Have a look at some popular resume and CV templates and you’ll find a section titled ‘Objective Statement’ – A place where you can write a couple of lines of what your resume is hoping to achieve (to get the coveted job as Cabin Crew of course). The question is: Should you include an Objective Statement on your resume?
A few years ago including an Objective Statement seemed to be essential part of a resume. Everyone seemed to have one. But hiring managers follow trends just as much as the rest of us. And the trend right now is definitely not to include an Objective Statement on your resume.
What’s So Wrong with an Objective Statement?
Write something like “I’m seeking a career as cabin crew” and you might just be ruining your chance with the airline recruiter. In the cut throat world of Cabin Crew recruitment you need to create a winning image. Your resume is just as important as the suit you wear and the body language you display to win over the recruiter.
So what’s so wrong with an Objective Statement? And why shouldn’t you include it on your cabin crew application resume:
- It’s out of fashion – Recruiters don’t want to see it (and get really annoyed when they do see it),
- It doesn’t tell the recruiter what you’ll bring to their company – only what you want from the job,
- The Objective Statement doesn’t talk about your accomplishments and achievements,
- It takes up valuable room to talk about your skills and experience.
What do Recruiters Want to See?
Recruiters want to read resumes that clearly demonstrate you possess the skills and experience that will make you a good Flight Attendant. With only a limited amount of space and time to prove you have these skills, you need to make every sentence work extra hard.
If nothing else, including an Objective Statement on your resume, will take up valuable room and prove an unnecessary distraction.
In most cases, just cut the Objective Statement from your resume and instead focus on your Personal Statment or Personal Summary. This is an area at the top of your resume, about 5-6 sentences (maximum) where you can summarise your skills and quickly show the recruiter why you’re the ideal candidate.
What to include in your Cabin Crew application resume – And what not to include
But there is One Exception
However, there might be some times when an Objective Statement could be useful. Say if you’ve had a 10-year career in one specific field and are now suddenly making a huge change to seek a job as Cabin Crew. In this case, it might actually be really useful to quickly explain to the recruiter why you’re making this move.
Of course, your resume isn’t the place to go into detail but by cleverly including an objective into your Personal Summary you can soothe any concerns that the recruiter might have in shortlisting you. The best way to do this is by ‘wrapping’ your objective around your very best skills and experience. For example, you might write something like this:
How to Write an Objective Statement
“Seeking to utilise 10 years experience of providing excellent customer service to deliver an outstanding passenger experience in the role of Cabin Crew.”
This short sentence neatly explains to the recruiter why you’re qualified and eager to be a Flight Attendant despite your previous career moves. It turns your maturity and experience into an asset that the recruiter would be hard-pressed to ignore.
And there might be one more benefit to hiding an objective within your Personal Summary. The online system that you use to submit your application – The Applicant Tracking System (ATS) – sometimes score bonus points to resumes that include the title of the job and the name of the company.
Score Your Resume Bonus Points
If you don’t already have experience as Cabin Crew and have never worked for that airline before, the Objective Statement is the perfect place to include these two details.
A word of warning on this last point, however. Not all ATS systems were created equal and there is no guanruntee that this tip will work. Oh, and remember – you’re resume still needs to be read by a very picky hiring manager.
