Hiring decision-makers surveyed for the book,
Top Notch
Executive Resumes identified this as one of their Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves:
Resume contains a weak objective statement. Most people in hiring positions do not read
Objective statements. “Omit objective statements [because] the applicant, as a matter of principle,
has no objective; the company has the objective,” advised John Kennedy, senior IT recruiter at Belcan.
“Whatever you write, your objective is to get a job,” said Alison, a corporate recruiter for
a specialized information provider.
“I can never figure out why people think employers are breathlessly waiting to provide them with
opportunities. I am especially puzzled when it is in an executive resume,” noted Joy Montgomery,
owner of Structural Integrity in California, citing a typically poor objective statement:
Objective: A challenging position where I am able to use my considerable something or other skills in
a fulfilling opportunity …
Similarly, Weaver offered this self-serving and slightly exaggerated objective statement as a typically weak example:
Objective: Seeking to obtain a position within a growing company where my existing skills will benefit
my employer, and be part of an environment where I will be challenged so that I may gain even more experience.
See all 30 peeves:
executive resume peeves
1-10 in Part 1,
executive resume peeves 11-20 in Part 2 and
executive resume peeves 21-30 in Part 3.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.