3 Things Wrong With Objective Statements and Why Recruiters HATE Them

Back in the day, resumes used to begin with a three-sentence spiel called an objective statement. Its purpose was to let the employer know the type of position or role you were seeking, what your plans would be once you joined the company, and how you planned to use your skills to be the ultimate asset to the company. They went a little something like this:

“Exemplary customer service professional seeking to secure a challenging position at a reputable organization to expand my knowledge and skills to contribute towards the success of the company.”

While this may have been the standard for how your resume was supposed to start back in the ’80s, ’90s, and early ’00s, it is now the worst lead-in for resumes today. In an article featured on CNBC, one hiring manager stated that he refused to look at resumes that begin with an objective statement.

So why are objective statements hated by hiring managers and recruiters these days?

Here are several things wrong with objective statements and why they shouldn’t be on today’s modern resume.

1. THEY DON’T MENTION WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE

The biggest flaw with objective statements is that they are all about you and not the employer – which is who the resume should be written, crafted, and tailored for.

Instead of highlighting what you bring to the table, your major wins, your key successes, and what you’re really good at, it only talks about what you’re looking for in a company and what you want to do if/when given the job.

This is why professional summaries and executive summaries have become more popular in recent years. They are more focused and selling your skill set, abilities, and capabilities to the person reading it rather than just telling them what you are looking for. The prime purpose of professional summaries and overviews is to communicate your value, strengths, and edge.

2. THEY ARE ENTIRELY TOO SHORT

Most objective statements are between one to three sentences which is not a substantial length to truly pitch or sell yourself as a candidate. Professional summaries, on the other hand, are three to five solid bullet points packed with keywords, value-rich statements, and quantifiable results. They also tend to be more detailed and specific to highlight relevant experiences, competencies, and successes as it relates to the role.

3. THEY HAVE NO VALUE

Value is the secret sauce for a resume to stand out and generate callbacks. Without value-rich statements and phrases, your resume is likely to be full of fluff and basic claims with no proof to back them up. Since objective statements contain no value, they are wasted space and empty words that get glazed over.

Employers want to see what you’ve accomplished or delivered in your past and current role, not just what you were responsible for. Some questions to ask to uncover the value in your current or past role(s) include:

• Did you lead something?

• Did you increase something?

• Did you decrease something?

• Did you streamline something?

• Are you/did you become proficient in a particular software?

Value is what is going to influence recruiters to call you over someone else; it’s the “why” factor. This is why it’s better to have a professional summary over an objective statement.

For tips on how to communicate your value on your resume, watch the video above or click here.

DITCH YOUR OBJECTIVE STATEMENT  

The above reasons are why you should delete objective statements from your resume ASAP if you have it on there. Remember – the top half of the first page of your resume is what’s going to pique someone’s interest. How your resume begins is what’s going to either draw them in or turn them off.

A solid, hard-hitting professional summary is exactly the right way to kick your resume off on the right foot. For other items to remove from your resume along with objective statements, read this blog post. To learn what should be in your professional summary, watch the video below or click here.