Career Development Plan: Writing Objectives

When to Use an Objective

If you are an experienced professional, consider using a Summary statement instead of an Objective statement (see "Should I use a Summary instead of an Objective" under Questions and Answers). However, if you can clearly define the position you are seeking, then an Objective statement is recommended.

Advantages to Using an Objective:

· assures the reader that you are focused in a particular career field.

· Allows hiring managers to match your resume with appropriate jobs quickly.

· Helps focus your resume to support your qualifications for a specific career.

How to Write an Objective Statement

When writing your Objective statement, consider how much you want to customize your resume to match the requirements of the position, as well as how widely you will need to distribute your professional resume. If you are applying for a targeted position that has been advertised, then write your objective to include the exact job title and ensure that your preferred type of company or industry matches the description of the company to which you are applying.

If you are applying for the same or similar position but targeting a large number of different companies and industries, you may want to use a more general Objective that describes the career field you are seeking and communicates your relevant skills, abilities and experience. Many companies have slightly different names for a particular job title so, when listing your preferred career, consider using several different job titles or use a broader career field term such as "Marketing Management."

Common Mistakes to Avoid

· Avoid obvious or meaningless statements such as "A challenging and rewarding position…" or "A position offering the opportunity for advancement." Employers assume you would prefer a challenging and rewarding position.

· Avoid self-serving statements such as "A position that will grow my skills and experience…" Employers would much rather understand why you are qualified for the position than what you are expecting of them.

· Avoid using "entry-level position" in your Objective, even though you are just beginning your career. This statement may preclude you from being considered for a more advanced position you might otherwise be qualified to manage.

Additional Tips

For beginners like fresh graduates, it is good to focus on a certain position for you to create an objective more easily rather than focusing on a broad area of work or position which requires you to write a type of objective wherein you need to be more general, thus, focusing on wide range of position means that you're ready for any kind of position or job.