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

Including an objectives section at beginning of your resume provides a brief introduction to purpose of resume, highlighting your career objectives and type of job you are seeking.

It is very common for job-seekers to include a brief objectives section at beginning of their resume The objectives section can be an important part of a resume, and might be 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 what name suggests; it highlights your objectives and states 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 in public accounting field in Philadelphia area.

As you can see, objectives are short and sweet; meaning they are to point in describing purpose of creating your resume.

Doorway To The Interview... Resumes

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

Your resume is also first (and possibly 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 leave 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 lies pitfall !

Employers are not interested in what you want ...

If your objectives fail to match those of 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 omit 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 that 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.

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, shorter your resume, 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 list most relevant information within upper half of first page because that is section that gets looked at first. This way, these important insights will surely be noticed.

2, Spelling, Spelling, Spelling

It is not enough to run 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 in circular file even if you have all qualifications in 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."