Writing a career objective

Writing a career objective at the top of your resume is optional. If you choose to include it, it can serve as an advertising headline, telling an employer what services are being offered. If it is not included, most employers will assume that your objective is to work in a similar position to your recent experiences or studies.

Some examples of career objectives include:

• Marketing position in consumer products emphasising product development and new product introduction
• Mechanical engineer position in a manufacturing environment where my skills in teamwork and project management can be utilised.
• Graphic Designer position where I can apply my diverse design skills in packaging and logo development
• A co-operative position where I can strengthen my financial accounting skills and contribute to achieving team goals.

Now, try writing a career objective for yourself. Use these following tips to assist you:

• Define yourself as a professional. Affiliate yourself with a professional group i.e. define yourself as a nurse, accountant or engineer, regardless of whether you are currently employed in this capacity or not. You will create a stronger personal image if you associate yourself with your profession.
• Speak in the present tense. Place yourself and your profession in the present e.g. I am an accountant, nurse, graphic designer. If you haven’t completed your studies you can write ‘I am a final year electrical engineering student’.
• Keep it concise. Challenge yourself to edit the objective so you can present your core information succinctly. Since you will surely have time to elaborate in the subsequent parts of the resume, make the initial remarks clear and to the point.

Now give it a go! Write your career objective…

Remember you will need to review your objective each time you apply for a new job to make sure it is still relevant and that your resume supports everything in it.