Over the next several articles we are going to dissect the resume sections. We wrote about the cover letter and keywords to filter throughout the resume. We wrote about sending a thank you letter to the interviewers to stand out amongst other candidates. When looking at the document, you section it off by employment history, education, professional organizations, volunteer work, knowledge, skills, and accomplishments.

What did you say? I forgot the Objective? Oh you mean the objective that looks like this on many resumes:

• To find a position within a company that will utilize my skills and enhance my knowledge.
• A position where I gain experience, get promoted, and forget about the companies goals while I collect a nice big fat paycheck.

Recruiters and hiring managers have seen Objectives that go from very general to very egocentric. Put yourself in their position. Would you hire someone who only talked about themselves in the objective? Who is your target audience?

Leaving the objective on or off the resume is debatable. The only exception to include an objective is if you are tailoring your resume to a specific job.

Make sure to include:

1. A specific job title
2. A specific department
3. A specific company

It is that simple and straight forward. My suggestion is to incorporate your objective in your cover letter. Throw out that boring objective and include a Summary of Qualifications. This does not mean that you are going to use words like "Excellent interpersonal and communication skills". Cite more nouns and keywords in your Summary of Qualifications.

Make sure to include:

1. Your most recent job title, years of experience, and specific industry knowledge.
2. Your education or training.
3. Technical or transferable skills.
4. Professional credentials or organizations.
5. Employment Accomplishment: awards, recognition, or highest achievements.

The next time you decide to write your own resume, make sure you do not use any language that is going to bore the reader. Let the other candidates use the generic boring objectives, while you get the opportunity to interview and move towards your dream job.