Resume Objectives - 3 Tips to Improve Your Resume

An Objective Statement for your resume can be very important. The Objective is usually placed immediately below your contact information and title. Here's how to make it work for you.

Keep your Objective Statement short. You need one or two sentences to get the job done. You really should try to keep it to one sentence. Quickly reference what you are looking for, the company or type of company, the job you're applying for, and your best, related skill or experience as it relates to the position. See, that was one sentence and told you everything you need to know about an Objective Statement.

Here's an example: I am seeking an interview with John Doe, Director of XYZ's Customer Service for the Customer Service position advertised, where the applicant needs at least one year of experience.

Be very specific in your statement. Notice in the above example that I asked for an interview. I didn't ask for the job. The resume leads to the interview, and the interview leads to the job. Keeping that rule in mind will help you to pinpoint your efforts in the right direction.

I mentioned the person's name in the Statement. This type of customization is easy and it is absolutely necessary. If you don't know who will be interviewing you, call the company to find out. If you're a bit shy and think that such a call is too forward, please rest assured that it's not.

There will be times when you cannot get the person's name. In that case try to get the position of the person that will interview you. In the rare case you cannot get any specific information, leave that part out.

Consider not using a focused Objective Statement. Sometimes these rules do not apply. There are some jobs you will apply for that won't require an Objective Statement for you to be considered for the interview. If you're applying for a non-career type entry level job at a large company, a vague Objective Statement, or even no statement at all will work.