Don't Say "Objective"

Objective says "this is what I want out of a job". If you have an Objective statement at the top of your resume, consider changing the word objective to "Professional Overview" or "Professional Summary" but at the same time will will likely need to scrap the statement too.

Most resumes I have seen are pretty self centered documents. It is a sales tool of course selling YOU, but the resume needs to be focused to the best of your ability on the prospective employer.

A good summary statement answers the question: "What kind of problem can I solve for a prospective employer" or "what unique skills and abilities differentiate me from other similar people a prospective employer might consider?"

My point is this issue is more than just nuance and phrasing. You want to speak to employers.

"Here is what I can do for you" trumps "here is what I want" every time.

Recently, I have heard several staffing people and others say, "No, an objective is good because I want to know what this person wants." Maybe this is true, but I'd rather err on the side of a prospective employer having a very clear picture about what I can do for their organization and how I fit and force the few who want to know "what does this person really want out of job?"

The real estate at the top of a resume is the best chance you have to hook someone into reading further. If you fail to speak to your audience, why would they want to keep reading?