My most popular article - resume headlines!

One of the most popular articles I wrote deals with resume "headlines." It continues to surprise me that this topic is such a hit! It could be that the actual research topic is something quite different, but nonetheless the google search that leads readers to my article is defined by the phrase "resume headline."

What, you may be wondering, is a resume headline?!

You know, I still receive resumes that begin with an "Objective." Really? That's ancient history! Objective statements went out at least seven years ago, but the world of recruitment, like law perhaps, moves as slow as molasses! Change, it seems, is resisted with determination!

The main reason for the demise of the objective statement is that it screws up the focus. If you were to fill it out into a sentence it would read "My objective is ..." The focus is wrong from the beginning as your resume isn't about your wants; it's about how your credentials fit an employer's needs. This is a big difference.  

Replace that outdated objective statement with a headline and all of a sudden you are faced with a challenge to prove that you meet that headline's claim. So what, you are asking, is that resume headline?!!!

It is simply the title of the position. That is actually your objective stated in the most succinct manner.

General Manager - HR Services

Sales Professional - Construction and Renovations

Integration PC Analyst

and so on. That provides a lovely message to the recruiter: here is someone who knows what he/she wants to be!

And, it challenges you to now write a resume that proves, in one way or another, through direct or indirect measures (related or transferable skills) that you have what it takes to step into that role.

Isn't it easy!? Give it a try and see if that helps you focus your resume. That's what it takes to land an interview, so it's well worth the effort.

- working to rescue the world from mediocre resumes, Stephanie