There was a time when you used the “prime real estate” at the top of your resume to declare your objective. This was where you told prospective employers that your goal was to “obtain a position within a well established, stable organization where your management skills could be maximized and blah…blah…blah…”

Objective statements were all about YOU and what YOU wanted – nothing about what you could do for the employer.

These old-fashioned, objective laden resumes make professional resume writers shudder and that is why most have replaced these statements with more of an executive summary that sums up the applicants skills and what they bring to the employer.

Now, let’s make things clear, the objective statement hasn’t completely disappeared. Those with little to include in an executive summary – i.e. young professionals – still rely on them. However, there are some best practices to follow even if you are a young professional and using the objective statement to introduce yourself to employers.

Be clear, and be what they need. What this means – in a nutshell is:

  • Be crystal-clear about your career direction
  • Position yourself as someone who wants to do exactly what the employer is offering
  • Be tailored to fit the job for which you’re applying.

At Executive Drafts, there are objective statements that come across our desk that catch our eye because they pinpoint a candidate who is exactly what an HR or hiring manager might be looking for and specific to a certain job offer.

Take a look at a few examples of objective statements that have crossed HR desks – some are perfect and some scream me-me-me:

Bad objective statements:

  • “Career employment or contract (twelve months).”
  • “My Goal is to find employment that will help me begin paying off my student loans.”
  • “ESL Teaching position with __________.”
  • “To obtain a challenging position where my education, skills and experiences can be highly utilized and later be applicable for growth and possible advancement.”

Good objective statements:

  • “Position of ONLINE ENGLISH TEACHER with ____________, where I can apply my education, teaching experience and native linguistic skills to the delivery of quality language instruction.”
  • “English-Language Trainer/Tutor of ESL or standard English. To assist, encourage and motivate students of every age to demonstrate and improve their verbal and written skills.”

Be relevant

Employment objectives can be a waste of space unless they highlight relevant information that will speak directly to an employer’s needs. Here are a few examples from new college graduates that are simply too general to make any kind of impact:

  • “To obtain a position that will enable me to use my educational background and transferable skills to manage and create new opportunities in international trade and networking.”
  • “A full time position in the Human Resources Training Department.”
  • “A position in the Business and Marketing Administration field.”
  • “To obtain a position which will enable me to utilize my education and experience in the fashion industry.”
  • “Fall Internship.”

So here’s the deal – if you really want to use an objective statement – make sure it focuses on the employer – not you.

Sources: TheLadders – TalktoCanada

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