No Job Objective on Resume

I'm always snooping around for good ideas to create a better resume. Here's one from Maureen Nelson, Senior Career Counselor at the Oakland Private Industry Council:

Use an occupational title at the top of the resume instead of a job objective statement.

For years I've advocated that established professionals use their professional title in place of a job objective statement (see my article, Job Objective Statement). Maureen's suggestion takes it a step further, saying this is a good idea for blue, pink, green... all color collar jobs.

For instance, instead of:

Jose Ruiz
Job Objective: Seeking a position as a plumber's assistant

Maureen contends the following will make a better impression on an employer:

Jose Ruiz
Plumber's Assistant

Likewise, a job seeker could state her general area of work:

Mary Johnson
Clerical Support

This approach is helpful in two ways:

1. It makes a powerful presentation to the hiring manager, which may increase the chance of winning a job interview and influence how much pay is offered.

2. It boosts the job seeker's self-esteem. Just looking at the resume, he can feel proud that he's a such-and-such worker, not just a wannabe.

Thank you, Maureen, for offering this advice!