Your Resume is one of your most important business documents - so put the time and effort into it now - learn what to do with each Section, starting with Objective
Writing your Resume can be tough, and it's easy to get frustrated when trying to put your life onto a couple of pages. After all, these couple of pages are supposed to be your ticket to a new and exciting career, right? So, do you really need ALL those Sections in your Resume? Does having an Objective really make a difference for this portfolio of your experience? Shouldn't you "punch it up" with whatever you can to make it look visually appealing and not have too much white space on that important business document?
Simply put, yes, you DO need ALL those Sections. And yes, both you and the prospective employer know your ultimate objective is to get a job, while the employer's objective is to hire the right person for the job. So, if Objective was NOT important - shouldn't the ad for employment just say "someone to fill the job"? Would you answer an ad that simply stated: "Want to hire someone. Here's a list of duties." (well, depending on how desperately you needed work, you might). And yes, just putting in "Objective - to obtain work as [fill in single word such as accountant, engineer, salesclerk, administration, etc,] IS just saying you want a job, ANY job, not necessarily the one you are applying for.
Your Objective is the first item a prospective employer sees about you - and it's your chance to let them see if you might be a good fit for their company. How focused are you - do you really know what you want out of your career? Maybe not - maybe you are just starting out - that's also important to show. A company may be looking for someone they can mold or train to suit their company - can you be focused enough to do this? Your Objective sets the tone for your Resume. And yes, you can certainly change your Objective to suit each ad or potential job.
The more focused your Objective, the better. Do you want to work in a large company - or would you prefer a smaller office environment? Are you looking to expand on your experience in payroll after years in receivables? Just starting out and want a company you can contribute to while learning the ropes of that industry? SAY SO! The more details, the more the employer can get a handle on you - that you DO know what you want, and you are willing to seek it and work for it.
As well, many companies now scan the incoming Resumes, and if yours does not match the basic sections required (and yes, Objective is a required section), yours will be discarded. (Speaking of scannable Resumes - don't use many quotation marks - (even apostrophes) - they don't scan very well.)
Yes, it IS more work to think of an appropriate Objective for your Resume - you actually have to really consider your goals, your work experience, and your own objectives. It is worth it, but then you have to decide if you are worth the time and effort to create a Resume that truly reflects your abilities.
More on Sections and White Space on Resumes in upcoming articles.
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Copyright March 23, 2007. Paym Bergson and Suite 101. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use of this material will constitute an infringement of copyright.
