Objective on Resume?

[BostonBio153]

Hi everyone! This is a re-post of a question that I asked in the general admissions forum, but another user suggested that I post it here, since it's a question specific to Education resumes.

 

My girlfriend is applying to Masters Programs in Education and is trying to figure out whether she should include an objective (or "Professional Objective") at the start of her resume. From what I've read online, it seems like it's optional, but I was hoping that somewhere with knowledge/experience in Masters of Ed programs might have some advice!

 

Thanks!

[Canis]

Is it a resumé or a CV they ask for?

 

This is a good start for reading about the expectations of an academic CV - including the field specific corrections included in the discussion: http://theprofessorisin.com/2012/01/12/dr-karens-rules-of-the-academic-cv/

[BostonBio153]

Is it a resumé or a CV they ask for?

 

This is a good start for reading about the expectations of an academic CV - including the field specific corrections included in the discussion: http://theprofessorisin.com/2012/01/12/dr-karens-rules-of-the-academic-cv/

 

They said you can use either. And thanks for the link!

 

I'm still not sure about whether an objective is necessary. I know that for jobs it usually is, but I'm not sure about grad school, specifically masters of ed programs...

[Canis]

My answer would be that if she chooses to submit a resumé, then an objective is a part of that and can be included if she wants. If she chooses a CV then nope.

 

However, there's great variation not only between disciplines but within them. The best way to approach this is using the same tools you would use in your own scientific research. Go out and find the CVs of the faculty (and perhaps advanced standing PhD students) in the M.Ed. program she is applying to. Look at what they do, consult resources like the link I sent, and see what the standard is among successful professionals in her field. The goal in any graduate application is to look like a colleague who is prepared to enter the discipline and play along - so emulating those you hope to work with can help.

[Canis]

A good place to dig around also might be the faculty lists at the 'top' three education graduate programs. I would focus on associate or assistant professors. I've done this in my field and it's very helpful - I go through and download every single CV I can find. If I can't find it there, I look on academia.edu, and elsewhere. Then I look for trends in all of them in terms of organization, topics, etc.

 

http://peabody.vanderbilt.edu/people/index.php

 

http://education.jhu.edu/faculty/SOE_Faculty?p=1&CLEARPAGECACHE=false

 

http://www.gse.harvard.edu/directory/faculty/

[ctcpx084]

I've heard of people going either way with this. The last thing I remember being told is not to use an objective on a resume, since employers could potentially just weed you out using the objective alone. Whether this is true or not, I don't know. I go through periods where I will use one, and then periods where I will leave it off. I've never used one on a CV, though.

[JBums1028]

From what I've been told, an objective on a resume is generally outdated to use whether it's for graduate school or for a job. If you think about it, your objective can resonably be assumed based on your actions of submitting a resume for a particular position or program. A personal statement should cover all the specific reasons for applying anyway, so my recommendation is that she save space on her resume and not include an objective statement. That's at least my personal opinion on the subject...

[oster14]

From what I've been told, an objective on a resume is generally outdated to use whether it's for graduate school or for a job. If you think about it, your objective can resonably be assumed based on your actions of submitting a resume for a particular position or program. A personal statement should cover all the specific reasons for applying anyway, so my recommendation is that she save space on her resume and not include an objective statement. That's at least my personal opinion on the subject...

That's exactly what I have heard.

[ferd]

I'd skip it. Objective will be clear from her SOP - why waste space on resume?