Page 106 - Complete Idiot's Guide to The Perfect Resume

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Part 2 ➤ Six Steps to a Perfect Resume

Straight as an Arrow

Jack Kraus knew exactly what position he was going after at the uni-
versity, so he listed the precise title that was in the job posting he was
responding to in his Job Objective. His concise statement had no
frills—it went straight to the point and didn’t waste the reader’s time.

Career Casualty If you know the exact title of the job you’re applying for, by all means
use that as your Job Objective. Doing this leaves no doubt as to what
Don’t include “entry-level” in position you want. If you later apply for a job with a slightly different
your Job Objective statement. job title, you can always change your Job Objective to match.
Why tell the reader you want the
lowest job? Leave it out, and you
may be given a position that’s a Spreading Your Umbrella
little higher up the food chain.
Like an umbrella, David Goldstein’s Job Objective covered a number
of things: his prospective job title and his three areas of expertise. By
creating a column with eye-catching bullet points, he suggested to the
employer several ways he could fit into the organization. Smart guy!
The Job Objective approach that David used is a good one for
professionals such as
➤ Consultants who offer several services.
➤ Generalists who want to show off their special skills.
Job-Hunt Hint
➤ Administrators who need to say they can wear several hats.
Keep your objective statement ➤ Technical folks who have expertise in a number of areas.
simple and, if necessary, use
graphic goodies such as indents, Do you fall into one of these categories? If so, you might benefit from
bold, bullets, dashes, and the umbrella technique David used.
columns to make it readable
in just a few seconds.

Bonus Check
Challenge yourself to write your Job Objective in 10 words or less. (Of course, the
employer won’t count, so it’s OK to exceed 10 words if you have to.) Give yourself a
bonus check if you can narrow it down to just a few words.

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