The question of whether to include an objective on your resume engenders considerable debate. Should you or shouldn't you? What is the objective supposed to do? If your objective is clearly stated in your cover letter, why should you repeat it on your resume?

Opinions will vary as to the importance of including an objective on your resume. Author Kathy Glasgow says that in her recruiting experience, "The objective is neutral at best, with a tendency to remove people from consideration. Part of my experience probably lies in the fact that people do not generally tailor their objectives specifically for the company they're courting."

Jim Burke, who retired last year as manager of technical recruiting and university relations for Rohm & Haas, offers a different perspective: "With people now keeping their resumes online, it is becoming commonplace for job candidates to tailor their objectives to different kinds of employers. Sometimes, it's just a matter of changing one or two words in the objective (e.g., "pharmaceuticals" to "biotechnology" or "agricultural chemicals" or whatever), without changing anything else in the resume. It isn't hard to do.

A resume without an objective can send a red flag that a candidate lacks career focus and doesn't merit serious consideration. "I know of recruiters who will refuse to consider resumes without an objective," Burke said. "Their reasoning is: if the candidate can't declare what he or she is looking for, why should I try to figure it out?"

The ACS Department of Career Services also recommends including an objective on your resume because it gives the employer an idea of what kind of employment you are seeking and a sense of your professional direction. Their publication, Tips on Resume Preparation, suggests some examples:

• A research and development position in the pharmaceutical industry that takes advantage of my experience in synthetic organic chemistry.
• A position in which my analytical skills in wastewater management can be used effectively to improve a company�s environmental operations.
• A senior marketing research and planning position that requires strong analytical, technical, and creative skills.

You could include your objective as part of your cover letter but if your cover letter becomes separated from your resume, whoever reads your resume won't have an idea of what type of job you're looking for.

Because many employers like to see them, it's worth the time to include an objective on your resume. The exercise of writing one will really help you focus on what opportunities you're looking for. Katherine Hansen of Quintessential Careers offers some tips on writing an effective objective for your resume:

• If you do use an objective, make it very specific, not vague and meaningless. Here's one I really like that one of my students wrote: "To manage people, interface with customers, and work with highly technical software or hardware applications." I like it because it's specific but not limiting. This objective could apply to many different jobs, yet the skills described are quite specific.
• Objectives should reflect the employer's perspective, not the jobseeker's, and should tell what the jobseeker can contribute. An objective should demonstrate the value the candidate will add to the organization.
• Objectives should be as concise as possible.
• Objectives may help sharpen the focus of your resume, especially if your experience is very diverse, or you are switching into a career not supported by the experience listed on your resume.
• If you choose not to list an objective on your resume, you may choose to discuss your objective in your cover letter.
• Whether or not you choose to include an objective, you may wish to present a skills or qualifications section on your resume.

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