How to Write an Objective for a New Career

How to Write an Objective for a New Career
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Securing employment in a difficult job market requires setting yourself apart from other candidates. An objective statement on your resume summarizes your goals in the new career, allowing a potential employer to determine if the job is a match. Objective statements are not required on a resume, but a brief statement often proves useful when seeking a new career. The objective statement gives you a chance to highlight your ability and desire to excel in a new career, even if past experience is in a different area. The key to an effective objective statement is keeping it brief but customized to you.

Step 1

List the key responsibilities for the new career you are pursuing. Be specific with the list so your objective statement isn't too general. Use this list to write your customized career objective.

Step 2

Identify the specific industry, job title or type of organization for which you would like to work. Include this label within the career objective statement.

Step 3

Include specific skills you plan to apply in the position, such as graphic design skills or classroom management skills. Relate the skills back to the specific responsibilities of the position, emphasizing how your current skills will easily transfer to the new career.

Step 4

Focus on your professional goals in your new career, either short or long term, in the objective statement. A short term goal might be to secure a specific job. A long term objective might describe how you plan to advance or create change in your future company. Use your objective statement to prove to the potential employer that you are committed to the new career path.

Step 5

Write a one or two sentence statement summarizing the key points for one concise statement. Create an actionable statement that shows your commitment to your future career, particularly if you are changing to a completely new industry.

Step 6

Focus your objective on how your aspirations will benefit your future employer and why she should take a chance on someone new to the field. Learning about your potential employers allows you to tweak your objective to make your resume more attractive by relating to the company's philosophy or goals.

References

Article reviewed by Carolyn Williams Last updated on: Aug 1, 2010

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