The purpose of a resume - To use or not to use an objective...

To continue off of the last post, which objective should you use? If you don't remember, here is an excerpt from the last post. 

"Which one should you use?

Objective: To obtain a position where I can utilize my skills and experiences.

or

Objective: To obtain a position as a Personal Trainer with Pump Yourself Up Gym Corp."

If you are looking to get into the job market for the first time after college or graduate school, we recommend that you use an objective specific to the employer and the position in which you are applying to. An objective can't be as general as stating that you want to utilize your skills and experiences for growth in their field. When you send out your resume to the employer, it has to be personal to the employer. The objective is the first thing that the employer reads when they want to get to know a potential employee and find out what he or she truly seeking. If you haven't guessed yet,  Objective: To obtain a position as a Personal Trainer with Pump Yourself Up Gym Corp  is the correct answer. 

For those who already have some full time experience in the job market: Today, the objective is an optional and rarely used part of your resume. Why do we say that? Today's professional job market is looking for those employees that can do the job and then-some. As you continue to read, you will learn what to use in place of the objective.

The objective has been replaced by a Summary of Qualifications and Skills. What is a Summary of Qualifications and Skills? A Summary of Qualifications and Skills is a very short summary of your resume with a mix of your skills inserted. This eliminates the skills section of the resume because it's included in the summary. The summary is located at the top of you resume right under your name and contact information. 

What does a Summary of Qualifications and Skills look like on a resume?

It looks a little some like this:

Summary of Qualifications and Skills:

• 12 years of experience in banking. 
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and Powerpoint. 45 WPM
• Bilingual in English and Spanish
• Experience with diverse populations. 

Do you get the "jist" of what the Summary consists of? You are pretty much combining the most important parts of your resume and summarizing them into a quick view for the employer. This assists the employer in looking through 50 to 100 resumes at a time. 


Your resume should start looking something like this:

John Doe

123 Happy Street

New York, NY 12345

212-555-1234

john.doe@mymail.com

Summary of Qualifications and Skills:

• 12 years of experience in banking. 
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and Powerpoint. 45 WPM
• Bilingual in English and Spanish
• Experience with diverse populations. 

Now, it shouldn't be exactly like what is portrayed because it is your resume and it is under your discretion what you put in you summary but it should look really similar to it. 

Remember if you have any questions about anything that is posted, please feel free to leave comments. 

Up next: Work Experience...

Purpose of a Resume - The address.

Okay so you are applying for jobs by sending your resume out to employers but you haven't received any responses back from the employers. Do you think that they are just not responding or is there something wrong with your resume.

80% (my personal opinion) of the time, it's your resume. How is your resume structured? Are there words misspelled? Is there an inconsistency with your format? Is it personal to the employer? These are questions you should ask before you send out that resume to the employer.
First let's start by looking at the resume from top to bottom.
Does your resume have your full name and full address?
Usually addresses on resumes are structured in this format:

John Doe

123 Happy Street

New York, NY 12345

212-555-1234

john.doe@mymail.com

As you see the address is a full address. Employers like to see a potential employee's mailing address for mailing purposes. The address doesn't have to be your home address but it should be the best way to contact you via mail. Try to stay away from P.O. Box addresses. This may be unlikely in today's age but employer's may want to contact you via mail.

The next point I want to address is the phone number. The phone number that you put on your resume should be the best way to contact you. You don't have just use your home or cellular phone number. You can use both numbers, if you feel it's necessary. If you are the type of person that changes your number often, please keep your resume updated.

The last point that I would like to make is the e-mail address. Everyone, I repeat everyone must have an e-mail address. I feel that it's not even an option to put it on your resume. Employers are using the convenience of the internet to look for potential employees. When you find a job opening online, you usually have to e-mail or submit the resume tot he employer. Once you submit the resume via electronic format, you might receive a confirmation of your submission or you'll get a response directly for their HR representatitve in regards to your submission. The employer's rep. might even choose to contact you directly via e-mail.
Please make sure your e-mail address is professional. Professional, meaning, don't use sexychick23 or thuglife86 as your address. A professional e-mail address should stay away from all the indirect innuendoes or personality traits. I would recommend that it should consist of a combination of your first and last name with a number i.e. john.doe22 or jdoe22 or johnd22.

The format and structure of your address is under your discretion but make it easy to understand.

Which one should you use?

Objective: To obtain a position where I can utilize my skills and experiences.

or

Objective: To obtain a position as a Personal Trainer with Pump Yourself Up Gym Corp.

To be continued...

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