www.fastcompany.com: Since most resumes are written to cast a wide net, they basically just recite everything the writer has done, but this approach dilutes the all-important data density that makes your resume discoverable. In order for recruiters to find your resume in the vast databases they search through, you need to focus on a specific target job, then get the role’s relevant keywords front-and-center where ATS, or “applicant tracking systems,” will detect them.
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The concept of dressing an objective statement up by calling it a 'performance summary' seems superficial. As my boy Billy Shakes once wrote, "A rose by any other name is still a rose." My dad is a geotechnical engineering consultant and is currently qualifying insurance claims down in Texas in the wake of Irma. One of the things he is required to do in his reports is to shift his language from describing 'building defects' to describing 'as-built conditions' because the construction companies get offended. However, it still means the same thing regardless of whether the language hurts someone's feelings (This is NOT a commentary on PC culture, I'm all for that and believe we should call people what they want to be called). Like this arbitrary change in phrasing, the objective section is a waste of time. As the author himself states, "No one reads resumes for fun–only when there’s a specific job to fill. That means recruiters and hiring managers are fixated on the skill requirements of the job openings they’re looking to fill. Consequently, a resume that starts with 'Objective' and focuses on what you want out of your career as the opening paragraph does nothing to help you. After all, nobody really cares what you want at this point (save that for negotiating an offer), so putting that right up top wastes prime ad space." So why not cut it? If you use this article as a guide to writing cover letters instead, it seems that the article would have a better purpose.
I didn’t know people use performance summaries in their resumes and I do not think we do in theater. To my understanding that goes under skills and then one writes a cover letter. However, I did find this article very useful. I know that you are supposed to target your resume to your potential employer. What I did not know is that you should use language that your potential employer uses. This makes sense as it is concise, shows that you know what you are talking about, and is appealing to the employer as it shows you might fit within the culture of the work environment. I also noticed the phrase “what can you do to directly help them.” This sticks out to me as if you can do something that your potential employer needs then you automatically become a better candidate for the job. You are selling yourself to your employer and by demonstrating a skill that is valuable to them you become a more appealing choice.
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