Help to Write Your Career Summary/Objective

When you're applying for a job, it's essential to immediately let employers know why you're a prime candidate for the position. A great way to accomplish this is by placing a compelling career summary on your resume. A quality career summary should entice the hiring manager and prompt him to call you in for a job interview. Here are some tips for crafting a summary that grabs attention.

1. Place Your Statement at the Top

Your career summary should be the first thing a hiring manager sees after reviewing your name and contact information. Never put your education, job history or skills before your career summary. Even if you graduated from an Ivy League school or held a high position at a Fortune 500 company, it's still essential to place your summary first, since most hiring managers immediately want to know what you can do for their company.

2. Focus on the Job Description

Make sure your summary describes exactly how you can meet the employer's needs. To do this effectively, you must have a thorough understanding of the job description and a clear picture of what the employer wants and expects from a new employee. Your summary should highlight job or educational experiences and skills that are most relevant to the position. For example, if the job description states "ample online marketing experience required," a good opening for your career summary would be, "seasoned online marketer with advanced knowledge of Google Adwords and Facebook Ads seeks employment with an established company."

3. Mention Your Future Plans

Let the employer know that you're eager to apply your skills to the position and develop within the organization. If you're seeking a long-term opportunity, share this information as well. Write about your ability to improve the company's sales records within the next 5 years, or discuss your desire to develop marketing strategies that can make the company an industry leader within the next 10 years. Make it clear that you plan to stick around and help the organization achieve greater success.

4. Keep It Concise

Your career summary should be three to four sentences in length. Keep your sentences short and free of filler content. Make sure every word counts. The summary should look like a short paragraph at the top of your resume. It's also acceptable to place your career summary in bullet form. If you choose this option, insert no more than four bullets, and make sure each bullet highlights a skill that's directly relevant to the job.

Grab the hiring manager's attention and boost your chances of landing an interview with a well-crafted career summary. Use these four tips to make your summary stand out, and be ready to talk about the information in your summary and throughout your resume once you receive a call for a job interview. Can you think of some additional tips for writing a high-quality career summary?

Photo courtesy of tiniroma at FreeDigitalPhotos.net