Objective Statements Exercise

To practice writing your objective statement, read through the information and answer the questions contained in this handout.

What is an objective statement?

• A short section (usually 1-3 lines), often in the form of a sentence fragment, immediately below your contact information.
• An "at a glance" picture of you and your career interests.
• Other names: Professional Objective, Resume Capsule, Career Goals, etc.

Why write one?

An objective statement will allow you to:

• Emphasize key qualifications, skills and/or goals
• Help your readers find what they need to know quickly
• Make a good first impression

A good objective statement answers questions:

• What position(s) are you applying for?
• What are your main qualifications?
• What are your career goals?
• What is your professional identity?

How do you get started?

• Research individual employers in your field: In what ways are employers alike? Different?
• Reflect on your overall qualifications and career goals: In what ways are they typical? Unique?

Questions to ask about yourself:

• What are your main qualifications, strengths, skills, and areas of expertise?
• What position(s)--or type of position--are you seeking?
• What are some of your professional goals?
• What type of organization or work setting are you most interested in?

Questions to ask about employers:

• What qualifications are most desired by employers in your field?
• What positions are available on the job market? What are they titled?
• What are some goals of the organizations that interest you?
• What kinds of organizations are now hiring?

Which objective statement is best?

The one that best…

• Emphasizes your qualifications and/or goals
• Appeals to employer expectations

You’ll probably need to write more than one objective statement.

Tailor for each type of position that interests you and, for best results, modify for each particular employer (as necessary)

Practice in writing objective statements

To write instant objective statements for practice, fill in the parts in brackets:

• To utilize my [qualifications, strengths, or skills] as a [position title]
• A position as a [position title] for [company name] allowing me to develop my [qualifications, strengths, or skills]
• An opportunity to [professional goal] in a [type of organization, work environment, or field] using my [qualifications, strengths, or skills]
• [position title] with emphasis in [areas of expertise]

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