Myth Number Two About
Executive Resume Writing: Every
résumé should have an Objective.
Here's a quote to think about in
the context of executive resume
writing: “To sing the Magnificat at
matins.” To do things at the wrong
time, or out of place. The
Magnificat does not belong to the
morning service, but to vespers.
E. Cobham Brewer, DICTIONARY OF
PHRASE AND FABLE (1898). Quoted in
Bartleby.com.
When writing your resume for
application to an executive
position, should you include an
Objective? No, because it doesn’t
belong there.
Your executive resume writing should
be guided by thinking of it as a
marketing piece. It contains
employer-centric statements that
demonstrate what you bring to the
table – and how you can improve the
organization that is smart enough
and fortunate enough to hire you. In
most cases, your job search
“objective” is focused on you, and
has nothing to do with your value to
an employer.
Even if you are able to write an
Objective statement that is
employer-focused and demonstrates
your value as an executive to the
organization, that doesn’t mean that
it belongs in your resume. If you
are going to have an Objective
statement, put it in your cover
letter, where it belongs.
Don’t be caught "singing the
Magnificat at matins.” Even if you
sing it well, you will be singing
the wrong tune at the wrong time,
and you just might end up singing
the blues. At Career Change, our
executive resume writing experts
will make sure you always sing the
proper tune.