Write a compelling resume Objective to land interviews
Your resume Objective is the promise* you make to future employers
If you are a six figure income job seeker, every word you use to describe your background is a marketing opportunity. The resume Objective section is required to entice the hiring authority to read your employment history. It sets the hook and tells readers what to expect and why reading on is a good use of their time.
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Greg Demming, VP Sales with a comprehensive resume says, “As a reader of thousands…no, let me rephrase. As a skimmer of thousands of resumes, and a reader of hundreds I would suggest you find a coach to seek out help. Not one of those factories that promise to rewrite and distribute your resume. The resume has to spark curiousity, interest and a desire to find out more. The Objective is just the start.”
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Use your Objective to form the basis of your resume; prove your Objective in each bullet. If the entry doesn’t work to prove your promise, it doesn’t belong on the resume.
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To write an excellent resume Objective you must first know the job description or at least the top priorities for the position. Aim your Objective at satisfying the most important need.
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Most resume Objectives are generic and therefore a waste of space. The hiring authority is always looking for someone who stands out from the crowd so reading a statement with no supporting data isn’t especially effective. Below are sample resume objective examples:
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Poor:
Objective: Director of Marketing position where I can continue to grow and provide excellent leadership.
Better:
Objective: Provide marketing leadership to bring new wireless products and services to an expanding audience.
Best:
Objective: Expand and enhance wireless product line offerings and target markets through customer polling, research, franchise efforts and web site enhancement.
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The ‘best’ resume Objective above answers the question, “What can you do for me?” It encourages the reader to discover how you have succeeded in enhancing product lines, polling customers and web site enhancement. You have told them what to look for based on their needs and they will read on.
*Special thanks to Shivonne Byrne, Director of Brand & Content; Microsoft, my go-to person on branding, for characterizing brand as promise. I stole the concept for the elevator pitch and resume Objective because they express your brand.
For more field tested advice to create your best resume, purchase: Job Search Debugged, second edition.
Career advice, INTERVIEW ADVICE, Job Search Tools, Networking, Recruiters, Resume Advice, Six Figure Jobs, Uncategorized, coaching, resume
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6 figure jobs, Career advice, executive jobs, objective, resume objective
Themocracy
As a reader of thousands…no, let me rephrase. As a skimmer of thousands of resumes, and a reader of hundreds I would suggest you find a coach to seek out help. Not one of those factories that promise to rewrite and distribute your resume. The resume has to spark curiousity, interest and a desire to find out more.