Resume Objective vs. Personal Statement
By Martin Buckland
Monster Contributing Writer
Does your objective resemble the one below in tone and style?
OBJECTIVE: To secure a position as a Retail Manager in a fast growing company.
Personal Branding can replace the “Objective” statement as a more strategic approach to engaging the reader’s attention.
A current and well-written resume focuses on answering the employer’s question “Why should I hire you?” It should quickly and concisely describe your qualifications for the position and the unique value you will bring upon your appointment. While many clients are challenged to describe themselves as a product, a resume is your marketing document and must embrace the use of Personal Branding to sell your abilities and entice the reader into granting an interview.
Consider this statistic: an HR professional spends a maximum of 30 to 60 seconds conducting an initial resume assessment. It is therefore critical the resume is structured and strategically composed to maximize the impact made upon the reader in such a short timeframe.
Your personal brand is:
- Credible, relevant and expresses your unique value.
- Consistent throughout your resume, cover letter, online and personal networking.
- A key marketing tool in differentiating you from the competition.
In determining your unique personal brand, ask yourself:
- What ONE WORD best describes you? (Examples of powerful words include: robust, tenacious, effervescent, courageous, persuasive and resilient.)
- What is your leadership style? Are you an influential leader? Supportive mentor and coach?
- What is your communication style? Are you an attentive listener? Articulate communicator?
- What makes you stand out from the competition? Are you Bi-Lingual? Possess relevant business knowledge as a Subject Matter Expert? Earned a reputation as an industry leader?
The above questions represent the tip of the iceberg in developing your personal brand. Seek the help of friends, family and coworkers to ensure your personal brand statement is accurate and consistent among your network.
Now compare these two statements. The first is a usually stated objective, a somewhat uninformative introduction. The second into a strong personal brand statement. Which one has more impact for this Senior Retail Manager's resume?
This:
OBJECTIVE: To secure a position as a Retail Manager in a fast growing company.
Or That:
Steadfast, committed and passionate sales leader, conceives and deploys creative proposals to overcome challenges and advance organizational measurables. Motivating and enthusiastic mentor and coach, instils ownership to engage successful performance-driven teams. Intuitive and attentive listener, readily uncovers customer need to offer viable and enticing product solutions.
To see an example of how to place your new Personal Brand statement into your resume, check out this resume template.