It’s time to replace your resume’s career summary with your career objective.
For years, job seekers have attempted to craft the perfect resume through fonts, styling, and formatting. Yet one of the easiest and most impactful changes that can be made today is to eliminate your career summary and replace it with your objective.
Why Replace the Summary with an Objective?
Your summary is taking up valuable resume real estate without providing any real benefit. The summary simply regurgitates the information you’re already providing below. A summary might initially catch a recruiter’s eye at the top of the page, but it doesn’t give them any real sense of what you are looking to get out of your next career move.
The objective is clear. It avoids potential wasted time when recruiters call about jobs that don’t fit your expectations. Likewise, it is easy to customize based on the job you are applying for – giving recruiters or TA the nudge to move forward and read the rest of your resume.
AI Hiring Impact
Many companies are using, or considering using AI based technologies to help them screen resumes an eliminate other mundane or time-consuming tasks for their TA staff. The objective allows you the opportunity to give AI algorithms additional, customized key phrases that reflect the individual job description. If you are applying for a Senior Java Developer position in a SaaS organization, use the objective to reinforce your desire to work as a Senior Java Developer in a SaaS organization.
Customization
If you are in the thick of applying to multiple jobs, it can be daunting to think about customizing a resume for every individual position. Yet, it feels as if every company expects a resume that is only relevant to their specific job posting.
The objective allows you to customize your resume without needing to reinvent the wheel for every single job application. You can have more than one objective based on the position you are applying for, customizing the section to mirror the job description, industry or skill sets.
Where to Start?
If you’re unsure how to start your objective, look at a job description that fits your goals, even if you don’t plan on applying for it. Analyze repeated keywords, the company’s objectives, and what key skills the ideal candidate has in order to be successful. Use this information to craft a clear and concise objective that matches their desired future employee.
If you still need help making the switch from the resume summary to the objective, reach out to our team to help you narrow down your objective that will give you a leg up in your application process.
