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Writing a concise Job Objective statement to get the job you want
Career Casualty
Avoid version your work e-mail address on your resume, because doing so would send your prospective employer the message that you use company resources for personal pursuits--in this case, your job hunt. Instead, fork out the dough for a personal e-mail account (if you don't already have one) and put that address in the Heading section.
Be Careful What You Ask For
Now that you've created a Heading section that tells the employer who your are, it's time to write a Job Objective statement that says what you want.
Whether you're a world traveler or a job seeker, it's important to know where you're going in order to get there. (At least Columbus thought he knew where he was going when he set sail.) And when asking for help in getting there, you need to tell the guide where you're headed.
On your resume, this destination is shown through the Job Objective that appears just below your Heading. The highlighted section of the following resume template shows where your Job Objective should be placed. (To learn about alternatives to having a Job Objective section on your resume, see "Breaking the Rules" later in this chapter.)
The Weight of a Job Objective
By starting your resume with a statement of your Job Objective, you immediately tell your potential employer:
- What position you're looking for.
- Who needs to get your resume. A human resources clerk will probably be the first person to see your resume. Your Job Objective statement will indicate to that clerk which hiring person should receive your resume.
- How to interpret your resume. Your Job Objective statement tells the reader, "Everything that follows is relevant to this position." That's an important point to make, because this is a marketing piece, not your life history!
In short, a Job Objective statement makes it easier for a potential employer to understand what you have to say in your resume.
Career Casualty
Don't clutter up your heading with unnecessary stuff. When writing your e-mail or Web address in your heading, there's no need to prefix the addresses with E-mail: or Web address: because most readers know that an e-mail address contains an @ sign and URLs have http://www in them.
Terms of Employment
The Job Objective is a brief statement near the top of your resume that states what role you want to play for your next employer. This section can also be called Objective, Career Objective, or Career Goal, whichever fits your situation.