of the objective, but the outdated verbiage is a thing of the past. Thank you for your insight!
Good read with plenty of valuable points Ashley. With my journalism background, I’m always amazed at the spelling errors I’ve seen on resumes. Sticks out like a sore thumb to me. Can’t believe applicants wouldn’t even utilize spellcheck.
Doesn’t it seem strange how a candidate could miss the red or green squiggly lines beneath their misspelled or misplaced words? But I suppose this could be a red flag as to who can pay attention to detail or not. Mistakes happen, but unfortunately that may be the deciding factor for an employer choosing between two candidates.
“I pioneer sales techniques through innovative social media advertising.” is a great example of the language of the modern B.S. artist. Weak adjectives and flowery words don’t get you hired. “I pioneer” as a predicate isn’t even a logical. Further, I really doubt the person making a statement like this is really “pioneering” a sales technique. Sales techniques are pretty much standard no matter which medium you are using to market something; such a statement is grandiose at the very least and would provoke me to throw their resume in the trash right away.
“Innovative social media advertising” is a very vague statement. What’s innovative about an already innovative media advertising campaign; it’s a very weak and redundant use of the English language. I think this type of writing would set off the B.S. meter from the start.
Otherwise, you have some good points about being clear and concise in your “Objective” statement and including your applicable skills right away.
A resume that stands out (even on the B.S. meter) would obviously get my attention.. And that is the point. True, it may not necessarily get them hired.. But it may very well get them an interview.