A career objective is a traditional part of a resume or cover letter package sent by a job applicant to a prospective employer. It essentially informs the employer why you should be hired in a single, concise statement. The most common problem with such statements is that they are often too vague, but, when drafted correctly, the career objective can compel an employer to study the entire application more closely.
Function
According to Broward College, writing the career objective statement can be one of the most challenging parts of drafting a job application package because it needs to convey a broad range of information with as much specificity as possible but in as few number of words as you can. The ideal career objective statement summarizes what you expect to get out of the particular job for which you're applying, how it fits into your long-term goals and, perhaps most importantly, what you can offer the employer.
Features
The career objective statement is one of the first sections of a resume. It often appears below your name and before a list your education and employment history. No more than two sentences, but usually only one, the career objective should not take up more than three lines of the resume. According to Money-zine, however, the career objective statement fits best in the second paragraph of a resume cover letter where it can help entice a prospective employer to read on to the actual resume itself.
Focus
The Purdue Online Writing Lab recommends your career objective statement be user-centered. This means every career objective statement should be tailored specifically to the job for which you are applying. The more specific you can be, the more convincing the statement will read to an employer. Because you can only speculate about your future and the way a particular job will affect your career path, the area with which you can be most specific is usually how your current skills can benefit the employer. This should be the focus of your career objective statement.
Drafting
Before drafting a career objective statement, it's essential to research the employer and the job for which you're applying. Gathering as many facts about the employer's needs as possible will allow you to be specific and convincing. Broward College suggests you then make a list of your strengths, skills and expertise, focusing on what you can prove through your past employment and education. You can then identify how each item on your list can be applied to the position you're seeking. Finally, weave together as many of these applications of your specific strengths or skills together in a sentence that describes how you plan to reach your future goals.
Reasons to Omit
There are some circumstances in which you should consider omitting a career objective statement in your resume or cover letter. The objective statement should be omitted if you are unable to identify a particular job opening for the resume. This might be the case if you are preparing a general resume to distribute at an event, or if you are sending a prospective resume as part of an inquiry about potential job openings. Easyjob.net suggests if you are qualified for several openings at a single employer and want to be considered for more than one, replace the career objective statement with a summary of qualifications.
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