Good Resumes Lack Objectives!
With the job market following suit of the economy, it is hyper-competitive to land a great job. If you believe that you are the best of the best, then you better have a solid resume that will drive that point home.
I have been working on a project for a client, which required research of thousands (probably hundreds) of resumes. Now, I truly understand why HR professionals spend less than 10 seconds reading each resume that floats across their desk. Aside from reading many generic resumes that looked like they came straight from a Microsoft Word template, I noticed that the “objective” part of the resume is the biggest waste of precious space. The resumes that stood out to me had no objective but instead contained a “personal brand statement.”
The PBS doesn’t have its own section or bold highlight that reads, “Personal Brand Statement.” It is simply the first statement that the reader sees below the header. The PBS is a quick but powerful definition of who the candidate is.
Why the objective is irrelevant?
1) If you’re applying for a specific job, then the hiring manager knows what your objective is.
2) It looks like everyone else in the database.
3) Each resume gets viewed for 10 to 30 seconds and a generic objective isn’t going to stop anyone in their tracks.
What should be in my “personal brand statement”?
1) Quantify what you can bring to the table. Use experience, goals achieved or both…people like numbers because they relate easily.
2) Once quantified, briefly highlight the steps you made getting to that point.
3) Immediately below your PBS, list (horizontally) 5 (not 6) or 7 keywords that describe you.
I have been listening to my iPod relentlessly all week to rid the voices in my head that repeat phrases such as, “seeking a mutually beneficial position” and “seeking a rewarding and educational career.” Blah!!
I agree, having a summary or objective is a waste. GT uses summaries, but that’s because a lot of their graduates don’t have much work experience, so you have to fill the page with something.
I don’t have a PBS, but what I did is spend a good amount of time designing my resume, so that it stands out from the crowd.
The personal brand is an interesting concept and one that I think would catch more attention than a forced “objective”. I emailed this article to my wife since she’s in the process of rebuilding her resume.
@Blake Yes, I have often wondered why GT is so adamant about using those. You do great design work, so I’m sure it looks awesome.
@Tyler I find that us blog readers live in our own world and know things like “personal brand” that others seem to miss. Good luck to your wife! I hope it helps her.