Resume Objectives ... The Hidden Pitfalls

Written by Roger Clark


Why Use Resume Objectives

Before we can discussrepparttar pitfalls you first need to understandrepparttar 107025 reasons for including your resume objectives and how they relate to your resume and interview selection process.

Including an objectives section atrepparttar 107026 beginning of your resume provides a brief introduction torepparttar 107027 purpose ofrepparttar 107028 resume, highlighting your career objectives andrepparttar 107029 type of job you are seeking.

It is very common for job-seekers to include a brief objectives section atrepparttar 107030 beginning of their resume The objectives section can be an important part of a resume, and might berepparttar 107031 first thing employers looks at. Therefore you should put considerable thought into constructing focused and clear objectives.

Look At These Resume Objective Examples

A resume objective does exactly whatrepparttar 107032 name suggests; it highlights your objectives and statesrepparttar 107033 type of job you are seeking.

Here are some examples of career objectives:

·To obtain an elementary education teaching position with upward mobility to a principalship.

·To obtain a position in manufacturing operations and development which will utilize acquired knowledge and collective experience.

·Public relations writer for a large metropolitan hospital. ·Auditor position inrepparttar 107034 public accounting field inrepparttar 107035 Philadelphia area.

As you can see,repparttar 107036 objectives are short and sweet; meaning they are torepparttar 107037 point in describingrepparttar 107038 purpose of creating your resume.

Doorway To The Interview... Resumes

What is a resume... usually it isrepparttar 107039 first contact you have with potential employers. It is also where you list your skills and create a marketable presentation so that companies understandrepparttar 107040 benefits of employing you.

Your resume is alsorepparttar 107041 first (and possiblyrepparttar 107042 last!) opportunity you have to persuade your prospective employer to give you an interview.

Clearly... it is in your best interests to ensure your resume is compelling enough to leaverepparttar 107043 recruiter with no other option but to invite you to an interview.

If you want to learn more about writing resumes that get interviews, visit a site such as Top Career Resumes where you will find numerous articles and tips.

Or, if you prefer... a cost effective alternative is to use a resume writing service to prepare your resume for you.

Pitfalls of Using Resume Objectives

You may have noticed that all previous references to objectives focus on you and therein liesrepparttar 107044 pitfall !

Employers are not interested in what you want ...

If your objectives fail to match those ofrepparttar 107045 employer, you will not even get to first base ! So keep your options open until you find out more about their objectives.

Some people decide to omitrepparttar 107046 objectives section and use that space to highlight other abilities and accomplishments. Whether you choose to use resume objectives or not will depend greatly on your particular situation.

Reasons Against ...

A few experts feel thatrepparttar 107047 resume objectives section can be limiting to job seekers. It makes you be very specific as to your goals. This may be constraining if you want to be general and leave your options open.

Employers on average take only 30 seconds to look at a resume. The objectives section isrepparttar 107048 first thing that catches their eye. If you have a specific objective written, for example to obtain a managerial position,repparttar 107049 manager may pass on your resume if he was looking for some other position.

6 VITAL TIPS FOR CREATING A SUPERIOR RESUME

Written by Rita Fisher


6 VITAL TIPS FOR CREATING A SUPERIOR RESUME

Copyright 2005 by Rita Fisher, CPRW / Career Change Resumes http://www.CareerChangeResumes.com

1, Keep It Short

Considering that initially HR personnel only spend approximately 10-20 seconds on a resume,repparttar shorter your resume,repparttar 107024 most desirable it is. Aim for one page.

Of course, it is sometimes impossible to create such a short resume. You might have to include a second page because you have way too much information regarding your work experience, accomplishments, etc. In this case, make sure that you listrepparttar 107025 most relevant information withinrepparttar 107026 upper half ofrepparttar 107027 first page because that isrepparttar 107028 section that gets looked at first. This way, these important insights will surely be noticed.

2, Spelling, Spelling, Spelling

It is not enough to runrepparttar 107029 word processor's spell checker on your document. Proofread your resume at least 3 times, once backward (sometimes that is how you notice mistakes.)

Remember, a sloppy presentation is almost a guarantee that your resume will end up inrepparttar 107030 circular file even if you have allrepparttar 107031 qualifications inrepparttar 107032 world.

3, Start Your Resume With A "Power Statement"

Many resume writers suggest starting a resume with an objective. I object to that (no pun intended). Objectives are useless because they are self-centered.

Here is a typical objective: "Challenging position in social services."

My suggestion is that you start your resume with a power statement such as: "Experienced Social Worker with 10 years of proven client counseling and support background along with enthusiasm for working with children and their families."

Whereasrepparttar 107033 objective tellsrepparttar 107034 employer only what you want to do,repparttar 107035 power statement goes further in highlighting not onlyrepparttar 107036 job you are seeking but also your major achievements. The power statement showcases what you can do forrepparttar 107037 company.

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