Resume Summary vs. Objective Statement : What to Include?

With changing software, applicant tracking techniques and advances in the age, resume formats and sections have undergone drastic changes. One commonly discussed section is the choice of Resume Summary vs. Objective Statement in a Resume.

There is no universal rule that resumes summary or objective must be focused more than the other. In order to know which to add in your resume, assess diverse resume summary and objective samples as well as our instructional guidance below.

Resume Summary vs. Objective Statement: Differences

Traditionally used together in a resume, often candidates find no difference in Resume Summary Vs. Objective Statement, which leads to repetitive keywords use in the resume.

An easy way to understand the thin line that separates a resume summary from the objective statement is by assessing the technical worth of your resume. For example, if you are a graduate, it is best to use an objective statement because summary statements are used to condense multiple relevant technical skills from extensive experience as a professional, which you do not have.

Candidates with red flags in the resumes such as career change or lack of experience can highlight core skills via an objective statement in a resume. On the other hand, a summary statement is an outline of specific technical skills that makes you specifically ideal for the job offered.

Pros of Including Objective Statement in a Resume

The objective statement outlines the technical skills and dedication of the candidate that makes him or her perfect for the position offered.

· Gist of your Goals and Future

A concise and targeted resume objective highlights your dedication and interest in the job offered with respect to your job history. A good career objective in a resume must be customized to fit specific job roles by elaborating on your future goals as a staff of the recruiter.

· Strong Profile

An ideal resume objective helps to draft a solid and efficient profile of the candidate in the eyes of the manager by referring to relevant passions and interests in the job or organization.

· ATS-Compliance

Yet another important filter is to customize your resume objective statement for Automatic tracking software such as ATS. As the career objective can be used to list important keywords directly from the resume, it is a bonus section for your resume.

· Prove your Red Flags

A strong objective statement in a resume can be used to justify red flags such as missing years, career changes or medical leaves in a resume. Ensure that your objective statement applies to the job offered when customizing it to define your job history.

Cons of Writing Objective Statement in a Resume

Hiring managers are looking for important and concise information and often objective resume statements can be considered clutter if it complies with the following criteria.

· Cliché

Stating your career goals often chimes identical to other candidates competing for the same position. Objective statements without unique direction seem generic, dull or boring to the readers.

· Restricts your Skills

An objective statement is used to highlight your career goals directly and can thus limit your potential to expand at the job or provide an extensive list of your technical proficiency. It vouches for nothing more or less than the prescribed skills.

· Sounds Overpromising, Obligatory or Desperate

Lack of clarity or focus in an objective statement typically owes it to the overexcitement of the candidate. The result is a hollow career objective that does not highlight your professional worth, instead brings the same down.

Pros of Adding Summary Statement in a Resume

Resume summary statement examples advocate profile statement as an outlay of your career graph with respect to the job offer. In short, your profile statement specifically lists the technical skills and expertise that make you best for the job.

· Gist of your Career Graph

As a summary statement can be a single condensed line that outlines your career or multiple bulleted points that refers to your accomplishments in past jobs, it is mandatory in professional resumes.

· Specific Technical Skills

The profile statement highlights your experience as a candidate in the precise skills sought by the employer. It focuses on your strength and proves your superlative expertise in handling the job role. Moreover, hiring managers scanning hundreds of profiles each day are easily impressed with resumes with relevant keywords.

· Relevancy to the Job

A good summary statement must be an introduction to your resume that captivates and impresses the reader. You must mention technical experiences that particularly apply to the recruiter’s line of work. It is highly relevant and validates your technical background.

· ATS-Friendly

A properly worded summary statement also boosts your ATS score as it uses relevant keywords, often searched by automatic tracking software. Remember to include 50% of the keywords from the job description. However, above 95% matching with the job description is a sure way to be rejected!

Cons of Adding summary Statement in a Resume

Summary statement briefs your career and shortlists exceptional work history. However, when it is written wrongly, a resume summary statement can turn out to be the most lethal weapon in a resume.

· Similar to Cover Letter

As the summary statement sounds and functions similar to the cover letter, it is hard to distinguish the two. An ideal summary statement must be unique and must not repeat the vocabulary of your cover letter alone.

· Lengthy or Overly Technical

Hiring managers are not the be-all and end-all of the company and hence knows basic information about various job roles in a business. As resume summary of qualifications can be too long and full of technical jargon, they often lose the charm midway.

· Repetitive Information

It is wrong to repeat the information that you added in the resume or cover letter, as it proves your lack of communication skills. A good candidate must proofread the resume until there are no errors.

Verdict

Resume career summary and objective are two pivotal sections of a resume. While one establishes the technical proficiency, other adds personality to your profile.

Expert resume writers and hiring managers advocate listing both summary and objective in a resume to maximize the effect on ATS as well as your core interest in the job. Depending on the job description, you must choose one or both to add to your resume.