Is an Objective on a Resume Really Necessary?

When looking at your resume, there are many things to consider: what to include? What font to use? What order should it be in? Does this qualify as a relevant special skill?  And currently, a question on everyone’s mind is, “do I actually need to include an objective?” They seem old fashioned and they take up precious space when you only have one page to show so much important information about you.  Not to mention, if you meticulously write a cover letter to explain why you fit at the company, why do you need to also include a few general sentences they could learn just from scanning down the paper?

Writing an objective is becoming a somewhat dated practice, and most companies today do not expect them.  However, this isn’t always the case. How are you going to know if you should include one? Do some research into the employer and try to gauge what they’re looking for.  If your objective can shed some light as to why you would meet their needs and you don’t need the extra space, then include it. It’s really up to you if you want to include one, but knowing the energy of the company might help you make that decision.

Another option is a resume summary statement.  What is this, you may ask? It’s a short paragraph at the top that fuses all the information in your resume and explains how you would be the best fit for the job because of said fusion.  Now, is this necessary? Nope. A paragraph can take up even more space than an objective! However, if your work history is kind of all over the place, the summary statement is a good place to show how it all ties together.  It’s also a good place to really put forth what you absolutely want them to know and understand about what you can bring to the table. The summary statement is how you can explain to them how you meet the criteria they are looking for and why.  Tweak it to the specific company to really tell them why you fit in this one job at this one place. It’s much more meaningful than two sentences that are made to meet standards for multiple companies.
 

So, basically, the choice is yours. Do your research to see if the company is more old school or modern.  And, if you do choose to use space on your resume for an objective, make sure it’s awesome. Everyone and their mother can write a couple of general sentences about teamwork and their professional attitude.  Be specific and unique. Really showcase yourself while keeping it short and sweet. And remember, if you feel you must include some kind of statement, consider the resume summary instead!