The Resume Objective - All Fluff and No Content

The objective has been a staple in professional resumes for years, but has somehow devolved into the stock “A position in your company that allows me to utilize my skills and grow”.  BLARG!!!! This tells the recruiter absolutely nothing other than the fact that you’re either lazy or have been given horrible resume advice. So you want a job that uses your skills and helps you grow... well good for you, who doesn't?!  This is not where you get to make a list of demands, this is where you tell me why I should consider you.  What makes you qualified?  What makes you different from every other resume I've looked at today?  Make me want to talk to you about the job I'm hiring for.  Remember, everything you put on your resume should be meaningful and important.

Instead of a stock sentence that you copied somewhere off the internet, give a brief description of your experience and skills.  Call this section, Skills, Professional Summary, or About Me.

Example:

Customer service professional with over 6 years of experience including cash handling, answering phones, and managing inventory.  I've been trusted with the responsibility of opening the store in the morning and training new employees.  I am proficient in using the store’s proprietary software as well as Microsoft Office and QuickBooks.