Resume: Objective or Not

So, does that little line or two on your resume really mean anything?! Yes and no. (You're loving that riding the fence answer, aren't you?!) Okay, so here are the pros and cons to having an objective on your resume:

Pros:

• It shows you have career direction and know what position you want with the company/organization.
• It demonstrates your confidence.
• It allows you to highlight specific skills you hope to convince the employer you can use with their company because your resume illustrates your past successes using them.

Cons:

• It is redundant to the information they just read in your cover letter.
• It takes up precious space on your resume that you need to demonstrate your past successes.
• You don't actually know the title of the position you want or you don't care, and you don't want to point that out by stating "entry level position."
• It often ends up being a string of clichés or other drivel that no one really wants to read: "seeking challenging position with a growing company" or "opportunity for career advancement" (Really??? Because all of the other applicants are seeking dead-end jobs?!)

So, if you have the room on your resume or you are attending a career fair and/or otherwise won't be attaching a cover letter, here are the things your objective SHOULD do:

• Fit your background/career desires.
• Show your confidence in career goals.
• Focus on the level of responsibility, type of work environment, specific skills or education you are seeking.
• Be clear and concise, indicating how your abilities, skills and background relate to your objective.