Objective Statements Are Extinct

Objective statements are 1-3 sentences comprised of the candidate’s intentions for their future employment endeavors. These statements are typically placed atop the first page of the résumé, and inform the employer of what type of position or field the candidate is seeking. While these statements have been a standard inclusion for résumés over many years, the selection process has since evolved. Due to this, objective statements are now considered outdated, not recommended, and most importantly, somewhat redundant.

Food for thought, if applying for a position with a company, the Selecting Official obviously knows that your objective is to obtain that position. Therefore, outlining that via an objective statement can be a bit redundant. Further, employers typically skim through your résumé to locate relevant details in your work experience, ergo habitually skipping the objective statement altogether.

Unlike objective statements, objective “summaries” are less about what you seek and more about what you can provide to the company. If using a general résumé in the current job market, you can replace your objective statement with an objective summary. To accomplish this, best practice is to use a cover letter.