Be objective about your resume career objective

by K B , updated on November 11, 2020

How to create a great resume career objective.

resumes mixed messagesAs a recruiter some of the resume career objectives I read left me scratching my head.

The reason I’ve scratched my head, is that from reading the resume and the career objective, I have had no idea what that candidate has wanted to do.

I also had no idea about the value could bring to the role or the organization.

That means I need to start to think and translate this person’s experience to see whether it matches the role at hand.

While my role as a recruiter is to do that, the person who’s most likely to get a look in, is the person who can quickly explain the value they can add, starting with a clearly expressed career objective on their resume.

Why should you read this blog post.

In this blog post I”ll cover 5 things.

1. Why you should create a resume career objective

2. Bad examples of a resume career objective and why the example is bad

3. Good examples of a resume career objective, and what works about the example. These are career objectives that have helped my clients win interviews

4. Rules to help you create a powerful resume career objective

5. How you can use our myPitch app to create a forward looking career objective for your resume and for interviews.

1. Why you should create a resume career objective.

Skip this bit if you just want to find out how to write one.

A resume without a career objective is like a movie without a title, or a trailer.

I’m not really going to understand why I should watch the movie, if I can’t at least get an idea about what I am about to see, and in fact I probably won’t watch it.

A resume career objective invites the reader in. It makes a big difference to the way the recruiter reads your resume.

An career objective does not need to be an essay, you do need to let the rest of the resume do it’s work, but a succinct and well written objective means when the recruiter reads the resume, they read it with what you want in mind.

Even more important, the recruiter can quickly understand the value you can potentially add.

When I was a recruiter, I would see so many resumes.  I really needed candidates to be bold and spell out what they wanted. So a clearly written career objective on a resume shows not only that you have given this application some detailed thought (always good), but that you have the confidence to announce your ambitions and what you can deliver to an employer.

2. Examples of bad resume career objectives.

Here’s an example of a badly written career objective.

“To obtain a role in business, which will enable me to utilise my strong skills and expansive knowledge to make a contribution.”

This just sounds like wishy washy theory.

The career objective does not state specifically which strong skills and expansive knowledge the applicant would like to use. These are wasted words on a resume, where you do need to be careful about every word you choose.

Here’s another example of a bad resume career objective.

“An outstanding Manager with extensive global experience expertise. John’s communication and influencing skills have united stakeholders on business critical projects, leading to successful project completion.  His strong management capability and project management skills have also been pivotal in successfully managing a company and transforming teams with over 50 staff to deliver engagement rates of 80% plus. John has managed diverse team members in different locations. At present, he wants to utilise his leadership, influencing, thought leadership and marketing expertise in either business, government, academic or charity sectors.”

At first glance this may sound reasonable, but apart from the repeated words and waffle, the issue with this career objective is that it’s waaaaay too general.

You are more likely to get an interview if you understand the role you are applying for, and explain the value you can add to that particular role.

So saying “business, government, academic or charity sectors” is not convincing.

Also in this career objective, there’s information that would be better placed in other areas of the resume, such as achievements (“80% + engagement rates”) and expertise (stakeholder engagement).

3. Examples of good resume career objectives.

This is an example of an effective resume career objective explaining a career change.

“Having recently achieved Distinctions in HR studies, along with winning award nominations through demonstrating dedication to consistently providing exemplary levels of customer service interpreting complex and detailed travel policies in fast-paced corporate support and sales environments; ideally positioned to add value as a Coordinator effectively managing internal policy inquiries in an internal corporate HR service centre.”

This career objective helped this person secure an interview for a number of reasons.

This person had thought specifically about what they could bring from their past into their new career choice in HR. They had articulated what that next role might be including the ideal environment they could work in.

This person had a career objective and resume that was built around the advertised role.

Here’s another example that worked for a global CFO.

“Global CFO with 15 + years’ success delivering growth in diverse operations across international markets for new projects and Greenfield sites; a record of challenging the status-quo, recognizing and executing innovative solutions; strategic and hands-on financial management skills; ideally positioned to build markets and deliver growth for organisations at the start of a global expansion or transformation.”

This resume career objective succeeded because this person demonstrated a high degree of self awareness, specifically around which part of the business cycle they could add the most value in.

Each and every word in the career objective were important skills to highlight for someone who was able to drive global expansion.

Another reason that it is better to be more specific than general is that when you have a track record at a senior level and are looking for a role, a recruiter sees it as a given that you can deliver. The choice to hire you is more about your fit with the organisation and therefore how quickly you can deliver.

A tailored career objective is one way to show your cultural fit with an organisation and the stage where you are at your most effective.

Here’s an example of a graduate’s career objective.

“With an honours degree in Accounting, skills gained in previous career investigating immigration applications requiring attention to detail and an ability to understand complex law and individuals’ circumstances; plus a work ethic demonstrated by extensive extra-curricular activities; career ambitions are to investigate problems and highlight issues with risk, commencing as an Audit Graduate with a professional services firm.”

4. Rules around resume career objectives.

Rule 1. Keep it short, you want people to read it.

Rule 2. Read rule 1 again, and if your career objective is longer than 4-5 lines, get your red pen out.

Rule 3. Think about what how you’ve done in the past will allow you to add value in the future.

Rule 5. Your objective is much more about other people than you.

Rule 6. Make sure your career objective matches the role you are applying for. This means you need to be serious about each and every application you send.

Rule 7. Don’t copy other people’s objectives off the internet, you won’t sound like you – and that’s a charisma killer.

5. Still stuck? Try our new app myPitch for some career objective examples.

When we talk about a career objective, essentially the recruiter is asking you the question “tell me about yourself.”

We’ve created a tool that will help you sell yourself within 30 seconds.

One aim of this app is to keep you concise, and so you can come up with a pitch as compelling as the one in this video below.

So if you have an iPhone click this link to download myPitch if you have an Android click this link to download myPitch and take a look at the videos we’ve filmed for each stage in your career.

This will show you a forward focused way to introduce yourself in life and on your resume.

Try it out and feel free to come back and tell me what you think.

Answer tell me about yourself with myPitch at the app store

googleplay_download

 

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Seven signs you need professional help with your resume, that is!

by K B , updated on November 11, 2020

Do you need a professional resume writer?

For many reasons it is sometimes difficult to ask for professional help.  I have found that many people prefer to attempt to write their resumes themselves, rather than employ a professional resume writer. Sometimes this is fine. For example, if you are in a field where your skill is in demand, you may barely ever be asked for a resume. You may be hired on your reputation alone.

However, here are seven signs you may need a professional resume writer’s help with your resume:

  1. You are not getting interviews. (Have a look here for top 10 resume mistakes and read here and here for how recruiters may read your resume)
  2. You would like to change your career and you are having trouble expressing your new direction and what you can bring to your new role. (Have a look here about why a career objective is important.)
  3. You have a gap in your resume; say for time out for children, a career break etc.
  4. You are in a hurry and need you need a professional resume written really quickly
  5. You’ve always been headhunted and have no idea where to start writing your resume
  6. You really don’t like talking about your strengths, let alone writing them on a resume.
  7. You think there is something wrong with your resume, yet you can’t put your finger on it

Professional resume writers – what to look for

OK, so there are a lot of writers out there it can be really confusing. However here are some signs you are in the hands of a professional resume writer.

Professional resume writers will ask you questions about you, not launch into what they can do for you. You want your writer to sit down, or talk with you. While they may use a form, they use it as a starting point for a discussion about what you’ve been doing in the job market, why you think you need professional help, what you want the resume to achieve for you, and how you plan to use the resume. If you plan on finding a job through your networks, then sometimes your resume is a work in progress as you talk to people. A professional resume writer will tell you, how much you should do, and how much your resume can do.

You want your professional resume writer to be interesting in finding out what makes you tick; someone who doesn’t just accept what you say at face value. That way they can uncover your hidden strengths. What you think are strengths, may not necessarily be the ones you should present. (I’ve seen many senior leaders write “good team player” on their resumes. While this may be true, the language does not reflect their seniority, or match what’s required for a role.)

Professional resume writers have professional experience. It doesn’t need to be experience in your area, however they need to have a curiosity and be able to ask the right questions, and to challenge you on the information you provide.

You want your resume writer to work with you. That’s not just in the questions they ask you, but the guidance they give you along the way. A professional resume writer will give you questions to ask the head-hunter or recruiter, if you haven’t asked them already.

Finally, and this is important – you don’t want any professional resume writer to say they will 100% guarantee results. Nobody can guarantee that your resume will win you an interview. What they should be able to say is, that it won’t be your resume that stands in the way of your success.

 

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Look gorgeous? I don’t need to know from your resume photo.

by K B , updated on November 11, 2020

should-you-put-your-photo-on-your-resumeShould you really put your photo on your resume?

Yes, well, maybe.

How’s that for being definitive?

OK, I lean towards a no on the resume photo argument.

My hesitation is that it is still not that common to see photos on resumes in Australia.

So if you have a photo on your resume, you do run the risk of running into someone like me. I have to confess that when I was a recruiter I used to see a photo on a resume and say “hmmmm I wonder why they’ve put that on their resume” or “that’s really not a flattering colour.”

Reasons not to put your photo on your resume.

More seriously though, for many years, we’ve all asked employers to judge us on our skills and achievements. That’s why we have EEO legislation in place.

When you put your photo on your resume you are inviting a recruiter with their own set of prejudices, to consider how you look along with what you may have achieved.

Reasons to put your photo on your resume.

The “yes” argument for a photo on your resume is that it humanises you and makes you stand out.

However if you think it will show how you fit an organization, you are also asking a lot of a photo. Nobody looks like their photo. Your fit for an organisation is best judged in interview, where people relate to the energy you give off, the way you interact with people, the interest you show and even the eye contact you make.

If you choose to put your photo on your resume, what sort of photo should you choose?

If you do decide to put a photo on, make it a good one.

Make it discreet and fit the theme of the resume.

I once had someone apply for a consulting position who sent a photo of himself fishing. He had a great set of skills (fishing clearly one of them), but I had to question his judgment about the photo and I was reluctant to take it any further.

In Australia in particular, we do have the “tall poppy” syndrome. We like people to be confident in their talents, but not to brag about them. Somehow a photo on a resume says something different. Perhaps it says more of the “look at me look at me” than many of us feel comfortable with.

But that could just be me. And I do find it ironic that I am writing this while my photo is on my website.

If you’re looking for a way to spruce up your resume based on your skills and experience, click here to try our new iPhone app, myPitch. This will help you craft a powerful opening career objective for your resume and LinkedIn profile.

For more information on resumes read:

Why a career objective on your resume is important
Watch out for these resume red flags
How long should a resume be?
Seven things you don’t know I know from reading your resume
Don’t make these top 10 resume mistakes

 

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Climb every mountain – What Emma did next, part 2

by K B , updated on May 11, 2019

Leaping back into the work ‘world’ is a tricky thing. For the first time, you have to balance work life and family life. Remember the good ‘ole days when you could work whatever hours you wanted and then pick up a meal for one or two on the way home? You could watch the news in all its goriness and have a sensible conversation without interruption. As a mum, those glory days are behind me, for now. It is hard to find a job that fits in with the busy family lifestyle. Nearly four weeks ago, I had an awesome interview for a great job. Did I get it? Who knows? I’m still waiting to find out.

It’s funny when your job journey can be read through your friends’ reactions. A few of mine have been following my job journey with great excitement. At first they were positive about my chances. Their eyes were aglow, when I declared, “I have an interview!”. As the weeks ticked by, the sparkle in their eyes dimmed and work conversation was cut to a brief whisper, “So have you heard?”. Tired of all this uncertainty, I was determined to find out what was happening. So, I sent the ‘man’ a short email, saying something like, “just wondering how the job hunt is progressing”. He answered three days later saying that he would be making the big decision this week.

So, the phone has gone back on to the ‘deafening’ setting; it has been my constant companion. It is now the end of THE week and still no word (though I still have three hours to go). While I’m not putting all my eggs in the one basket, it would be nice to get an answer. However, I have put out the word to some more contacts and have received positive feedback and they have me in mind for future projects. Bubble, bubble, bubble. It is an exciting time. Although, I never want to get too carried away and forget that my main mission in life is to bring up happy, confident and whole kids! Which is a Master’s degree in itself.

I have been a person who has never been comfortable with the idea that you can ‘have it all’. I think I was too afraid to have that ideal in my head, just in case it wasn’t really achievable. But, deep down, it is something I really want. I want to work as a freelance writer from home. I want to pick up my kids from school and have afternoon tea and chat and soothe and teach. I want to volunteer at school and know who their friends are. I want to write and learn and grow my skills. I don’t know if this job is IT. But I’m going to “climb every mountain” as Maria sang and dare to enjoy the lows as well as the highs. So tune in next time, I may have news!

Emma Watson

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The Silent Treatment: Don’t take it personally

by K B , updated on November 11, 2020

Why don’t recruiters call back?

I receive a lot of complaints from job-seekers about recruiters who don’t return their  telephone calls. In fact it’s the number one complaint I hear. To not have your call returned is frustrating in normal circumstances, but it’s even more frustrating if you’re waiting on the answer on a role. I can’t really point the finger too much here. I found it difficult to manage my workload and return candidates’ calls when I was a new consultant.  So I am guilty myself.

I want to give you the perfect answer on how to woo your consultant, so they’ll readily get back to you, but I can’t. But what I can give you is an insight into the industry from my time at the coal face, and from the many conversations I had with industry leaders, consultants and candidates when I’ve written on the industry.

If you understand why it happens, and that it happens to most people, at least you may not take it too personally. Although it feels personal, in many cases, it’s not.

So why don’t recruitment consultants return candidates’ telephone calls?

Although there is some move to change this, most recruitment agencies pay their consultants a hefty commission when they’ve placed you in a role. No surprises here. Most people know this.  But what this means in practice is that if you are not a hot candidate about to sign on the dotted line from an interview the consultant has organised,  you will not be a priority. So, for example, a consultant may not return your calls for feedback on your resume, give you an answer from the client about an interview you may have attended and not won, or perhaps provide you with information about pay.

The other thing is to remember is that often agencies will not pay their consultants commission until they meet their targets. So again, if you are not at some point in the line up to be placed in a role, then you are not a priority call. The consultant is focusing on what they need to do to meet their targets.

Thirdly, many agencies manage their consultants on the idea that they “can’t manage what they can’t measure.”  What gets measured, managed and rewarded is “activity” linked to results. One place I worked said we needed to undertake a certain numbers of “activities” to be successful. That activity included sales visits, sales calls and interviews.

Here’s an example to show you what I mean. As consultants we were expected to work off the ratio of bringing five/six candidates into interview with us, then in theory, we would be able to refer three to the client for interview. From that, one person would be successful securing the role. It was the same theory for business development. Ten sales telephone calls to prospective clients should mean three client visits. From three client visits we should receive one order to fill a job.

When I was a consultant, if we did not do the prescribed numbers of interviews, sales calls or sales visits (the success formula) we would not be paid our commission, even if we exceeded our financial targets. On top of that, each week we would have a review of “our numbers.”  Or we may talk about our “numbers” in a group sales meeting. If we wanted to avoid being stressed out in management meetings or the public embarrassment of not achieving our numbers, we made damn sure we did them.

The manage by measure theory is good in theory. But the back-story is to be “careful what you wish for.” Consultants will only work towards what management recognizes and rewards. When I was a consultant, management did not ignore how happy we made candidates. They ran regular surveys.  However candidates’ happiness or otherwise, was not linked to commission or other rewards, so there was no punishment or incentive to return a candidate’s call or keep candidates informed.

While some agencies recruit consultants based on their industry knowledge and network of contacts, many still recruit based on sales experience or aptitude. A typical sales person focuses on what they need to do to achieve the numbers. That’s not necessarily the same thing as wanting to make people happy.  Many recruitment agencies have responded to this, by restructuring roles around sales and service skill sets. Plus looked at the way they reward people and tried to include the way consultants deliver service. However it is such a difficult balance to get right. With so much money at stake in the industry, and a sales/commission business model that seems to have worked for many years to generate that money, it will take some brave management to do away with it.

The level of measurement in the industry has lent itself to consultants feeling micro-managed. When you are micro-managed you do not feel trusted. I’ve never met anyone who likes this feeling.  That and the sales focus, means that staff turnover in the industry is terribly high which means, in turn, that the level of experience in the industry is low. Consulting and time management skills actually take many years to develop. For an inexperienced consultant, it is impossible to do all the numbers, let alone return everyone’s phone calls. Something’s got to give. And, unfortunately, that’s often you.

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Do you have any weaknesses?

by K B , updated on November 11, 2020

Should you talk about your weaknesses in interview?

I know I am going against popular opinion when I say this, but my view is yes.

So if you are looking here for an easy answer on how to answer the weakness question in interview, then look somewhere else. There are plenty of other sites where you can find a prescribed script.

Most intelligent interviewers want to get a sense of the real you.

OK, they know that you are not going to reveal your worst character flaw. But they do want to get a sense that they are talking to a real person, not an automation who cannot talk about anything other than their strengths. Nor do they really want to employ someone who dodges the question with a cliché answer.

All of the employers we interviewed for our book “What do employers really want” lamented the lack of self awareness among their teams and among people they interviewed.

They simply wanted people to be themselves in interview.

Here’s what one employer said: (She’s a senior executive in the world’s biggest supplier of information.)

-A turn off in interview is when people are constantly in “sell mode”. Sometimes it’s nervousness, so I allow time for an applicant to get through that. Then there are people who use “sell” as a barrier. They are the more difficult ones to deal with, because they will not let the barrier down. I’m not really getting to know them, so why would I want to employ them. I would rather someone say. “Look I have no experience in that area, but I think my skills would work really well, here.”

Another employer, a senior HR Manager, said:

“What turns me off is desperation from a candidate, where people try to oversell themselves, who have given you a 50 page CV and over-emphasized their qualifications. There’s a level of over-kill that some people tend to go past”

Think about it this way.

You are in an interview because the strengths you have, lend themselves to that profession. A weakness you may have, may not actually be a deal breaker. We all know accountants or engineers who are not people people. They are not being hired for that, they are being hired for their technical skills.

The bottom line on talking weaknesses is to be genuine.

Have a real conversation.

If you can show that you understand what you are good at, what you are not good at, then talk about what you are doing about it, then you are coming closer to a real conversation about whether the role is right for you, and whether you are right for the role.

That’s kind of the point of an interview, isn’t it?

PS: Please don’t ask me if you should say that your weakness is that you care too much about the job. I get kind of cranky! 😉

Need to get ahead of the pack for your next interview?

Get our free e-book The 7 Deadly Sins to Avoid at Job Interview!

Deborah Barit wrote this book. She is one of Australia’s leading interview coaches.

To get your free e-book and some of our best interview tips direct to your inbox, simply click on this link.

Here’s what happy readers said about the e-book and interview tips:

“Deborah Barit is a very smart lady…She is good at figuring out what an employer is looking for. It’s like she has ESP, with her help in preparing, I found no surprises in a recent interview and I was prepared for every question….” Cathy, Leichhardt, NSW

“Because I read so many of your posts, I feel as if you were my personal employment coach. I start my new position in two weeks. I had so many obstacles to overcome and each day you posted a solution to my dilemma and how to improve my search. Thank you so much for your input and PLEASE continue to do what you do!”

Click here to get access to the e-book.

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