Dumping the Resume Objective Statement

The question keeps coming up. “What should I write in my resume’s objective statement?”

We get this question from people at all levels. The fact that perfectly smart people don’t know what to do about this traditional section of the resume tells me that as an element of your marketing document (aka resume), it doesn’t work and is a waste of space.

If you have read this blog, I have ranted on more than one occasion about your resume’s purpose. It is, hands down, a marketing document, and should be designed to get you the meeting, whether that be a formal interview or a key conversation.

The space on your resume, whether it be 1, 2 or 3 pages, is valuable real estate. The objective statement in most cases is akin to building a cinder block wall on the shore of a waterfront property. Not only a waste of space, but something that blocks the best view.

You need to make a strong impression from the get go, and with the objective statement, it is hard to do that.

So, delete that objective statement. Dump it. You can address your objective, if it is relevant and interesting, in a well-written cover letter, or the email accompanying your resume, or perhaps in some form of summary section at the top of the resume.

I will address ways to powerfully introduce your resume in another post. For now, hit that delete key.

Career Boosting Tip #4: Do more than "dust off" the resume

Update your resume. Yes, I know, so obvious. But, I am suggesting more…

First, your resume should be relatively up-to-date. What does that mean? I recommend that anyone who has been in a job for more than 6 months should update their resume to include their current role. You never know who is going to call. Or what internal or external opportunities might come around. (Or, what negative surprise might you one Monday AM.)

More importantly, the process of capturing what you have done and what you are currently working on is an important, ongoing career management imperative.

To do more than dust off your resume, consider…

• Focusing on outcomes, the difference you have made rather than solely on duties and responsibilities
• Capturing your true professional strengths and putting them on the resume. Don’t be shy.
• Developing a summary pitch about what you offer and where you fit. You can’t and shouldn’t be all things to all employers, so don’t try. Figure out what you do and do very well, and capture that.

 Of course, we would be delighted to assist you with BoldCareer’s resume writing services. However, you can do it yourself as well. It takes an investment of your time, but one that will pay off. Make it part of your to-do list to boost your career this year.

Launching a Blog Series: 100 Career Boosting Tips

Okay. I am putting it out there. I was thinking over the holiday (well a little bit anyway) about the next spurt of blogging activity. I wanted a theme. And in my usual fashion, I came up with something biggish.

How about a 100 Tips on boosting your career? Sound good?

Okay. My pulse just went up a bit as I put that out there, but hey, we grow when we stretch.

100 short tips on boosting your career. Coming up.

My loophole…no deadline. But they are coming.

Tune in and share the series with friends.

Technorati Tags: career change, career coach, career development, career transition, cover letter, interviewing, job search, networking, personal branding, resume writing, resumes

Deconstructing a Bad Reference

Quality referencing is getting more and difficult to accomplish due to companies being concerned about liability. And yet, referencing is an important hiring tool and career management tool.

There may be times in your career when referencing does not result in you winning the job. At such a time, there is a strong tendency to blame your reference. Think carefully before you do so.

There is something very important called fit. There are different aspects to fit. Personality is one. Work behaviour is another. There may also be more subtle aspects that might not be evident. Fit into a certain sized organization with its corresponding operating realities. Fit into an organization going through a particular kind of change - rapid growth or turnaround being two examples. Fit in terms of the culture of business and the markets served. Fit in terms of the kind of business relationship the CEO or hiring executive wants with their executive. I could go on.

Fit is an important part of job success. Companies want to hire people who can both do the job and who fit. More importantly, you want to put yourself in situations where you are set up to succeed. Fit is a necessary element.

What happened here?

It is very possible that there was a bona fide reason why someone was chosen over you. It may have been about experience, or it may have been about fit. When this happens, I recommend doing nothing about it except moving on t the next opportunity. An experienced referencer asks questions designed to get real information about how you operate. You could have a 100% positive reference from someone, but the information provided may not be what the hiring company is looking for. This is a fit issue.

There are situations where what is coming up in referencing is something you might want to think about doing something about. For example, some executives find themselves blocked at a certain level because of an issue with how they manage teams, or how they relate at senior levels. If you suspect that there is something developmental you can work on, think about doing that.

Of course, it is also possible that someone gave you a bad reference, or a negative part of an otherwise positive reference. It happens. If you feel sure about your reference list, this probably isn't it. However, you can elect to re-arrange who is on your list if you suspect that someone isn't delivering what you had hoped.

If you aren't certain who it might be, and you feel compelled to follow-up, you can try a debrief with the reference. A question like "did any issues come up that might be helpful for me to be aware of?" could uncover something useful and explain what happened. However, if you value your reference, be very careful to do this in a constructive rather than accusatory tone.

Technorati Tags: career coach, career transition, executive search, hiring process, job search

Avoid the Clichés

You…

“I add value.”

“I have great interpersonal and communication skills.”

“I am organized and hard working.”

Hiring person…

“Yawn.”

That’s what the person sitting across the table from you in the interview is doing. And if someone is reading your resume, their eyes probably skipped right over these all too common ideas. If you are in a networking meeting or informational interview, you might have blown your chance to make that important impression.

First, figure out what you really want to say, Then, figure out how you can say it in a way that is profound and believable. Consider providing evidence to back it up…”as evidenced by ______.”

I don’t have proof, but I am certain that the brain of experienced resume readers and interviewers immediately clouds over when it spots or hears these clichés. Even worse, a critical hiring person will dock you for not coming up with something more personal.

More importantly, you need to know exactly what your strengths are and what the benefits of having you on board are. That’s the real issue.

Technorati Tags: career coach, interviewing, job search, networking, resume writing, resumes