There are two basic types of resumes. Chronological and functional.
Chronological resumes are most often used when you easily meet all skill, experience, and education requirements.
Functional resumes are most often used when you are a new graduate, changing fields, or have special circumstances.
A combination resume is used at times, but it is generally easier to stay with one type or another. These types of resumes tend to have very high "hit" rates for getting people into interviews.
Examples of these resumes will be available in later modules.
The CAREER OBJECTIVE category of the resume is always first, directly under name and identifying information.
This first sentence conveys some very important and powerful messages: "I want exactly the job you are offering. I am a superior candidate because I have the qualities that are most important to you. I want to make a contribution to your company." This works well because the employer is smart enough to know that someone who wants to do exactly what you are offering will be much more likely to succeed than someone who doesn't. And, will probably be a lot more pleasant to work with as well. Secondly, this candidate has done a good job of establishing why s/he is the perfect candidate in the first sentence. S/he has thought about what qualities would make a candidate stand out and has started communicating that s/he is that person immediately. What's more, the candidate is communicating from the point of view of making a contribution to the employer and is not writing from a self-centered point of view. Even when people are savvy enough to have an objective, they often make the mistake of saying something like, "a position where I can hone my skill as a scissors sharpener.." or something similar. The employer is interested in hiring you for what you can do for them, not for fulfilling your private goals and agenda.
TIP: Never use a generic job objective to send to all prospective employers.
TIP: Do your homework!!!!!!!!! Know about the company and the job for which you are applying.
TIP: The job Objective should specify the exact position for which you are applying and should state what you can do for an employer.
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TIP: DO NOT use first or second person point of view (I, my, me, you, etc.) This is not about you; it's about what you can do for the company.
Some good examples:
Senior staff position with a bank that requires expertise in commercial real estate lending and strategic management.
An entry-level position in the hospitality industry where a background in advertising and public relations would be needed.
A position teaching English as a second language where a special ability to motivate and communicate effectively with students would be needed.
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Here are some more examples job objectives seen on resumes. Do you know what would be more appropriate for these objectives? If not, then go back and reread this lesson.
Entry-level technician job that uses my education in electronics
Teaching position in elementary school, grades one through four
A position in technical sales
A position as electronics technician with a career goal of advancement to an electrical engineer
service representative for accounting software firm
Director of a department or special program
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HINT: The problem with all of these objectives is that they are *generic* and vague.
