Thursday, May 7, 2015

Career Planning: Resume Objective Mistakes to Avoid


To be competitive in the job market, most job seekers revise their resumes and make sure they don’t make mistakes in writing their resume objective. The objective statement is actually considered as the most difficult part of writing a resume. This is because of the fact that a well-written objective can easily get the attention of hiring managers, while writing a bad one can lead to your resume being ignored.

As you craft your resume, you’ve got to start on the right foot, and you can do this by coming up with a good career objective. Here are some mistakes to avoid:

1. Being too simple.
In writing your resume objective, think from a hiring manager’s perspective. It won’t help if you use a very simple one, like “To have a full time job with a stable company”. Obviously, this is your goal, but it’s way too obvious and uninteresting for potential employers.  What you want is to have a statement that clearly describes your interest in that particular job.

2. Leaving out details.
In your resume objective, make sure it contains some of the talents and skills that you possess and will give value to the company. For instance, you could say “Would love to be part of a growing company where I can utilize my 10 years of customer service experience to better serve customers”.

3. Not mentioning your goal.
You want your resume objective to state what you really want to achieve through the job you’re applying for. If you want career stability or career growth, then don’t hesitate to mention it in your objective. This will have hiring managers think that you’re looking for a long-term employment, and not just full time employment.

4. Being generic.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make in writing your resume is to create one that will be used to apply for different types of jobs. Yes, this method seems convenient and efficient on your part, but it is something that hiring managers really don’t like. Hiring managers read hundreds of resumes and application letters every single day, so they know which ones are specific and which ones are generic.

5. Being unrealistic.
There is no way you should exaggerate facts in your resume. If you’re a new graduate, for instance, you can’t say that you have extensive experience in a certain field. While it could be true that you have some real work experience from doing internships or even part time jobs, you shouldn’t claim to be someone you’re actually not.


Writing a resume is much like career planning. There are steps to follow, and things you should and shouldn’t do. You also need to dedicate some time in making your resume to make sure it represents you well as a professional and an individual.