The Objective Statement

There are two schools of thought regarding an objective statement.  Some people say you shouldn’t include this on a resume because that is what your cover letter is for.  Other people say that stating what you want to accomplish in your career is probably the most important part of the resume.

You can choose to include an objective statement if you like, but if you do, you need to know a few things.  First and foremost, this statement should be brief and concise – not more than a sentence or two.  An objective tells potential employers the sort of work you're hoping to do.

Be specific about the job you want. For example: To obtain an entry-level position within a financial institution requiring strong analytical and organizational skills. Tailor your objective to each employer you target/every job you seek.

Objective statements improve your resume by helping you:

• emphasize your main qualifications and summarize them for readers
• inform your readers of the position(s) you are seeking and your career goals
• establish your professional identity

To improve your chances for success, it's always a good idea to tailor your objective statement (as well as your whole resume and cover letter) to particular organizations and/or positions. This means, for example, calling a position by the name the company uses to describe it. You might even indicate the organization's name in your statement.

Strive to match your qualifications with those desired by the organization. If you are unsure what your résumé’s readers will be looking for, you'll need to do some research to give your objective statement a competitive edge.

Before drafting or revising your objective statement, you will find it helpful to answer as many of the following questions as possible.

About you:

• What are your main qualifications (strengths, skills, areas of expertise)
• What positions (or range of positions) do you seek?
• What are your professional goals?
• What type of organization or work setting are you interested in?

About the Company or Organization:

• Which of your qualifications are most desired by your résumé’s readers?
• What position titles (or range or positions) are available?
• What are some goals of the organizations that interest you?
• What types of organizations or work settings are now hiring?

The most common mistake made in writing objective statements is being too general and vague in describing either the position desired or your qualifications. For example, some objective statements read like this:

An internship allowing me to utilize my knowledge and expertise in different areas.

Such an objective statement raises more questions than it answers: What kind of internship? What knowledge? What kinds of expertise? Which areas? Be as specific as possible in your objective statement to help your readers see what you have to offer "at a glance."

To come up with an objective statement that is effective, try one of these formulas:

1. To emphasize a particular position and your relevant qualifications

A position as a [name or type of position] allowing me to use my [qualifications]

To utilize my [qualifications] as a [position title]

A position as a Support Specialist allowing me to use my skills in the fields of computer science and management information systems

2. To emphasize the field or type of organization you want to work in and  your professional goal or your main qualifications

An opportunity to [professional goal] in a[type of organization, work environment, or field] 

To enter [type of organization, work environment, or field] allowing me to use my [qualifications]

An opportunity to obtain a loan officer position, with eventual advancement to vice president for lending services, in a growth-oriented bank

To join an aircraft research team allowing me to apply my knowledge of avionics and aircraft electrical systems

3. To emphasize your professional or career goal  or an organizational goal

To [professional goal]

An opportunity to [professional goal]

To help children and families in troubled situations by utilizing my child protection services background

4. A specific position desired

[position name]

Technical writer specializing in user documentation

Some things to keep in mind when formulating your objective statement include the following:

• Integrate key words and phrases used in the job advertisement(s)
• Play with word choices to fit your strengths and your readers' expectations. You might try
  • substituting for "use" words like "develop," "apply," or "employ," etc.
  • replacing "allowing me" with "requiring" or "giving me the opportunity," etc.
  • changing "enter" to "join," "pursue," "obtain," "become a member," "contribute," etc.
• Blend two or more of the above generic models or create your own!

Depending on the format of your resume, the objective section should be written in sentence format with its own heading.

The next two sections are interchangeable depending on which applies the most to the position you are applying for.  If you think your job experience is more relevant to the job then list “job experience” next.  If it is your education that will help most, then put that section next.

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