Here's a scary thought...11 seconds is all it takes. At least 80% of resumes that many job-seekers have worked hard on and are relying on to land them their next role are thrown out in just 11 seconds. There isn't necessarily a 'wrong' way to write a resume objective statement. However, this blurb about what you want to achieve as you move forward in your career can work against you in some cases.
With this statement being based on what 'you' hope to find and achieve in your next career move, job-seekers often lose sight that they really should be showcasing the skills they have to actually get the job they want. Writing this portion of your resume can be tricky but it should be simple. What you job-seekers have to realize is that their objective statement is one of the first things seen during the resume review process.
You will only have a few short seconds to either impress the recruiter and coax them to read more of your resume or cause them to throw it in the rejection pile. Recruiters take six seconds to skim resumes so keep reading to learn how to avoid yours being thrown out quickly.
When job hunting, your resume is used to showcase a snapshot of your skills, your education, and your professional career. The resume objective statement is referred to as the eye-catcher in a lot of cases. This is because it's one of the first things that recruiters will see on your resume.
This summary is essentially your statement of intent. It's usually only going to be two or three sentences long but the purpose is to combine your experience, your intentions, and skills into one blurb. That blurb should show what role or industry you are interested in and how you would be an asset to the company you are applying to.
Job seekers can often get turned around when it comes to writing this statement and where it loses value is when the statement becomes too opinionated versus factual. Not being self-aware when putting your education resume together is the top mistake that job seekers make.
This means that you aren't properly communicating your skills and strengths to recruiters and hiring managers in a way that would get you hired. One of the areas where professionals are falling victim to a lack of self-awareness is the objective statement.
To combat the potential of having your resume tossed due to a poorly written objective statement, it would help to be aware of some of the top mistakes that people make when writing them.
It can be tempting to want to introduce yourself fully within your objective statement. Keep in mind though that this area of your resume typically shouldn't be any longer than three sentences.
Your resume as a whole is going to speak for you and the objective summary is going to be used as your introduction. This introduction should be a condensed version of your entire professional career snapshot. The concept of it is to give a recruiter or hiring manager a clear idea of who you are, what you're good at, and whether your skills align with what they need or if you would be a good candidate to learn on the job in some cases.
Action verbs are used as attention grabbers and resumes that lack the use of them aren't likely to go far in the hiring process. Action verb usage can make you stand out from other applicants.
They help to highlight and complement your job descriptions, your skills in your objective statement, and your achievements. The reason they are important is that they help hiring managers resonate with the content on your resume. Strong action verbs also showcase the fact that you accomplished things in your previous roles and this looks better than a bland list of prior job duties in the form of bullet points with no action verbs at all.
When thinking of action verbs consider words like;
These terms alone are likely to pull in the attention of a recruiter because they will want to find out more about your past projects, work, and how you approach certain work objectives. Action verbs will essentially get you in the door.
Your objective statement should include the professional title that you have or that you are looking to fill. It should feature a statement that captures the attention of recruiters as well.
One way that you can do this is by mentioning how many years of experience you have and listing two to three key skills or strengths that you have that would be relevant to the job you are applying for. The trick is to word your statement in a way that directly relates to what a hiring manager would be looking for in a candidate.
If you need help forming this statement while navigating your career path, you can tailor it to the job description in the job posting. However, considering that on average it can take three to six weeks to get hired within a certain role, using professional resume writing services could help to strengthen your application much faster.
Around 77% of companies are screening out resumes that have bad grammar present in them. The concern is that 58% of resumes have typos or issues with grammar.
Those that are trying to navigate the job market have to realize that your professionalism and attention to detail are being showcased through your resume. If you can't take the time to proofread a document that shouldn't be longer than 1-2 pages, you aren't likely to be trusted with company projects and assignments.
Make sure that your statement is clear and to the point. One of the areas that work against job seekers is adding in fluff which is information not relevant to the organization or your experience. This could be seen as a disqualifier for many recruiters and you aren't likely to get many callbacks without a detailed and clear objective statement.
Recruiters don't take a lot of time to read through resumes. You have to show them why you are a good candidate in the first few sentences of the document. The statement should show the recruiter who you are but also not be too opinionated.
You also want the statement to be formal without sounding too formal or as if it was written using AI technology. Recruiters want to know and be able to tell that you crafted a summary that accurately describes who you are and what you are looking for.
However, don't assume that the objective should only be about yourself. Keep in mind that this area should be a combination of what the company needs, what you hope to find, and why getting to know more about you should matter.
Not tailoring your objective or your resume as a whole is one of the most commonly made mistakes by job seekers. Binge applying or what you might have heard of as 'rage-apply' is becoming more of the norm in today's job market. Because of this, those looking to take on a new role are creating more generalized resumes during the job application process.
Making your resume universal is the opposite of what you want to do and could extend the process. 36% of resumes are being rejected because they are too generic. Being generic is something that job seekers are doing so that their resume can be seen as relevant for a variety of different jobs.
This may provide speed when trying to get applications in but it's hurting your chances of securing an interview because your resume isn't likely to make it past the AI technology that many companies are using to better sort their submissions.
This means that a lot of the time, your resume won't even make it to a recruiter because the AI technology they could be using won't flag your resume as green. While job applications can take up a lot of time, it's worth it to do them right the first time around.
Your resume is what will help you land you the job in most cases. However, if it isn't constructed properly, it could end up in the 'pass' pile. Your resume objective statement is going to be the make-or-break portion of the document and while it should only be a few sentences long, those few sentences could determine if you get an interview or not.
Navigating the process of creating your resume and the tricks of the job market can be difficult. To make it easier, work with a professional resume writer and land the role you want to go after.
