Definition
The term resume objective statement refers to a section of a resume that tells the hiring company why the job applicant is seeking employment. It is a concisely written statement of the career and position goals of the applicant.
Explanation
The purpose of a resume objective statement is to tie together the information appearing on the resume and align it with the career objectives of the job applicant. For this reason, this is often one of the more difficult sections of the resume to write.
This statement can be as simple as the title of a job, or as descriptive as the activities that are of interest to the applicant. However it is used, it is best kept short and focused.
A brief two-step outline for creating a resume objective statement appears below:
Step 1: a brief description of the types of positions desired at the hiring company
Step 2: an explanation of the job applicant's qualifications for these positions
Please note that many of today's resume formats no longer include an objective statement; reserving this information for the resume's cover letter. The format used in that document will vary slightly from the above outline.
Example
The following is an illustration of an objective statement, which might be included in a resume:
To obtain a position in your Corporate Planning department that utilizes the analytical skills, strategic vision, and leadership abilities, which enable me to consistently exceed balanced scorecard targets.
Additional examples can be found in our publication resume objective statements.