The Objective Statement: Unique and Effective


About the objective statement

As you may already know, the career objective on many standard resumes is often listed as just “objective;” but such a listing is, in fact, a statement of your career goals, and the message intended is generally a simple one: that you want to get a good job which will allow you to utilize your experience and education in a way that will maximize your earnings.

However, this is the most difficult part of a resume to compose, based on the restriction of one to two sentences in which you are expected to convey your professional expertise.

In other words, conveying a clear and concise message which includes expectations from a job and an organization, as well as goals for your professional growth in a space of only one to two sentences is really not an easy thing to do, unless uniquely descriptive terms are used; and in order to use such terms you will probably need to devote extra time to consulting your dictionary and thesaurus several times during the process.

This exercise can almost be compared to getting an intelligent point across in 140 characters; and we all know that many of those tweets are a far cry from intelligent.

Misconceptions about the objective

The extra time, study and frustration involved in composing an effective objective statement cause many people to make the mistake (often repeated) of not listing one at all, thereby relegating themselves to join those who operate under the false assumption that an objective statement is not necessary in a resume, because it states the obvious: that your objective is to get the job for which you are applying.

But such exclusion and rationalization is misconceived, because employers are looking for an objective since they want to know what you are really looking for in order to determine whether or not you’re a good match for their company.

Another common mistake many individuals make when preparing their resume is including a career objective that doesn’t actually express their goals and qualification. For example, a statement like the one which follows is commonly used in resumes:

“To obtain a position where my experience and education can be utilized and expanded.” But take a closer look at this statement and you’ll find it doesn’t say anything specific about what is being sought in terms of professional growth.

Generic statements send wrong message

When preparing your resume, make it a point to avoid the use of generic statements like the one above; because such statements will hurt you more than help you in your job search. Using such statements will cause your potential employer to be be left with an impression that you don’t have a set a goal in mind, which essentially defeats your purpose for preparing a well-written resume in the first place; don’t you agree?

By now, and in view of the above, you should have a pretty good idea of what not to do about including or omitting an objective statement on your resume; but how about some ideas that could be helpful in your day-to-day resume preparation tasks and job search goals?

The following paragraphs consist of a few ideas you may find helpful when creating your own winning career objective that should get your well-written resume noticed and get your foot in the door.

Objective statement writing tips

First – Make your career objective personal. In other words, think of your whole resume as a sales tool with your career objective as your opening statement; because you want your employer to know what you want, and not just restate what other people want.

Second – You want to state your commitment to your career goal; because if you are unsure of what you want, how is your employer expected to believe that you really want the job at their organization, and you are not just applying because you want to get out of your current work environment? Don’t be afraid to state what you want from a job and from an organization.

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Third – While you want to state your commitment, you also want to show that you are willing to take action to achieve your goal; so indicate what direction or action you are willing to take in order to accomplish your career objective.

Fourth – What might be the most important factor in a successful career objective is being specific about what you are looking for in a work situation; because while you can say that you are looking for a “challenging” environment, this doesn’t mean anything to your employer, since people define challenges in various ways. So avoid using generic and broad terms and simply state what you want, as well as what you’re willing to do to get it.

Woman in a neon triangle

Sample: An effective objective statement

Keeping these criteria in mind, let’s revise the above career objective statement so that it effectively states what you want:

“To obtain a position of a sales representative in a health insurance industry, where I can utilize my management and customer relations skills, with the opportunity for performance-based advancement.”

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The above statement – revised from the earlier generic one – tells a potential employer that you know what kind of job you want, what experience you have in order to get the position, and what you are willing do to become a successful professional with the company.

Thus, you have just created an effective objective statement which transforms into a winning career objective to enhance your resume and increase your chances of landing the job you really want.

Customizing Your Resume to the Ideal Job




Similar look, different resume

While the look of most resumes appear similar to each other on the surface, there are key areas that differentiate well-written, winning resumes from those that never make it into the hands of hiring managers. To customize your resume for that ideal job you want, it is important to direct your attention to the following three elements:

  • Resume Style
  • Career Objective, and;
  • Personal Profile.

The layout and style of your resume are as important as the information you include about your experience and qualifications. The two most commonly used resume styles are chronological and functional. A chronological resume requires you to list your professional expertise in order – much like the name implies – and is used by those applicants with extensive professional experience. Functional resumes showcase an applicant’s experience based on the type of qualifications s/he has, and is typically used by those lacking professional experience or those changing careers.

While there are no set rules in determining the best resume style to use, it is important to keep in mind that the resume format can help or hurt your chances when attempting to put your best foot forward. It is therefore of the utmost importance to pick the format that will best highlight your qualifications and your experience. It is also important to understand the difference between the two; which is why a little research into which format is more preferred in the field of your choice is something that should be done.

Career objective

Career objective of the professional resume – This is a very important component in the preparation of your resume; and while there have been extensive debate about the need for listing your objective on any resume you prepare, choosing to include this goal statement shows that you have given your professional growth some serious thought. Consider your career objective as the first impression you make on your potential employer. Make sure your goals are specific and directional in terms of industry, position title, and future professional achievements.

Most people make a mistake of including generic statements under their career objective; but you should make every effort to avoid this mistake. To be effective your statement must tell a potential employer that you know what kind of job you want and what experience you have in order to get the position, as well as what you are willing to do in order to become a successful professional with the company.

While the career objective section tells your potential employer why you are applying for the job at their organization, the professional profile section sells your expertise and convinces the employer that you are the best candidate for that job. Your professional summary/profile gives you the opportunity to differentiate yourself, and give your employer an insight into you. Two frequently repeated mistakes for this section of the resume are poor writing and inclusion of personal information.

Not personal, but impressive

Note that your age, ethnicity, gender, religious affiliations and such personal information do not make a difference on how you handle yourself as a business professional. Such information should never be included in a resume, or any job application materials (even when asked on a job application, such information is optional and is for demographics study only). Make sure this section is well written and error-free, since strong positive statements about your expertise will give a good first impression to your employer.

Make sure to proofread the whole resume, with emphasis to this section, as it appears at the start of your resume. An effective personal statement must leave your employer with an impression that you are confident, credible, and professional. But keep in mind that– any resume you prepare is your sales pitch which demonstrates your qualifications and experience to a potential employer; so seize the opportunity to put your best foot forward and you will reap the excellent rewards you aspire to.