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This week a recent college graduate sent me her resume, along with this question: "How can I update my objective statement to fit this specific job?" Even though I appreciated her recognizing the have to have to customize her resume for each particular application, the best way to update an objective statement is to delete it altogether.
Even if you're searching for entry-level work, the rather reality that you're applying for a particular job indicates that your objective is to acquire that job. Utilizing your cover letter to clarify why you desire this distinct job will generally assist your case, but adding an objective statement saying that you want the job only wastes space on your resume. Worse still, several hiring managers say 1 of their pet peeves is receiving resumes with objective statements that have absolutely nothing to do with the position for which they're hiring! For instance, an individual submitting a resume for an educational nonprofit that says their objective is to be an optometrist.
If you have been in the workforce for a whilst, your experience will usually make logical sense in connection to the jobs for which you apply. If you are altering careers or searching for entry-level function, the content of your resume may be much less directly relevant. Resist the temptation to tell the employer what you want. Rather, use that beneficial space to summarize what you bring to the table as a candidate. Not only is this a considerably far more effective method for acquiring your resume into the coveted interview stack, but it makes the application procedure significantly easier for you as a job seeker. Objective statements get men and women into trouble whenever they don't match a job description specifically-which requires the job seeker to tweak his or her objective every time they submit a resume. On the other hand, a summary statement capturing your essence as a candidate is something you can carry from resume to resume-as properly as onto other media such as your LinkedIn profile or expert weblog.
As you may possibly have guessed, my response to the recent college grad was to lose her objective statement and just sell her relevant skills. This method is useful no matter how long you have been in the workforce!