3 Reasons Why You Should Avoid Including Career Objectives In Your Resume

Starting a resume with a career objective seems like a good idea. Why not portray yourself as a driven person who is passionate about the job and has a long-term vision, right? The problem is that objectives only work if someone actually pauses to read them. Given the limited amount of time a recruiter has to review your resume, this three- to four-sentence introduction only derails the recruiter’s focus.

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Unless explicitly asked to do so, avoid including your objectives. They’re missing the mark. And here’s why:

1. Career objectives are seldom looked at. In most cases, it is perceived as page filler — just because the applicant did not have enough to cover the blank spaces on the resume, these lines needed to be added. It is still understandable if you are new in your career, but avoid it if you can. Instead as Ruben Quintero writes on LinkedIn, replace objectives with qualifications that are in line with job requirements. This way, the recruiter instantly gets all the information from your resume in one quick glance. Add your experience summary that is a good reflection of your career. For more information, the rest of your resume is readily available.

2. Your objectives drive you — not your employer. Let’s say you want to become a people manager for a global employer — what are you saying really? That your future employer should give you the opportunity to lead people? Some career goals are often very generic and many times very vague. Do the “What does it mean to my employer?” test. If it isn’t adding value to your resume or the job you are applying for, it is not worth keeping on the resume.

3. It is one additional thing to keep updating. When you customize your resume for various positions, you also need to customize your objective. Maybe change the industry, change your experience. Even if it is a small change, it needs to be made. Because on the off chance that the recruiter actually glances over it — your software industry objective is not in line with the consulting firm you’ve applied to.

So instead, focus on what would make your resume more meaningful and set you apart from the rest of the competition. What is it that you bring to the table that is directly related to what the employer is seeking?

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