Resume Objective

 Is it still relevant? 

Today's resume comes to us from an environmental engineer working for a large engineering firm.

This resume brings up the following question: 

Do you really need an objective on your resume?

Does it help describe your intentions and your goal or is it superfluous?

I took these questions to the experts to see what they had to say. Below are the responses I received from experts in their respective fields.

A “resume objective” is not relevant, and even worse, they can put your resume into the “no” pile. When submitting a resume, remember your audience - the reviewer. They will be reading tens or hundreds of resumes at a time, and your job as the resume author is to use that few seconds of the initial screening as efficiently as possible. Every resume should be specifically tailored to the job you are applying for, so the reviewer already knows what the objective is - to secure the position that you are applying for, so there is no new information presented in a resume objective. They just look like the author is trying to fill up the page.

- Jesse Lovrien, Company President

Several workshops on this topic have expressed that stating "you want a job" is obvious, that's why you are submitting your resume, so save space and leave it out. Use the space at the top of your resume for qualifications - those things that set you apart.

- Cathy MacKinney, HR Coordinator III

As a recruiter, when I see an objective statement, it makes me think the candidate is actively looking. Clients use my services to find passive candidates that they aren't able to find on their own. For an entry level candidate, it may make sense, but it doesn't tend to make sense for the individuals I place.

- Jessica Hanchey, Lead Executive Recruiter

In my experience they can be helpful when a candidate doesn't have a lot of experience for the job they are applying for such as recent graduates or candidates looking for a career change. However if the applicant is applying for a similar role that they already have I don't think an objective is necessary. Instead I would recommend doing a summary where an applicant can highlight job specific experience.

 -Shideh Andideh, Energy and Engineering Recruiter