Guidelines for Writing Resume Objective Statements

A resume objective statement is the introduction for a well written resume. The resume objective may stand alone, or be written as the last sentence in an opening summary of qualifications. Bottom line is that job seekers that add a resume objective statement can improve job search success, if they use the resume objective statement to focus the resume by, succinctly, tying past experiences with future opportunities.

Resume objective statements should grab the recruiters' attention. As you develop the resume objective statement, keep in mind that your job search will be more successful if you write the objective statement with the intention to grab the recruiters' attention.

Don't put all your skills in the resume objective statement
Since the top 30% of a resume is sometimes considered the most important part of the resume, some job seekers try to tell their entire story in the opening resume objective statement. Keep in mind you still have one or two pages to fill.

Avoid fluff words in the resume objective statement. If after reading your resume, you think that the resume objective statement is a "nothing" statement and doesn't pack any punch; don't use it. Avoid using overused cliché words in the resume objective.

Use words deliberately in a resume objective statement that will tie past experiences to specific goals in the future. For example, specifically state where in the company you want to use 10 years of customer service experience.

Demonstrate immediate value to the employer in the resume objective statement. The resume objective statement is the right place to show what you can do for the company to improve the bottom line. eg. state your desire to work on promoting a new company brand or product or ability to meet a specific project management goal.

Do not use personal pronouns like "I", "me", "my" in the resume objective statement. Professional resume writers advise job seekers to eliminate, as best they can, personal pronouns from resume objective statements

Modify the resume objective statement. No one resume objective will fit all resumes. Modify resume objective statement to connect the job announcement specifically with job skills to make the resume usable for recruiters.

Avoid the 1 or 2 word resume objective statement - "Management", "Internship", "Healthcare" and "Customer Service" are common one-word or two-word resume objective statements job seekers use.

Think about writing the resume objective statement last. The resume objective statement is can only summarize what you have to offer. If you write a resume objective statement that promises one thing, but the content of your resume doesn't provide the evidence to support it - you have wasted the recruiters' time.

Resume objective statements should not be a half page. The resume objective statement is really written like marketing copy. You don't have to use a lot of words to get your message across.

Confident job seekers use the resume objective statement to improve job search success by communicating interest and value to recruiters.