Resume Writing Tips: Your Resume Objective

At a point in time not very long ago, a statement of objective opened the vast majority of resumes. Having fallen out of favor in recent years, the resume objective is nonetheless utilized by some job seekers. For those still incorporating objective statements into their resumes, the following resume writing tips should be considered and applied to develop an effective, articulate statement of objective.

First, your resume objective should serve the purpose of headlining the resume. It should be the succinct opening salvo following your personal contact information that, in effect, titles and targets your resume.

Second, your statement of objective, like all statements on your resume, should be written as a phrase rather than a sentence. As such, it should avoid the use of personal pronouns. The subject of the resume objective is understood.

Third, your objective statement should be verb-driven. Like other statements on your resume, it should utilize action verbs to capture the attention of the reader.

Fourth, your objective should be specific. It should state the type of position and/or industry that you, as a job seeker, are targeting. For that reason, should you choose to include an objective statement on your resume, it must not be general. A generic objective statement, such as “to secure a position in which skills, experience, and education will have valuable application,” is largely meaningless and adds nothing of value to your resume.

Finally and perhaps most importantly, your resume objective should associate your qualifications with the nature and requirements of the position you are seeking. By doing so, it will entice the reader to seriously consider your candidacy for the position.

If you heed these resume writing tips in crafting your objective statement, you will create a resume objective that will stimulate reader interest and set the stage for the more detailed presentation of your qualifications that will follow.