Mechanical Engineering Student Seeking Internship to Gain Hands-On Experience

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The discussion centers on the effectiveness of including an objective statement in a resume, particularly for a mechanical engineering student seeking an internship. There is a debate over whether the objective should be a complete sentence, with some arguing that it should reflect what the candidate can offer to the company rather than just personal goals. Suggestions include rephrasing the objective to emphasize contributions to the company, while others argue that objectives are outdated and that a summary would be more beneficial. The consensus leans towards being honest and succinct, avoiding clichés and buzzwords that may come off as insincere. Ultimately, the value of an objective statement is questioned, with some participants suggesting that if it doesn't add clear value, it might be best to omit it altogether.
jklops686
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Right now my objective is:

Hands-on Mechanical Engineering student with demonstrated communication skills seeking an internship to gain experience in the field, and further develop as a mechanical engineer.

Should I make this into a complete sentence? I see many objectives that aren't a complete sentence but it really bugs me.

Also, what do you think of the statement in general?

Thanks!
 
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If it really bugs you, change it. Especially since a sentence claiming "demonstrated communications skills" should at least be a complete sentence. But that's just my opinion, and I tend to be harsh on people's grammar. I suspect most readers wouldn't even notice, since resumes are frequently written in a fragmentary style. But I like my writing to sound like *me* so, I wouldn't write it that way.

Can you change it without making it sound awkward?
 
Are you sure you want an objective in your resume? They are pretty much out of style. A summary would be a better use of the precious space in my opinion.

If you want to use your objective just add the words "I am" in front of what you already have and it should be fine.
 
your objective shouldn't be all about you, the way it is stated now all you say is "gain experience in the field and further develop as an engineer"

It should be changed to what you can provide for the company such as
"to apply my skills towards XXXX and develop into an integral member of the XXXX team"
where XXXX is the company is the company or position or whatever
 
stevenjones3.1 said:
your objective shouldn't be all about you, the way it is stated now all you say is "gain experience in the field and further develop as an engineer"

It should be changed to what you can provide for the company such as
"to apply my skills towards XXXX and develop into an integral member of the XXXX team"
where XXXX is the company is the company or position or whatever

As someone who reads a lot of resumes in my job I very politely disagree. What you suggest is all meaningless buzzwords that doesn't add any value to the resume in my opinion. The OP is looking for an internship so to say he or she is "looking to be an integral member of XXXX team" will come across as insincere since an intern usually uses more resources than he or she contributes. When I see resumes that have things like that in them I assume they are BS unless there is supporting evidence in the cover letter that they really know about my organization.

In your resume be honest and succinct and a good way to stand apart from the crowd is to avoid tired resume cliches. In my opinion having an objective is a cliche that doesn't actually communicate anything useful to the employer.
 
Now I am lost. HA! Thanks for the opinions. I think the objective is showing them why I want to be there. It's not for money like many students, but to develop my career instead.
 
I think your heart is in the right place here. THe problem is every student says that whether they are there for the money or to develop the career.

I think 95% of students are in an internship for developing a career anyway.
 
analogdesign said:
Are you sure you want an objective in your resume? They are pretty much out of style. A summary would be a better use of the precious space in my opinion.

If in doubt leave it out. If you apply for multiple jobs and you change it each time its looks ludicrous. eg. To obtain a position in (random location) to improve my skills in (random skill from job desscription)
 

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