Objective statement is outdated job-search strategy
Dear Sam: I have a question about a qualifi summary versus an objective statement. I hear different experts say both ways are the “best” and not to use the other.
Which is correct? Does it depend on the position for which you’re applying? I feel that a qualifications summary is not specific enough to target you for a certain position, and that your qualifications should be in your work experience. What are your thoughts? — Scott
Dear Scott: Any expert in the hiring industry will agree with me when I say that objective statements are archaic and fall short in today’s employer-centric process. An objective statement simply states what you want out of your next position, doing nothing to convince the reader why you are qualified to take that next step.
On the other hand, a qualifications summary presents information that is critical to convey during the typical fourto seven-second screening process how you are qualified, why you are unique and how you fulfill the requirements for the types of roles you are seeking.
In decades past, objective statements were used to open everyone’s resume. Over time, these statements evolved to become incredibly self-serving and grew more and more vague. In essence, what ended up happening was that job seekers started opening their resumes with meaningless “stuff” that did nothing to differentiate the candidate. Typically, objective statements would state the obvious — “I’m looking for a good-paying job that offers room for advancement” — and candidates would simply change out the title they were seeking with every resume they sent out the door.
With a qualifications summary, on the other hand, you are providing the reader with an executive summary of your resume.
It is absolutely vital that you present this information. Regardless of the length of your resume, the reader will not get past the first half of Page 1 unless something outstanding captures his or her attention. Because screening processes have become so brief, this section will allow you to pull forward all of the most important highlights related to your candidacy. In essence, the summary is your elevator pitch, or the answer to the question, “Why should I hire you?”