How to Test Resume Objectives

Test your resume objective for an attention-grabbing effect.

Job seekers frequently ask whether they need to use a career objective on their resume. Today's popular resume objective is now called a personal brand; you can eliminate the word "objective" from the resume. Write a single sentence that identifies who you are, names your biggest strength and explains how that strength benefits the hiring company.

Instructions

1. Read your objective as if you were the employer. It should identify you and list the position you seek. Use the job title for which you are applying, or highlight your experience—for example: "Financial Systems Analyst," "C# Software Developer," "Vice President of Marketing," "Certified Public Accountant (CPA)."

2. Impress employers by telling them what you can do for them. Stating your biggest strength should highlight something about you and pique the reader's interest—for example: "providing employee training on health and safety initiatives." Demonstrate strength in managing corporate objectives through significant change. When going over your objective, determine whether it comes across showcasing something about your experience.

3. Now for the attention grabber—after you state your biggest strength, follow it up with how your strength benefits the organization. This description will help you ensure that the reader not only wants to continue reading more but wants to talk with you further—for example: " ... reduced turnover by 50 percent, saving the organization more than $30,000 annually." When writing your benefit phrase, think about situations when you saved the company money or increased profits. Also think about opportunities when you reached or exceeded goals or improved the work life. This tells an organization what you can do for it.

4. Understanding the purpose and parts of an objective make it easier to write one. Practice testing these examples by breaking down the sentence into three parts: whether it details who the resume writer is, the writer's biggest strength and how the company benefit—for example: "Financial Systems Analyst proposing ways to improve the structure and efficiency, resulting in helping an organization achieve its goals"; "Service-oriented computer systems analyst identifying complex problems and implementing solutions to help clients operate more efficiently and increase profits."

References

• Resume Objective: Things You Must Know About Resume Objective
• Resume Edge: Results Oriented Accomplishments