Resume Profile or Objective

Resume Profile or Objective For many years, job-seekers were encouraged to include an objective statement at the beginning of their resumes. This brief introductory section was designed to allow the job applicant to explain his or her reasons for wanting the job. Most applicants would use that statement to explain how the job would advance their career goals. In recent years, however, a different kind of introductory section has come into favor: the resume profile. But which is the better option, the resume profile or the objective statement? We’ll answer that question in this post, and provide resume profile examples that you can use as a guide for your own resume. What is a Resume Profile? Naturally, it’s important to understand what a resume profile looks like, and what it does. Fortunately, it’s all very straightforward. The resume profile is simply a summary that describes your experience, skills, and goals. It differs from the objective statement, since it focuses on explaining why you’re right for the job rather than why the job is right for you. If that sounds familiar to you, it should be. We’ve talked quite a bit about the resume summary in previous posts â€" and this profile is similar to those summary statements. In fact, many people use the terms interchangeably. Basically, the resume profile is designed to quickly capture the hiring manager’s attention by detailing your qualifications early in the resume. The right resume profile can help to ensure that the rest of your resume receives the attention it deserves. Which is Better the Resume Profile or Objective? As you might expect, there are different schools of thought on the resume profile and objective. While many traditionalists still prefer the objective statement, though, there can be no doubt about the resume profile’s effectiveness. Today’s job market is far different than it used to be. Most companies are no longer focused on lifelong relationships with their employees. They recognize that most workers will shift jobs multiple times throughout their career. As a result, today’s firms are focused on how employees can immediately benefit their companies. It’s true that the objective statement can’t be beat for those who want to show that the job is a perfect fit for their career goals. When you use an objective, however, your resume will be focused more on your needs than the company’s. The resume profile avoids that trap by focusing entirely on those things that make you a valuable hire. Your skills, experience, and career goals will be highlighted in a way that demonstrates that you’re the best person for the job. How to Write a Resume Profile To get the most out of your resume profile, you need to know how to write one. Here are some simple tips and guidelines that can help you to put together the perfect profile for your resume. Always put your resume profile at the beginning of the resume. Think of it as your 30-second elevator pitch.Keep it short. It may be called a profile, but it should read as a summary. As a rule, limit yours to just a few sentences, and try to use text and a few bullet points.Focus on your value as an employee. Remember, companies don’t hire to enhance employees’ career prospects. They hire to add value to their firms.Stay on task. You may have a ton of accomplishments and skills, but narrow them down to only those that apply to the job in question.Use it wisely. The resume profile can be perfect for you if your work experience is from another unrelated industry. You can use your profile to sell the employer on your relevant skills and experiences.Try to sprinkle in some job description keywords from the job post. It will keep you focused on relevant skills, and helps your resume get past the ATS. Resume Profile Examples The following resume profile examples can be used as a guide for your own profile. Simply modify them to suit your unique needs. We’ve include one in paragraph form, another with bullet points, and a profile for entry-level positions. Resume Profile Example #1 Focused marketing manager with ten years’ experience in the energy industry. Successfully created and executed dynamic marketing and PR campaigns that grew revenues by 30% from 2010 to 2012. Oversaw 100-employee department responsible for propelling ABC Energy Corp to its present position of global leadership. Resume Profile Example #2 Enthusiastic, goal-driven sales professional with ten years of experience in the widget industry. Established new sales records in each of the last seven years, winning Regional Salesperson of the Year from 2012 through 2016. Successfully led innovative training effort that raised company sales proceeds by 17% in the first three months of 2017. Resume Profile Example #3 (Entry-level) Multilingual customer service professional with strong communication skills. Successfully implemented company-wide customer rewards program that increased sales by 12%. Detail-oriented, customer-focused, fluent in English and Spanish, conversant in French. As you can see, your ideal resume profile will be brief, to-the-point, and committed to selling you as the best candidate for the job. With the right profile, you will have hiring managers eager to read the rest of your resume. And that’s the surest way to put you on the fast path to getting the job of your dreams!