What's your Objective?
A resume objective
statement is placed immediately below your contact
information. The objective statement tells the reviewer
what kind of position you want -- for example,
"Seeking a position as a Network Administrator."
Some statements include more detail, such as
"Seeking a Network Administrator position using my
technical, organizational, and troubleshooting
skills."
The objective statement
may be considered optional. While most hiring managers
will not notice if you do not have an objective, others
may feel that you are not taking the application
seriously.
If you decide to include
an objective statement, make sure it fits the job you
are applying for. Tailoring the objective for the
position is expected. An objective statement should show
that you know the type of work the company does and the
type of position it needs to fill.
But
writing resume objectives can be tricky. A vague
statement, such as "Seeking a position that uses my
skills and experience," is meaningless. And an
overly specific statement can backfire, eliminating you
from jobs you want that are slightly different from your
objective.
Ask
yourself these questions:
- What
sort of job are you looking for?
- What
education, experience and skills do you offer to
this job?
- What
sort of job are you applying for?
- Do your
career goals match the job that's available?
Ideally,
your objective will be just one sentence, and it won't
go longer than a couple of lines on your resume.
Employers aren't looking for a novel here; they just
want a concise statement they can read and understand at
a glance.
Use Plain
English
Compare
the following objectives, which both say basically the
same thing:
Objective
To obtain a challenging, meaningful entry-level sales
position in the computer service industry, which will
enable me to utilize the troubleshooting and customer
service skills that I have developed.
Objective
An entry-level computer service position that requires
exceptional troubleshooting and customer service skills.
There's no
need for you to use one-dollar words in your objective
when 10-cent words will do just fine.
It's
Specific and Customized
If you're
going to bother using a resume objective in the first
place, make sure you customize it for each resume you
send out. While public relations and advertising are
similar fields, for example, they're not at all the
same. So don't try to use the same resume objective when
you're applying for PR and advertising jobs.
Think of
this sentence:
I am seeking (insert description of
position here) to use my
(plug your relevant skills here) .
Describe
What You're Offering as Well as What You Want
The most
common mistake people make in their resume objectives,
is stating only what they want, and not what they have
to offer as well.
An
employer does not care what you want. They only need to
know that what you want is the position that they offer.
Once this is established, you can use this premium top
position on your resume to sell your skills.
Compare
the following objectives:
Objective
A help
desk position that challenges me to learn continuously
and gives me the opportunity for professional growth and
advancement.
Objective
A help
desk position that allows me to contribute my proven
troubleshooting and customer service skills.
See how
the second objective asks for something -- a help desk
position -- and also offers something -- proven
troubleshooting and customer service skills? Remember:
Employers reading and evaluating your resume look for
what you can give them, not what they can give you.
A good
resume objective won't necessarily win you job
interviews on its own. But a bad objective will send
your resume straight into the trashcan. In fact, a bad
objective is far worse than no objective at all. So give
your resume objective the attention and care it needs.
That way, employers will easily understand who you are,
what you have to offer and why you're worth interviewing
-- and perhaps hiring.
|
