Resume Writing Tips: When to Use an Objective

Job seekers can be likened to riders of roller coasters in that they are never quite certain when a new twist or turn, high or low, will appear on the winding track of propriety and convention.  This is true of statements of objective.  Once a staple in virtually all resumes, their relative popularity has fallen over the past decade.  Most often, we recommend that our clients forego an objective statement in their professionally written resumes.  In some cases, however, its inclusion remains both appropriate and beneficial.

The school of thought favoring the use of objectives in resumes advises that the statement serves to bring immediate focus to the resume.  For the candidate following a very well defined career path, a well-written statement of objective clarifies the nature of the position the job candidate is seeking.  If the candidate seeks a lateral move, the objective statement clarifies that fact.  Should the candidate be seeking a promotion, that too would be clearly indicated in an effective objective statement.

The other theory concerning development of an effective resume, however, is to exclude the objective statement from the document.  By excluding the objective, this school of thought postulates, the applicant removes certain restrictions from his resume.  An effectively written objective statement, as is its purpose, narrows the spectrum of potential positions for which a candidate might apply.  In order to maximize opportunities for which the resume is applicable, the exclusion of the objective statement and its replacement by a statement summarizing the candidate’s background and qualifications would make the document more relevant to more different types of opportunities.  Given the fact that the career paths of most candidates today is more serpentine than straight, beginning their resume with a summary rather than an objective makes more sense for most job seekers.