Objective vs. Summary vs. Headline

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Discussion:

Hi Amber,

In my own experience, stressing to students the need to focus on communicating how they add value (in specific terms) to an employer rarely worked. I found that I needed to provide a writing model to help them communicate effectively. The model presented in the course is the one I used with success. If I may provide feedback on the objective statement example you provide, I'd argue that it is too vague and from an employer's perspective, communicates little value. What specific education? What specific skills and experience?

For example, what about specifying the education, skills and experience such as: "A Licensed Massage Therepist position contributing over 500 hours of education in anatomy, basic physiology and different massage and bodywork modalities as well as experience in educational sales and customer service in high-end retail environments that can be applied in the spa and resort industry."

It's important to remember that the content in the objective (if you choose to use an objective) is tailored to the specific company based on research that is done prior to applying. I'll share my personal preference on objectives vs. Summaries and headlines. For Career Changers, I avoid objectives. I use a combination of a headline and a summary. The headline acts as a powerful branding statement that immediately has an employer mentally categorize a candidate to a potential vacancy. The summary provides more room to further elaborate the qualifications of the individual.

I prefer objectives when working with more traditional students (18-24) with little work experience who also tend to not know much about the strategies of resume writing. I find that objectives (using the formula outlined in the course) can be a good tool to train them on writing value-laden content focusing on communicating what they can contribute to the employer. As a general guideline, I think the more specific you can be, the better the writing. The content that follows the headline, summary, or objective needs to back up the claims conveyed in the headline/summary/objective. In other words, "Show me where that experience was applied and in what context. Show me where that education was accumulated specifically, etc."

I look forward to your thoughts regarding this feedback.

Robert Starks Jr.

Hi Amber, In my own experience, stressing to students the need to focus on communicating how they add value (in specific terms) to an employer rarely worked. I found that I needed to provide a writing model to help them communicate effectively. The model presented in the course is the one I used with success. If I may provide feedback on the objective statement example you provide, I'd argue that it is too vague and from an employer's perspective, communicates little value. What specific education? What specific skills and experience? For example, what about specifying the education, skills and experience such as: "A Licensed Massage Therepist position contributing over 500 hours of education in anatomy, basic physiology and different massage and bodywork modalities as well as experience in educational sales and customer service in high-end retail environments that can be applied in the spa and resort industry." It's important to remember that the content in the objective (if you choose to use an objective) is tailored to the specific company based on research that is done prior to applying. I'll share my personal preference on objectives vs. Summaries and headlines. For Career Changers, I avoid objectives. I use a combination of a headline and a summary. The headline acts as a powerful branding statement that immediately has an employer mentally categorize a candidate to a potential vacancy. The summary provides more room to further elaborate the qualifications of the individual. I prefer objectives when working with more traditional students (18-24) with little work experience who also tend to not know much about the strategies of resume writing. I find that objectives (using the formula outlined in the course) can be a good tool to train them on writing value-laden content focusing on communicating what they can contribute to the employer. As a general guideline, I think the more specific you can be, the better the writing. The content that follows the headline, summary, or objective needs to back up the claims conveyed in the headline/summary/objective. In other words, "Show me where that experience was applied and in what context. Show me where that education was accumulated specifically, etc." I look forward to your thoughts regarding this feedback. Robert Starks Jr.