Most job seekers are confused about what should be in a summary objective. This bewilderment is reasonable as there is a plethora of conflicting information published about what a summary objective and purpose should include. Some web articles advise that you should include one, while others recommend omitting them entirely. Due to the fact that your resume and cover letter are your first impression and the opportunity to persuade an employer to interview you, you should do everything possible. If you don’t impress and sell the reader, their first impression could be their last impression. A resume is a means to an end and in this end what you want is an interview.
Because a resume is serving two entities on opposite ends of a hopeful transaction; employment, the goal is different for a job seeker than for an employer. The objective of a job seeker is obvious: he wants an interview and a job. The goal of your resume for an employer is to help you decide whether to interview or eliminate you.
So, to fulfill your purpose of getting an interview, because the employer has all the power to make the decision to grant you one based on your needs and desires, your resume objective must serve a higher purpose. By focusing on the employer’s needs, he will be serving his needs. Look at the big picture: Fulfilling the employer’s purpose will fulfill the employer’s purpose. Give them what they want and you will get what you want. They want a qualified employee who can and wants to do the job and you want the job. They need to be convinced that you are the best person for the position.
The objective of a resume is the first thing an employer sees on the page under your name. Most of the advice directs you to create a brief introduction of your career goals and the type of job you are looking for. This writing may seem self-centered and misaligned when you consider that this document is essentially a marketing piece.
Expressing your career goals on your own terms can be risky. If your goals don’t match the employer’s, you risk being eliminated before the employer gets past reading your goal. Also, if the position has additional duties that are not fully described in the job title or description, your objective may make your goals seem limited. If an employer has a job offer other than the one advertised that you might be a perfect fit for, your goal might exclude you from consideration.
Employers look at your past but buy your future. Employers have a hard time correlating your past with your future goals simply by reviewing your resume. And without first meeting with an employer and learning about the company, how is it possible to write about goals that match what they have planned? You can’t and the best you can do is create a goal from the limited information about the position, usually from the job posting and other information you can dig up.
Skipping a summary goal is an option. Regardless, most employers find this to be the most objectionable part of resumes. One of the main reasons for this is that most writing is too generic or not focused on the job or the employer. Many candidates include a Skills Summary section in lieu of the mission statement.
While omitting an objective from a resume seems reasonable and is often acceptable, there are some advantages to including one. For example, this section gives you the opportunity to use the exact job title or skill keywords that the prospective employer is using. Then, if the employer is looking for keywords and the job title is one of those words, you will be included. Another bonus is the opportunity to draw attention to your skill keywords and offer additional information for any special circumstances, such as an internship application or career change.
The following statement includes a transferable skill, in this case communication skills that the employer has listed in the job posting for a physical therapist. This example is for a career transition from customer service work to physical therapy:
Apply valuable communication skills gained from seven years of customer service experience in coordination with the education of a four-year degree and certificate as a Physical Therapist to provide clients with exceptional service.
Again, the objective of a resume provides an opportunity to include a job title that you have not had and would not otherwise be on your resume. Here’s a generic sample that focuses on the employer and includes the job title:
To meet with you and learn about your company and the Junior Accountant position to properly assess your opportunity to determine if current accounting skills and future development can be of exceptional benefit to you.
Presenting certain career goals may be of interest to an employer. If a job description for a sales associate includes a statement about possible promotion, the following objective might be advantageous:
To meet with you to learn about your company and Sales Associate position to determine if current sales skills can help you now and if the goal of working toward a leadership position can serve you in the future.