Creating a cover letter or resume objective for the purpose of getting a job is like going fishing with a knife and fork tied to the end of your fishing line. You might be hungry and wanting to catch a fish for dinner, and will need the fork and knife when you land a fish, but trying to use these utensils as bait is going to leave you hungry.
Have you heard the old adage of putting the cart before the horse? The mindset you need to get a job is not quite the same thinking that will get you interviews. When you are thinking about getting a job while you are cover letter and resume writing you are skipping a step. You are trying to convince an employer to hire you rather than interview you.
Expounding all about yourself and work experience helps you get hired in an interview, just like a knife and fork helps you eat. But you need fish bait to catch fish and you need employer bait to catch employers. Focusing on copy writing sales tactics to get interviews is the bait you need to hook an employer. Great copy writing uses the word “you” far more than the words “I’ or “me.”
Also the bait you need to catch fish might not be the same food you would eat. Fish bait is often crickets, worms, or some strange mixture of foods. Usually fish bait is not what we want for dinner and that is why we are fishing. The same is true of your resume objective. Your goal is to land your dream job and make a paycheck. This is not the employer’s objective. Your resume objective needs to be the bait the employer will bite not necessarily what you like to eat.
Design your resume writing and cover letters to get an interview not a job. While you want to align yourself as the perfect solution for the employer, rarely is anyone hired without a job interview. You need the interview to get the job and you need resumes and cover letters to get interviews. Your writing needs to create enough interest to keep the employer reading and enough desire to make them want to interview you.
The resume objective is the headline on most resumes. You need to attract the employer. If the employer does not see something there that sparks their interest they might not keep reading. Just like a fish swimming by your bait. Lead with your most relevant skills. These are the skills the employer is seeking. Incorporate these into your objective. If you have a relevant and recent certification in a skill the employer is seeking work that into your writing. For example let them know you are waiting with bated breath (pun intended!) to perform your new skills.
Using Pro Bait for Your Resume Objective
Professional copy writers often make the best resume objective and cover letter creators. They understand how to bait the hook. Most Fortune 500 companies hire marketing employees or advertising firms that know how to see the qualities of a product and create the interest and desire that will attract prospects and consumers and get them to buy. Check out advertising titles and subtitles and the features and benefits listed about products. Incorporate your best features and benefits into your resume objective. When you have the right bait the fish will bite. When you have the right words forming the right sentences the employers will call.