Thursday, January 29, 2009

Resume Objectives - Your First Steps

By Cynthia Penfold

The main objective of a resume is quite simple. It is to find a job that lies within your set of skills. In other words, it is to find a job with a company that needs you skills to get done what they need to get done. If you're a carpenter, you're not going to apply for a job as an accountant. You are going to apply for a job that needs your carpentry skills. But the issue at hand is being able to highlight those skills so that you can achieve that objective.

The first part of your resume is the objective section. This is where you state to the company whose position you are applying for what it is you intend on bringing to their company. You can also state, very briefly, what it is you intend on getting out of it. For example, you may say that your objective is to "use my experience to aid in the growth of the company, while enhancing my own skills in the industry" or something to that effect.

You then have certain objectives you are trying to reach when you create the employment history section of your resume. The objectives are to show the potential employer that you are exactly what they need based on your experiences with past jobs. You have to outline your job duties in a way that is easy to understand. Even if a job skill is very small, you want to include it because you never know how relevant it may be to the business that you are looking to acquire a position with.

You also don't want to slack on the other areas of your life that are relevant. When you add a volunteer section, you are showing that you can do a broad range of things. The same thing applies when you include the fact that you may have certain licenses and certifications. They may be relevant to what you are seeking. You want the potential employee to see that you are a colorful individual who can adapt to a number of different tasks and environments. You want to showcase your talents and you simply want to show them that you are the best at what you do. It is not "cocky" or anything of that sort, but it shows that you have pride in your work. An individual with pride in their work is someone who does their job well.

So make sure you don't let up anywhere in your resume. Building your resume can be rather daunting, but it is important to remember that it will really pay off in the end when you get the job. A great resume can also teach you a lot about yourself when you look at it. It shows you that you are talented, goal-oriented, and that you really have a lot of value to give a lot of people. Sometimes it takes physical evidence like that to tell us how great we are, which is the same reason why an employer needs a quality resume to make the decision of whether or not to employ you. - 16747

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