Here are some examples of good career objectives:
One last word of advice. The decision you make about including or excluding a career objective in your resume isn't irreversible. If you're not really sure what to do, type up two different resumes: one that includes a career objective, and one that doesn't. See what kind of response you get to each one. Another alternative is to exclude the career objective from your resume, and include it in your cover letter.
The next element you need to deal with is educational back ground, if you have limited work experiences; your educational back ground represents your most marketable asset. The completion of a Bachelor's degree may be indicative of high potential. Most employers are interested in your total educational experience, which includes honors, awards, and extra-curricular activities, as well as the more traditional educational information.
Here are some suggestions from personnel officers about what they look for in educational backgrounds:
Q: What are the most important factors you look for in educational background?
"Obviously, the GPA is important, but it's not critical. We recognize that different universities have different criteria. A 3.6 from one school may be com parable to a 3.0 from another. Students with a higher GPA may have a higher probability of success. The differences above a 3.0 aren't critical. But if we're judging a 3.5 against a 2.0, it's important. Also, there is a preference for outside activities related to their major."
When asked about education, many employers automatically discussed grade point average and course of study. This seems especially important in the technical areas, as one would expect. However, when the subject was approached in further depth with the generalists, it becomes evident that when some employers talk about GPA, what they are really thinking about is achievement. If your GPA is high, that's fine, but whether it is or not, think about your accomplishments.
In any event, the way to begin writing this section is to list the names of the colleges and universities you attended, in reverse chronological order; dates of completion or graduation; degrees/certificates achieved; major and minor fields; and GPA if it's impressive. Include special assignments, research projects, or significant information about related courses. In particular, you may choose to emphasize coursework unusual to your major that may be indicative of specific abilities and knowledge. For example, a psychology major with several courses in math, statistics, and computer programming who is interested in market research would obviously list these courses.
In the section entitled honors and activities, which is often a continuation of the education section, you should include academic honors such as the Dean's List or honor societies; special awards of any kind; or scholarships and fellowships. List extracurricular activities, particularly those in which you maintained a position of leadership or where you were responsible for planning or organizing an event. If you weren't involved in any activities, or didn't achieve any honors, delete this section.
The experience summary’s important because most previous work has some relevance to what you may be applying for, whether you consider those part-time or Christmas jobs **menial" or not. At least that's what the employers we talked with said.
Q: What is important to convey in the experience section of the resume?
"I'm looking to see how they spent their time. If they spent their time on vacations, it's not important. If they utilized their time and worked, hopefully the work will be related to the position they're seeking."
Once again, what employers are looking for is achievement. They want to know job functions you had, and how well you did them. In other words, what did you accomplish? What unique contributions did you make? Were you promoted because of excellence? Did you come up with any new ideas that increased the efficiency of your working environment? Were you given supervisory responsibility? Did you gain certain skills that you can apply to another job? These are the kinds of questions that employers are interested in.
When you sit down to write this section, begin with your most recent experience and cover all time periods. Include a description of your responsibilities, tasks performed, and any special contributions you may have made to the job. This is where you discuss your accomplishments. Initially, think of your experience in broad terms to highlight skills gained, exposure to diverse people, and to various work environments.
Consider which aspects of your work history are most important: association with a prestigious employer, a series of impressive job titles, or some highly marketable skills and abilities, and support this emphasis. Since many recent college graduates have limited work experience, this section may include full- and part-time work experience, summer jobs, volunteer work, research study projects, graduate assistantships, military experience, and internships.
Some well-written examples of the experience element follow.
The additional information section is optional. It is frequently the place where people list hobbies, interests, and other activities. It allows you to show another side of yourself. An employer will often begin an interview by saying, "I see you are interested in tennis. So am I." This section may also serve the purpose of showing an employer who may be hiring you for a high stress position that you have interests which help you relax. Employers seem to differ on its inclusion, however.
