Wouldn’t it be handy if job seekers knew exactly why they were passed over for positions? So much is left to guessing and assumptions. It’s not always possible to get solid feedback as to why, but if you make a habit of posing well-timed and value added questions to those you interview with, you may have a better idea of where you missed the mark.

Before we dig into strategies for soliciting feedback, I feel the need rattle off the most common reasons I heard as a recruiter for my candidates not getting positions with my corporate clients. Keep in mind, because I knew the expectations and requirements for the positions I was sending my candidates to interview for, it was rare the client found the actual skill set to be lacking. Most often the reasoning fell in two different categories. They either didn’t feel they meshed with the candidate’s personality and attitude or they were uncertain how much the opportunity they had was really going to suit the candidate long term. When you consider how sticky it can be to talk about attitudes, personality and an individual’s long term goals, it’s clear why some employers might button up a bit when it comes to giving feedback. It’s easy to say, “your Excel skills weren’t where we needed them to be.” Telling someone, “well, you talk too much for our needs and seem all over the place with what it is you want to do,” is not so easy.

To give hiring managers a bit of a break, it’s also important to consider sometimes they really don’t have a specific reason for not offering you the position. It’s not so much about what you don’t have is it is about was someone else does. They may not even be able to put their finger on it. Perhaps it’s as simple as saying chemistry? There are times I’ve offered positions to people because they just had that “something” that made me want to pull the trigger on the deal. Asking an employer why they didn’t hire you can be as difficult a question to answer as explaining to a significant other why you just aren’t feeling it with them anymore. Sometimes the best answer out there is just because. It’s part of the human condition. It may also be something as simple as someone else did a better job of staying in front of that decision maker so the chemistry was cultivated. Hard to say.

For the times when there is something an employer can specifically point to as the reason you didn’t get a job, you want to be asking well-timed questions designed to let the employer’s guard down so you can tap into that feedback. The employer must be able to sense your request for constructive feedback is sincere and won’t come at the price of a meltdown in their office or months of hate emails after the fact. Which begs the point, be sure you really can handle the feedback if you are sticking yourself out there and asking the why’s.

So, what kinds of questions can you ask to assess what you are and are not doing right in your search? I like to insert questions along the way versus saving them all for after you’ve received the rejection letter. By that time you don’t have much chance of salvaging your shot at the opportunity. Questions like “based on what we’ve discussed today, what in my background might need more enrichment for me to be exactly what you need for this position?” That shows interest in wanting to be the right fit for the job and essentially sets them up to give you an answer of some sort. When they give you an answer, don’t attack it or argue their take. Accept the feedback and propose an idea for how you may be able to quickly gain the skill they need. If you feel you already have the skill, but you simply didn’t convey it well enough, then this would be a good time to expand on what you may have failed to communicate. You may also want to revisit it in your thank you letter for the interview and reiterate some more how you are prepared to overcome the noted concern.

A handy question to add to your interviews is “what are some of the reasons other individuals haven’t been successful in this role or with your company in the past?” This is a gem of a question because often times employers are thinking about what they don’t want to hire versus what they do. If a problem occurred in the past, they are in avoidance mode and tend to look for anything similar to those who didn’t work out versus what might be different in you. Once you hear the reasons why people didn’t work out in the past you are able to do some quick soul searching to consider if you might be giving any clues the employer could have similar problems with you. If that is the case, you have time to get it in gear as well as offer references or supportive evidence of why they wouldn’t have to worry about those problems if they offered you the job.

To stand any chance of getting valuable feedback from an employer, you can’t go in with a yes or no question. Doing so is likely to give you little information. For example, “is there anything you can think of I might need to work on?” Do you see the difference between asking “is there anything I might need to work on” versus “what in my background might need enrichment?” Salespeople will readily tell you the value of open ended questions. Giving the person a chance to simply answer “yes” or “no” is the kiss of death in sales. Once they someone says “no” it’s even harder to make progress.

Another kiss of death in getting valuable information out of someone is when you answer the questions you pose for them. I can’t stress enough how often this happens. “What in my background do you think might need enrichment? Do I need to get more Excel? Is my hesitation to speak in front of groups an issue? Do you think I cost too much money?” I’m not sure what makes humans do this. Sometimes it feels like we are so afraid of the negative things other people might say that we want to be the ones to get them out first. There have been times when I didn’t think I was having any reservations until the person rattled off reasons why maybe I should. If you are going to pose the question and truly want the other person’s answer, then do everything in your power to zip it once you reach the initial question mark. Those who can’t learn how to do this are at risk of coming off as insecure and lacking the confidence needed to get the job done.

I’ve given some examples on how to word questions, now I’d like to talk a bit more about the spirit in which the questions should be asked. Just like all aspects of your job search, conversations with hiring managers should always feel like a business discussion versus personal chit chat. It’s easier to critique someone in a business sense then it is to make comments about them that seem personal or are likely to be taken personally. It’s all in how you set the table. Leading up to the question with a plea for how you need to know feedback because you need a job and are about to have your electric cut off so you’d truly value honest constructive criticism is NOT the way to go. Cutting interviewers off in the middle of their answer to disagree with them is NOT the way to go. Inserting any commentary during the interview that you feel your age, race, religion, gender, sexuality, health or family status might be causing you to be turned down for jobs is NOT the way to go. It makes people afraid to engage in a conversation with you at all. You want employers to feel like they can give you honest feedback without you falling to pieces, biting their heads off or going to you lawyer with any word they utter no matter how damning it is or isn’t.

Hopefully I’ve given you some things to think about in terms of soliciting feedback from hiring managers and the mindset you need to approach the process with. If you go into it with good questions while conveying an open mind, you’ll have a better chance of getting the information you are looking for.

In closing, I have one more thing to keep in mind. If the reason you aren’t getting a job is tied to anything awkward, your chances of hearing the why are slim to none. This is where the job seeker has to take an honest assessment of himself to make progress. Are you polite through the process? How is your hygiene? Is there something unflattering from your past experiences that may be surfacing? Do you respond to feedback positively? Are you talking too much? Are you talking too little? Is your cell phone ringing while your in interviews? Are you sharing too much personal business? It’s not impossible what’s standing in the way between you and a job is something people don’t feel they can really talk with you about.

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I shared this nugget in another forum and thought it would be wise to post it here as well. Please indulge me if you’ve read it before.

There is no doubt the media loves to focus on negative news. A company who finds itself in the spotlight for not so positive reasons tends to become the company with a big X over its name. Job seekers and sales professionals fawn over those getting good press for doing well and sometimes make the mistake of steering clear of those who are on the receiving end of bad press.

When I was in sales as a recruiter/headhunter, I loved to call on companies who were up to their ears in a mess of some sort. From media reports I had a reasonable idea of what was broken internally and could offer solutions to help them deal with the problems. I knew exactly how I could have a positive influence on the company’s bottom line. That’s every salesperson’s ideal, yes? Remember, job seekers are salespeople too. Their product is them. I built wonderful relationships with corporate clients by simply being there, when others were keeping them at arms length, and treating them with respect. You build a special bond with a client when you can help lift them out of a low. This is a time when many companies are having those lows. What an amazing opportunity to stretch our minds, explore our capabilities to instigate change and help be part of the process of generating solutions for those companies.

I challenge everyone here to embrace the bad press around us and ask “what can I do for these individuals and companies that will make a positive difference?” There is opportunity in it for you. I promise. Make yourself part of the solution, deliver on that solution and enjoy doing so with fewer people to compete against.

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Rejection is part of the human experience. Even those exuding confidence wrestle with concerns of not being wanted. They’re human too, right? Their ability to risk hearing a no, and move past the no’s they’ve received along the way, is what sets them apart from the crowd.

As a recruiter I encountered rejection on a regular basis. My experience was two-fold. There was the rejection dealt to my team and to me as salesmen and there was the rejection my candidates had to face when corporate clients chose other options. Had I been the type to allow my fear of no’s to overwhelm my desire to find the yes’s in life, I would have had a very short career.

For myself, overcoming the urge to hide from the potential of rejection had a lot to do with keeping it in perspective. No’s didn’t mean I was being written off forever. They weren’t evidence I had no value. They simply meant what I was offering at that immediate moment was not a fit for the other person’s current needs. Forcing my mind to steer clear of self-doubt, I concentrated on finding ways to make myself what that person needed in the future. Many of my long term business relationships began with no’s and eventually grew into a yes once we were able to better understand what each of us needed and had to offer. For the times when the understanding was there, yet the yes wasn’t, the passage of time brought about the changes necessary to make what I was offering relevant. The opportunities I would have missed out on had I taken that initial no as a permanent verdict are too numerous to list.

My challenge to job seekers is to do your best to not let fear of rejection cloud your judgment and dim your motivation to get out there. Look at the no’s you receive as a learning opportunity. What do you need to convey better in the future? What don’t you have that you may want to gain to be more marketable? What changes in the economy, community and environment might result in the no becoming a yes down the line.

Sometimes the yes can follow a no even sooner than expected if you are willing to hold your chin up and continue to cultivate relationships with those who have rejected you. For example, it’s not uncommon for a company’s new hire to be struggling 3 to 6 months into a job. Typically, that’s the time frame most employers use to gauge if they’ve made a good hire. That’s the reason recruiters make a point to call companies a few months after they’ve hired someone. We want first dibs on helping them fill their position if a replacement is needed. You might be thinking, why would they work with a recruiter instead of simply calling the number 2 option they had for the job. If the number 2 option hasn’t kept in touch with the company, made it clear hearing from them in the future would be welcome and reiterated they were going to continue to enrich themselves in the areas the hiring manager felt they were lacking, the likelihood of a company going that route is slim. Think about it. What hiring manager wouldn’t feel like a heel calling a candidate and saying “even though you weren’t our first choice, the person we hired didn’t work out so we’d like to offer the job to you now?” It’s been my experience they would rather start the process all over again, relying on the confidentiality of a recruiter, than expose themselves to a potentially awkward situation. Don’t let it come to that with a company you would eventually like to hear a yes from.

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So many people find themselves playing dodge ball with mistakes of the past. They’ve burned bridges with people and end up in a never ending game of having to find alternative routes to their destination. So often this isn’t necessary. Just as we fix the broken bridges in our lives we use for driving and walking, the bridges we have with other individuals can usually be repaired with a sincere apology and evidence of change.

In a recent conversation with a job seeker, we’ll call him Joe, Joe mentioned an employer he was leaving off of his resume that would be helpful to him to have featured. Joe was fired from this company, you see, and he doesn’t want others to know about it since the owner of that company is well connected. There was a time when Joe was considered a great employee and had even been promoted. In an immature moment, he became frustrated with another employee and threw an object at the wall. The company terminated him immediately. All of his past accomplishments and contributions couldn’t save him from the chopping block. It was a stupid thing for him to do. Joe was a young guy and made a mistake. In the years since that moment, Joe hasn’t thrown more than a baseball. The fact he was fired for lashing out likely set him on a better path professionally. It was definitely a learning experience. The Joe of today has grown a great deal from that young man with an overactive right arm. The time has come to right the wrongs of his past so he can move on without fear of that mistake resurfacing. He needs to repair the bridge he damaged and show his former supervisor he has grown as a person and regrets his past actions.

Joe is ready to face the music and do what it takes to repair a damaged bridge. The recruiter in me wishes more job seekers would take the same leap. No one is perfect. Mistakes are a part of the human condition. Success in life doesn’t come from how well we hide from those mistakes, but how well we address them. So many people hide. Those who are able to look another in the eye and admit they came up short are rare. When someone has expressed genuine regret to me, I’ve always appreciated the acknowledgment. When I’ve expressed genuine regret to others, I’ve always felt more connected to them than before. Oddly enough, the personal and professional relationships I have that have weathered some sort of storm are the ones with the deepest loyalty at the end of the day.

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If Google knows any of your personal business, he’s going to blab it to anyone who asks the right questions. Every detail you provide to a company during your job search could be used on search engines to reveal more information about you than you ever intended to share. It is important for every job seeker to safeguard themselves from unintentionally giving a potential employer access to personal things that aren’t really any of their business.

There are a few things a candidate should assume are going to be plugged into a search engine. Your name is an obvious guess. Isn’t it logical someone wanting to know more about you might run a search on your name to see what’s there? They may simply use your name or they may add in other key words such as cities you’ve lived in or the names of past employers. Run simple searches on your name and see what’s there. Unless the information that comes up is pulling from a site you have some degree of control over, you probably aren’t going to be able to make any of the information that is there go away. Still, being aware of what an employer might stumble across with a basic search gives you a chance to prepare for any backlash.

Other searches candidates should run on themselves include the phone numbers, street addresses and email addresses they are sharing on resumes or applications. Those are the types of details people occasionally share on message boards, forums, letters to the editor, church bulletins, etc., that can be picked up by search engines. The things that pop up may be flattering, boring and a non-issue, or they may reveal a bit more about yourself and your personal habits than you’d care for an employer to know about. A candidate I worked with a few years ago posted his email address on a message board for divorced fathers who were having custody issues. He input the address so fellow members could respond with advice for a problem he had. He said less than kind things about his ex-wife and shared intensely personal information about his situation. I discovered this information while doing my own searches on his background and was able to point it out to him so he could either edit the post or provide a different email address to employers in the future.

It’s hard to know if an employer knowing something like that would have a negative effect on a candidate’s chances for a job. It’s best not to risk it and do what you can to reduce the chance of it becoming known. Many job seekers are wisely opting to create new email addresses or sign up for cell phone numbers they use exclusively for the purpose of their search. They are careful not to post those addresses or numbers in any public forum. That doesn’t mean candidates need not bother to search on those addresses and numbers, however. If you weren’t the first one to have that cell number, there is no way to know how it was used in the past. Checking those numbers is an especially good idea for those who attract bad luck.

Now, go Google.

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“Employers are intimidated by me.” I often hear this from older or executive level candidates. When I hear it, I find myself chewing on my lip. It’s not that I don’t think it is possible for decision makers to pass over candidates who may threaten their professional advancements or who may feel the individual’s qualifications are such it would be awkward to offer something with less responsibility. More often than not, however, the hesitations an employer has comes more from the messages sent by the candidate than from insecurity or intimidation.

Because the next things I’m about to write may sound harsh, I’d like to take a moment to remind readers about my intentions with this blog. My words are not meant to poke fun at or criticize others, but to share candid observations I feel will help save people from unintentionally shooting themselves in the foot while looking for a job. If what I write stings or bruises, I apologize. Try to hang with me though and see if there is a useful nugget in it all.

Back to the harsh part. Of all the job seekers who have told me employers are intimidated by them, I’ve yet to meet one who didn’t present with other problems that were obvious to me. To be blunt, these individuals usually had one of three issues. They either talked too much about themselves, were unintentionally disrespectful at times or presented with a skill set issue. I think it’s important to talk about all three scenarios.

Talking Too Much – I’m listing this one first on purpose. By far, this is the problem I encounter the most. Many candidates who feel their backgrounds are intimidating have the bad habit of pointing out, in great detail, all that is intimidating about them. Beating a potential employer over the head with all of the things you’ve done that go above and beyond what is necessary for the job you are interviewing for keeps any issue of being overqualified front and center. How is an interviewer supposed to let it go if the applicant won’t let them? In addition, contributing an abundance of information that isn’t relevant to the job or discussion gives the impression the candidate lacks focus and the ability to stay on point. When candidates have gone overboard with details and irrelevant information with me, I’ve often had the sense they were struggling with their own value, were not yet over what had happened in their previous positions or were too use to being in settings where that type of information was needed and were failing to adjust their message to their audience. I always made an attempt to redirect the conversation or give cues it was time to move on to another topic. Cues and redirection rarely worked. With those I felt I knew well, or who gave the impression they were open to constructive feedback, I shared my take on why they weren’t getting job offers. There wasn’t much I could do for the others, but offer a silent prayer of good luck.

Seeming Disrespectful – Let me clear, I am not talking about candidates intending to be disrespectful. Most applicants with a solid career history behind them have the good sense not to be intentionally rude. That doesn’t mean body language, behavior and comments don’t occasionally give the interviewer pause. Those who are accustomed to being the one in control, making decisions and critiquing aren’t always able to give the interviewer his rightful place as the one running the show. That’s not to say candidates should be passive doormats. Showing assertiveness and the ability to lead is often necessary for landing a job in line with past experience. It’s a balancing act to be able to demonstrate confidence and control in a way where the prospective employer doesn’t end up feeling like a subordinate. A few examples that come to mind of things that tend to go wrong are talking over the interviewer, inserting judging commentary as corporate objectives/philosophy are shared, offering up “mmmmm, interesting” responses that don’t ring sincere, redirecting the interview or sidestepping questions with comments beginning with language like “more importantly”, addressing the individual in any way that implies the person is younger or less experienced, posturing so the interviewer is being looked down upon, asking for coffee while requesting a specific ratio of cream & sugar, critiquing the company’s hiring process and checking the time while the interviewer speaks. Those are probably plenty of examples to make my point.

Skill Set Issues – Individuals who have been with the same employer for years and years, no matter how high up the ladder they climbed, are likely to have some sort of skill gap. It’s not that they’ve done anything wrong. In basic terms, they’ve only had the ability to acquire knowledge of what was used in their environment. The likelihood they are proficient on software, techniques and protocol not used by their long term employer is slim. Yes, they were in key roles in their organization. Yes, they have valuable skills and knowledge to take with them to their next opportunity. That’s not to say the things they don’t know can’t be learned. Most times it indeed can. The issue is when these individuals are either unaware of what they don’t know or poo-poo what they don’t know as no big deal. Employers don’t want to be treated as though their concern of a candidate’s lack of familiarity with something is dumb. Too many employers have had to endure errors, low productivity and frustration as a result of employees not knowing what they need to do the job. What they want to see and hear is evidence of a pro-active person who recognizes the gap, is willing to fill it (if they aren’t already doing so) and supporting information of the individual’s ability to learn other things in the past. It really is a big deal to many employers. A candidate need not think or act as though not having something leaves them less than qualified. It is important to sell around what is missing and reassure the employer as much as possible any gaps are short term. That reassurance is hard to achieve when the candidate’s best approach is to shrug off concerns while proclaiming them no big deal.

So that is my take in a nutshell. Though it is possible some employers may indeed be intimidated, anything is possible after all, that wouldn’t be my first guess and it shouldn’t be yours. Take a good look at the messages you are sending and ask yourself if there is a chance you might be committing any of the missteps outlined above.

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I don’t envy job seekers. There are experts at every corner telling them what they thought was a good approach stinks. Just today I read an article by an HR professional going on about phrases on your resume sure to send it to the trash can. She cited phrases like “team player,” “results oriented,” and “proven track record” as resume killers. I couldn’t help but shake my head. I agree phrases like this have almost become cliche’, but “KILLERS???”

First of all, if phrases like this on a resume are the true reason a candidate is not landing an interview I’ll eat my right hand. Avoiding the cliche does help a person stand out, but most job seekers’ troubles aren’t rooted in having these phrases on their resume. It’s more their inability to source job leads through networking, effectively sell their abilities and focus on what skills/abilities they have that are relevant to a potential employer. I guarantee if you are doing those things well, no one is going to put your resume on the bottom of the pile for the reasons this woman suggested.

Part of me is angry over what I read in her article. Yes, it’s new information. Yes, she shares creative ideas on how to say things differently. The trouble is she is simply setting the stage for the new cliche. Big whoop! In my mind I can picture individuals agonizing over and pouring time into reworking their resumes so those words aren’t there. Guess what they’ll find when they are all done? They still don’t have anyone interviewing them. Why? Because they aren’t making valuable connections and laying the proper groundwork. If they were, nitpicking the words on a resume wouldn’t be as necessary. The resume wouldn’t be the primary instigator in landing an interview.

Don’t get me wrong. I am all for having a great resume selling your abilities. If there is language on your resume doing you a disservice, by all means, fix it! Keep things in perspective though. There is no need to be overly dramatic about how an employer is going to weigh each word. If you were trying to hire a person and they had the experience you wanted to see on their resume, would you move them to the bottom of the list for using “team player?” I hope not. Most employers aren’t going to do that either. Invest more of your energy in cultivating the relationships you are building, relationships that can guide you to your next opportunity, and refrain from living a life of seclusion while you bang out yet another version of your resume.

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I’m not sure why, but resumes noting an individual’s “attention to detail” frequently have a typo or grammatical error within the next few lines. Now that’s irony. Though I’m one to notice mistakes on a resume anyway, I have to confess an increased desire to look for them on resumes where candidates have noted their attention to detail as a reason I’d want to hire them. It becomes a challenge to see if the person actually delivers on what they say.

An opportunity to measure the validity of a candidate’s claims is fantastic for an employer. Employers don’t often get a chance to sort out fact from fiction when it comes to details that aren’t verifiable through references and such. Too often employers are left to take a candidate’s word or go with their gut on what a candidate actually brings to the table. When a candidate claims things that can be easily evaluated by employers, it’s gold.

For those who would appreciate some other examples of what noted skills are easy for an employer to evaluate, I’m happy to oblige.

“Great Listener” – These candidates shouldn’t need many questions repeated and are able to answer what was actually asked of them. By the way, asking for clarification is different than “what was the question again?”

“Exceptional Follow-up” – These candidates should be timely with returning phone calls, staying in touch, providing additional information an employer requests and sending the appropriate letters and thank you notes to interviewers.

“Excellent Problem Solving Skills” – Those who feel they are great at solving problems should be able to overcome any that surface in the resume/interview process. They shouldn’t have their kids waiting in the lobby of the company during an interview because daycare fell through. Their resume shouldn’t have revisions in pen because their printer isn’t working. Potential employers should never have to hear the candidate doesn’t have references because they don’t have any phone numbers or addresses anymore. There shouldn’t be any ‘poor me’ stories in the interview about how a past supervisor or subordinate made their job impossible.

“Timely” – I probably don’t have to elaborate on this one, right?

These are just some examples. Hopefully you get the idea. It’s not that it is bad to make the above claims on a resume. Be prepared to back them up with your actions. “Actions speak louder than words” may be cliche’, but it’s spot on. You are your best reference. When you yourself can’t support your claims, your job search has problems.

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Who is your weakest link? Go ahead and ask. “Why Lisa, whatever do you mean?” I mean, who is the person in your life with access to your mail, computer or phone who you’d least like interacting with a potential employer? If bad luck finds you easily, that is the person who is going to answer the phone or accidentally delete an email when the employer you’ve been crossing every finger over finally gets back to you.

As a recruiter, I’ve had many interesting conversations with weak links. Since I feel like sharing, here are some snip-its.

“Daddy can’t talk right now. He’s in the bathroom with a magazine.”
“Look lady, I don’t know who you are calling MY man, but you’d best leave him alone.”
“I knew John had some interviews. Now are you the colored girl or the white one?”
“Sorry, I don’t hear so well. You say your name is Theresa?”
“Can mom call you back? She’s taking a nap right now and I can only wake her up for important stuff.”

There are many, many, many more examples I could share. I’ve had candidates call me guns a blazing over my lack of follow-up not knowing I’d left multiple messages. I’ve given messages and phone numbers to family members who, when I asked them to repeat my number back to me, told me they’d need to go get a pen so they could write it down. Seriously. I’ve had little kids sing me their ABC’s and then hang up the phone.

When you are on the hunt for a job, you have to pay attention to more than just yourself. Take a look around and assess who in your life could possibly cross paths with a potential employer. Who could pick up the phone? Who gets the mail? Who might throw away mail on a counter? Who has access to your computer? Who uses your email? Anyone who fits under one or more of these categories needs a sit down training on how to handle phone calls, what to say, where to write things and what not to touch. If there are individuals who can’t be trained, say for instance the chatty three year old who likes to share your bathroom habits, then you need to cut them out of the process. Move phones where only adults can reach them. Get a cell phone that only you answer and use that number for your job search.

Take my advice to heart. I’m telling you, the weakest link surfaces more than you know in people’s job searches. As entertaining as it’s been for me, I doubt the job seekers involved found it nearly as funny as I did.

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Objectives. Sigh. It’s rare I encounter an objective that actually adds value to an individual’s resume. When you consider they are positioned right at the top and sure to have the prospective employer’s undivided attention, it is a shame they often do little to capture interest or set one candidate apart from another. What a waste of prime advertising space.

Most objectives read something like this: “To obtain a challenging position where I may use my skills and experience to benefit an organization.” Blah, blah, blah. Boring. Not only is it boring, it’s so predictable and overused there is no way the prospective employer is reading the objective and thinking “I’ve just got to interview this person!”

So what are objectives even for? For those who want to use one, it’s a nice place to succinctly state what it is you are seeking. Usually the resume should give hiring managers a pretty good idea, however. In cases where the resume clearly points an arrow towards what the candidate wishes to do, I think objectives eat up valuable marketing space stating the obvious. There are occasions where the resume doesn’t make it as clear and an objective can add clarity. If your past experience is heavy in a certain area and you are looking to move in a different direction an objective could very well serve as a way to clue the reader in on what it is you actually wish to do.

Let’s say you have 10 years of upper management experience and are applying to jobs that are more support level. Perhaps you don’t want the responsibility or stress anymore. Those reading your resume may assume you would logically be looking to remain at your current level or progress to the next. An objective along the lines of “to obtain a supportive role within an organization that could benefit from my knowledge as a former executive” could go a long way to make it clear management is not on your personal agenda. That’s not exactly the most eloquent way to put it, but you get the gist. It drives the point home that you did indeed mean to apply for the support level position posted and the interest in the role is genuine. Using an objective to get rid of the “what the heck is this person applying to my job for?” question is beneficial.

Objectives are also a great way to set the record straight in other areas. If you have a unique need/requirement for considering a job, the objective can be used to cut to the chase. Let’s say you can only consider a part-time position in the evenings. It doesn’t hurt to spell that out in the objective. An example for that scenario would be: “To obtain a part-time customer service position with evening hours.” It’s not an exciting way to use this precious space on your resume, but it does get the point across in a brief and visible way what it is you are able to consider. If an employer is indeed looking for employees to fill part-time evening positions, you’ve made it perfectly clear your needs are compatible.

One more scenario that comes to mind is the person living in one city/state who is seeking employment in another. Resumes that look as though the candidate may require relocation to take a position often end up at the bottom of the pile. Companies prefer not to deal with the expense or hassle of relocation if a local candidate is an option. If you fully intend to be local to that company in the near future, spelling that out is wise. That way the employer in Phoenix who sees your Detroit address has a reason to keep reading. An objective for this scenario could be along the lines of “to obtain a Financial Analyst position in Phoenix upon my relocation in July.” Again, not the most eloquent example. I’m going for making a point versus wowing you with my writing ability. The example shows a few things. You are aware you are applying for a job that isn’t local. You aren’t just randomly applying to jobs all over the country. You fully intend to move to the area. You have a plan in place and a date to expect to be there whether that employer hires you or not. All of the above are reassuring to hiring managers.

I fully believe objectives are not necessary for most people. As I said in the very beginning, they are usually a waste of advertising space. If an objective helps clarify your interest or differentiate you from other candidates, use one. If not, don’t feel you are breaking a rule if you choose to sideline your objective. If you can use that space for something with more “WOW” factor, it won’t be missed. The sooner you direct attention to your relevant skills, the better. Most have heard the studies indicating most resumes aren’t read past the first half of the first page. That makes the use of an objective an important decision.

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