An objective statement lets your potential employer know what what you are looking for in a job, as well as what you can offer the company. Objectives have become a little controversial over the past few years as employers have started looking for what you have to offer, instead of what you want. While some people argue that objectives should be left out completely, others having simple found ways to write a more meaningful resume objective statement.
1. Avoid Generic/Meaningless Statements
There are a wide variety of generic statements that are used in objectives, and employers see them everyday. Avoid statements like, "a challenging and rewarding position" or "opportunity for advancement". First, employers assume that you are looking for a position that is both rewarding and challenging. Second, since so many people use these phrases, employers are likely to assume that you are just like everyone else, and no one wants to hire someone that can't stand out from the crowd.
2. Don't Limit Yourself From Other Opportunities
While resume objective statements should not be generic, they should also not limit yourself from other opportunities within the company. One of the easiest ways to limit yourself is by stating that you are looking for "an entry level position". If the position that you applied for is already filled, there is little chance that you will be considered for a more advanced position. Additionally, try not to use the exact job title in the statement, for the same reason.
3. Don't Forget Your Audience
It is always important to remember who is reading your resume. Your potential employer already assumes that you want the position that you are applying for, otherwise you wouldn't apply for it. With this in mind, it is important to use the objective to let the employer know what you can do for them. Think of the objective as a headline. It needs to grab the attention of the readers, and make them want to read more.
4. Short and Sweet
Remember, an objective statement is just that; a statement. It is important to choose your words wisely in order to keep your statement short, yet poignant. If an objective statement becomes to long, it will lose its emphasis as well as the readers attention. You have your entire resume to impress your potential employer, don't try and do it all in your opening statement.
5. Be Consistent
If you mention a certain quality of skill in your objective statement, it had better be featured in the resume. It is surprising how many people mention a positive feature in the objective statement, but it is nowhere to be found throughout the resume. One way to solve this problem is to always write your objective statement last. This is especially important when applying to multiple openings simultaneously, because if you are tailoring your resume to each position (which you should be) then the objective statement will not match the resume if left unaltered.
While objective statements are not recommended by everyone, a meaningful well written objective will only benefit you. As long as you know what to do, it is easy to write a meaningful resume objective.
Jason Kay recommends downloading professional sample resume objective statements to help you write your own.
1. Avoid Generic/Meaningless Statements
There are a wide variety of generic statements that are used in objectives, and employers see them everyday. Avoid statements like, "a challenging and rewarding position" or "opportunity for advancement". First, employers assume that you are looking for a position that is both rewarding and challenging. Second, since so many people use these phrases, employers are likely to assume that you are just like everyone else, and no one wants to hire someone that can't stand out from the crowd.
2. Don't Limit Yourself From Other Opportunities
While resume objective statements should not be generic, they should also not limit yourself from other opportunities within the company. One of the easiest ways to limit yourself is by stating that you are looking for "an entry level position". If the position that you applied for is already filled, there is little chance that you will be considered for a more advanced position. Additionally, try not to use the exact job title in the statement, for the same reason.
3. Don't Forget Your Audience
It is always important to remember who is reading your resume. Your potential employer already assumes that you want the position that you are applying for, otherwise you wouldn't apply for it. With this in mind, it is important to use the objective to let the employer know what you can do for them. Think of the objective as a headline. It needs to grab the attention of the readers, and make them want to read more.
4. Short and Sweet
Remember, an objective statement is just that; a statement. It is important to choose your words wisely in order to keep your statement short, yet poignant. If an objective statement becomes to long, it will lose its emphasis as well as the readers attention. You have your entire resume to impress your potential employer, don't try and do it all in your opening statement.
5. Be Consistent
If you mention a certain quality of skill in your objective statement, it had better be featured in the resume. It is surprising how many people mention a positive feature in the objective statement, but it is nowhere to be found throughout the resume. One way to solve this problem is to always write your objective statement last. This is especially important when applying to multiple openings simultaneously, because if you are tailoring your resume to each position (which you should be) then the objective statement will not match the resume if left unaltered.
While objective statements are not recommended by everyone, a meaningful well written objective will only benefit you. As long as you know what to do, it is easy to write a meaningful resume objective.
Jason Kay recommends downloading professional sample resume objective statements to help you write your own.