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Posts Tagged ‘Objective Statement’

Peter Ducker documented a book published in 1954 entitled Practiced
Management wherein MBO which stands for Management by
Objectives, was introduced. This is a program that consists of simple
but very useful processes in order to meet commitments in an
organization. Never worry, as this is also applicable to personal plans.

MBO consists of 5 steps:

1. It should be SPECIFIC. It is better to accomplish one goal at a
time rather than thinking of several different plans at one time. A
single objective cannot be derived if there are two or more results
expected. Whats important is that there is a need to clarify what is to
be achieved and should have your full attention. This must be taken
as seriously as possible.

2. It should be MEASURABLE. A lot of things that are not tangible
are hard to measure and there are things that are really measurable
for the mere fact that it includes numbers or ratings. Take the service
crews for example, it is hard to measure how the service was delivered
but if the number of complaints is counted then there is a specific
number that can be used to rate the effectiveness of the service.
In offices, the number of tasks or assignments that were accomplished
is used as basis for the measurement. Cooperation, though a very
vague word can also be measured by means of getting a subordinate
and peer survey. How fast or delayed assistance was provided to a
certain individual is enough to provide information on how situations
can be measured. Try not to use general terms when making an
objective statement. It should be something clear and specific like: to
write, to recite, to perform, to fix, to process, to designate, to
purchase, to choose, to reprogram, etc.

3. It should be ATTAINABLE. The resources available give
information on how an objective can be attained. This must be
something that is derived from fact and very realistic. It could be that
a certain objective is indeed realistic but the time frame to reap the
result may not be. It is better to say objectives that can be factual for
this promotes motivation rather than an objective taken from belief as
this may cause unexpected failure and feeling of discouragement.

4. It should be RESULT-ORIENTED. An objective should be stated
clearly so that the expectation is clear. Focus on the end result as this
will be the guide whether or not the objective to reach the goal is
effective and meaningful. Is this objective going to help an individual
grow or succeed? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? Once the
success has been attained and all the plans were completed then it is a
success.

5. It should be TIME BOUND. There should be a limit to all the
things needed to be accomplished. This matters since the root of any
plan can be traceable. This will also tell if the objective is effective
enough not to cause any delay. There will also be more of the sense
of fulfillment once a goal is attained with the objectives set earlier than
a deadline.

To sum it all up, develop an objective that is easily measured, can be
attained, with a limited time, this will help in determining if the
objective is realistic enough, meaningful, and proven to be worthwhile
to everyone involved. A chart or journal can be kept to keep track of
any opportunities and strengths that were met along the way. This
will also indicate the time that was consumed and the length of the
objective developed. A successful objective helps motivate the
individual or the group involved toward greater achievements.

Writing a resume for your first job requires patience, attention to detail, and a little creativity. All job seekers need a strong resume if they want to compete for the best jobs. But while seasoned professionals can rely on their experience to generate initial interest from prospective employers, individuals hitting the job market for the first time do not have such a luxury. New professionals, therefore, need to work even harder to sell themselves to managers.

To start your resume, you will need to select a resume format. A functional resume is usually the best choice for a new professional, since it allows you to present your qualifications by functional skills as opposed to purely chronological job order. Since your work history will be brief, if not non-existent, you want to place the emphasis on your skills and knowledge.

Layout of a Functional Resume:
The layout you select for your resume should attract attention and create interest, but not detract from your overall presentation. Use of capitalization, bold lettering, underlining, indentations, different fonts, and white space can add variety to your resume and emphasize important information. The layout should be consistent throughout the individual sections of the resume, be visually appealing, and be easy for the reader to follow.
A functional resume has several parts, which are typically included in this order:
Name and Contact Information
Objective Statement
Education
Key Skills and Qualifications
Work Experience

Additional parts may include a section for Awards and Honors or References.

Name and Contact Information

You should include your name, full address, telephone number with area code, and email address (if applicable) at the very top of your resume. If you are currently residing at a temporary address, such as a students college address, you may include it in addition to your permanent address depending on the circumstances.

Objective Statement

If you choose to include an objective statement, it should be a concise and meaningful statement that describes your career goals in detail. An objective can include your goals in regards to your desired position title, industry, level of responsibility, and desired utilized skills. The elements included in your objective should be reinforced and supported throughout your resume and your cover letter.

A major mistake that many new professionals make is that they use a generalized objective statement. This is due to the fact that many men and women new to the workforce may not necessarily know what they are seeking in a position. They fear that by limiting the scope of the objective, that they are knocking themselves out of the running for positions that do not neatly match their objective positions that they might otherwise be interesting in pursuing.

While this is true in some cases, it is advisable to either keep your objective focused and narrow, or completely leave it off your resume. A weak, unfocused objective in effect says nothing and will actually detract from your overall presentation.

Education

If you have a college degree, you should position the Education section near the top of your resume before your Key Skills and Qualifications. If you do not have a degree, the Education section should follow your Key Skills and Qualifications.

Your highest level of education achieved, whether you completed the program or not, should be the first listed in this section. All other schools you attended should follow.

For each individual school, list the following:
Name of the school
Dates you attended or graduated
Degrees earned (or degree program you were in, if not completed)
Major and minor subject areas

You may also list any honors, awards, Dean’s list commendations, and GPAs if they will enhance this section of your resume. Any certifications or completed training courses that that are relevant to the position you are seeking should also be included.

Newer graduates can include a list of completed courses that are directly relevant to the type of position you are seeking. For example, a newly graduated Accounting major may want to highlight her course in Financial Accounting, Management Accounting, and Tax Accounting.

You should only include high school information if you do not have a college degree or if you achieved high commendation in some area that reinforces your career objectives.

Key Skills and Qualifications

This is the most critical section of a functional resume. The Skills section of your resume should highlight any relevant skills that might not otherwise be disclosed on your resume. This section will be highly individualized to both the person and the position they are seeking.

First, identify the key skills relevant to the type of position you are seeking. Some examples of key skills include customer relations, graphic design, marketing, leadership, and computer technology skills. It may be necessary to develop several different versions of your resume so that you are able effectively market yourself to a variety of jobs.

Next, rank the key skills in order of importance you want the most important skill to appear at the top of your skills list. Then, under each of these key skill categories, include any information about yourself that demonstrates how you possess this skill. You can draw from any work experience, volunteer experience, schooling, extracurricular activities, or any other area as appropriate. As with the key skills themselves, rank this in order of importance so that the most relevant examples appear first.

Examples of key skills with supporting documentation are as follows:

Research
Designed questionnaire to assess customer needs
Identified sample population to be included in the study
Drafted analysis plan
Prepared survey results report and presented the results to the study team

Marketing and Distribution
Developed layout and organization of merchandise for a 25-page giftware catalog
Maintained accurate, up-to-date computer records of merchandise inventory, suppliers, customers, and shipping vendors.
Handled all facets of order receipt, processing, and fulfillment

Work Experience

Since you are new to the workforce, employers do not expect you to have much in terms of work experience. This section should be very brief. You should not provide any details of your responsibilities and accomplishments in this section (these should have been included under Key Skills and Qualifications). Instead, simply list your job title, the name of the employer, the location of the position, and your dates of employment as follows:

2004 Present Customer Service RepresentativeABC Telecommunications
Baltimore, MD
2003 2004 Treasurer Omega Lambda Pi Fraternity
Baltimore, MD
2001 2003 Sales AssistantMagellan Imports
Washington, D.C.

Other Optional Sections:

Honors and Awards:
List any career, academic, leadership or athletic honors you have received. Academic awards may alternatively be listed under the Education section of the resume.

References:
You may include a statement declaring References Available upon Request if you need to fill space on your resume. Otherwise you should list references in a separate document. References should typically only be provided when requested or once it is clear that the competition for a position is narrowing. Do not include specific reference names or contact information on your resume.

Other Categories:
If there is additional information that you feel is important to include butt does not fit into any of these categories, you can create custom categories. Examples of custom categories may include Background, Professional Activities, and RecitalsArt Shows.