Using a resume objective is not necessarily a good idea. If you're going to be vague and not give the message that your resume objective is directed towards the particular company, or at least, industry, to which you are sending your resume, your resume objective can do more harm than good. A vague objective in a resume suggests that you are unfocused and scattered.
A vague objective in a resume also suggest to the employer that you have sent the same canned resume to many firms, that you have no particular interest in her or his firm and that you did not bother to take the time to personalize your resume. A vague objective in your resume can, therefore, cause your application to end up in the garbage heap with no hope of your ever being invited to a job interview.
Customize Your Resume Objective
If you want to use an objective in your resume make sure it is clear, and its focus is narrow. The ideal is that you have a different objective in your resume for each position applied for at each of the various firms. A good resume objective not only says what you want from a new position, but what you can offer to the new firm and the new employer. This is a vital point in using your resume objective to land that job interview. As you write the objective for your resume think not only, "what's in it for me?" but "what's in it for the employer?"
Sample Resume Objectives
Let's take a look at two sample resume objectives and see which you think an employer would prefer. This is the best way to demonstrate the points we are making about the best objectives.
As an employer would you prefer to read a resume objective that said the candidate was seeking "a position that effectively uses my project management and advertising sales skills to increase a newspaper's classified advertising lineage and revenue", or a resume objective that said the candidate was seeking "a challenging position in a progressive firm?"
Of course, the first resume objective is the preferred. This is the type of resume objective you should include in your resume, tailored for each job and firm you are contacting.
The following are samples of resume objectives garnered from actual online resumes on various career sites. While we don't suggest you copy them verbatim these will give you considerable guidance in writing your own objective on your own resume.
- An accounting management position with the US government that requires strong analytical, planning and organization skills.
- A systems administration or programming position that calls for mathematic and quantitative training; especially interested in its application to the financial or marketing industry.
- A pharmaceutical sales position that requires marketing expertise and a thorough background in chemistry.
Other Excellent Resume Objectives
- A position that effectively uses analytical and communication skills in telecommunications management to improve prospective employer's bottom line.
- A challenging industrial position performing electrical management functions, ideally fully using skills of flexibility and team management.
- The final and perhaps the best resume objective reads, "To obtain a position as a high school teacher that fully uses a strong dedication and enthusiasm for the advancement of the child into adulthood.”