Career Statements Interview Preparation Guide

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A personal career statement is a bit different from a company career statement but the fundamental principles are the same. Writing a personal career statement offers the opportunity to establish what is important and perhaps make a decision to stick to it before we even start a career. Or it enables us to chart a new course when we are at a career crossroads.

The first two elements broadly lay out your experience and your understanding of the job. However, a final statement that illustrates your professional attributes or enthusiasm for the work itself can really set you apart from others, such a statement adds personal element to the objective:
"To bring my eight years of teaching experience to a private, religious based high school, where my love of teaching and personal faith could be real asset to your school and to the students you serve." If the job is not one typically characterized by "enthusiasm", then focus on positive attributes you possess:
"To bring my eight years of restaurant experience to a locally owned business. My dependability and dedication can make me a real asset to your restaurant."

Elements included in core values:
★ Hard-working
★ Industrious
★ Creativity
★ Problem-Solving
★ Decision-maker
★ Friendly
★ Outgoing
★ Positive
★ Family-oriented
★ Honest
★ Intelligent
★ Compassionate
★ Spiritual
★ Analytical
★ Passionate
★ Contemplative

Steps toward personal career statement development:
★ Identify Past Successes
★ Identify Core Values
★ Identify Contributions
★ Identify Goals
★ Write a career Statement

Example of good career objective statement as an answer:
I believe long terms goals are achieved when we break them into smaller achievable goals. My short term goal is to get a job in an organization that is progressive and performance driven. I wish to join a competent team wherein I can add value to projects and in turn, take home learning as well. My long term plan is to secure a challenging position as XXX in the organization and deliver my best.

It is difficult to flesh out an answer but if you prioritize things, you would be able to come up with an appropriate statement.

You need to contemplate and figure out what exactly you are looking for. If 'getting a job' is your short term goal then what kind of job interests you? What do you plan to achieve once you secure the job? Have you chalked out a career graph keeping in mind the job under consideration?
Start off by planning small goals and draft a career graph for yourself. Be 'employer-oriented'.

There are a few basic things that you need to keep in mind while answering such questions:
If you are one of those who lead an un-planned life, you need to be prepared:
★ Focus
★ Draft the answer well in advance

When you are asked about what are your career goals, it is the time to communicate your short and long term plans with the interview, the interviewer would want to learn how stable you are in your professional/personal life, how you plan to achieve your goals and how you will grow with the company that you are working for.

For sales applicants, you should tailor your objective statement to address the position for which you are applying. If you have previous sales experience, try a statement such as "Seeking a position where my profitability and where my history of high product sales volume will be an asset." If you are new to the field, consider a statement such as "Seeking a position where I am able to gain entry-level experience in sales, while applying my excellent communication and people skills." It is important, even where you have minimal direct experience, to highlight what assets you will bring if selected for a position.

Management positions cover a range of experience levels, from entry-level to executive. You should target your objective statement to address the level of posting that you are interested in, ensuring that your objective statement is a strong summary of where you intend to take your career over the next five years.
Example:
Someone just starting out in management could use a statement such as "Seeking an entry-level management position where I can gain the requisite experience toward my goal of future attainment of a senior management position with your firm. I am a skilled leader, with previous project management and financial management experience who requires additional experience in managing human resources."

When seeking an office or clerical position, you need to highlight the skills that you possess relevant to the office to which you are applying. You can take cues from the job posting to ensure that your objective statement is relevant for the employer. A possible objective statement for an office position is "Seeking a position where my exemplary organizational skills, ability to prioritize competing demands, team orientation and eye for detail can be utilized. "This statement highlights the skills you possess that are relevant to an office environment.

When you create a career objective, go for short and sweet. Lengthy objectives tend to overstate information you will already include in your resume anyway and can become boring and redundant for the person who has to read several resumes a day.

The paragraph portion of the career statement allows you to explain why you will be able to accomplish the goals you listed in the initial sentence without laying out the specific plan.

You do this by detailing concisely what you have accomplished in the past and any relevant skills you bring to the table. If you increased work flow and profitability at your previously place of employment, tell what position you were in and the goals you accomplished. Be as specific as possible without being wordy. You might say that you increased sales by 30 percent annually. This shows how you increased profitability, both objectively and concisely.

The second part of the career statement should list the career goals you intend to accomplish both while in the position and in your long-term career. Remember, you are writing this statement is as few words as possible. Do not be too specific. Say what you are going to do without saying how you are going to do it. If you intend to increase work flow and profitability then say that those are your goals without saying how you will fulfill them. You can explain this plan in the interview if you get one. List three or four goals you intend to accomplish. Both parts of the statement should total one sentence.

An effective resume objective comes in two parts. The first part is a simple statement, placed at the top of the resume. The purpose of this statement is to catch the employer's attention quickly, alerting the employer that you are the person for the job and encouraging the hiring manager to read further into your resume. The second part is the career summary, which can come just after the initial statement. This is written in paragraph format and gives a little bit of information about you. While the statement is the one-liner that hooks the employer, the career summary is the follow-through that expands on the statement and further convinces the employer that you are the person for the job.

The initial statement can also be broken down into two parts. The first part should list the position title of the job for which you are applying. It should be clear and written in as few words as possible. If you are applying for a management position in Human Resources, do not write "To obtain a management position in human resources." Instead, write the exact title of the position. This shows the employer that you have done your research about the company and position.

Use your objective as a way to show what you can do. Phrases such as "seeking an accounting position with specialization in corporate accounts and stock market analysis" shows prospective employers that you have a specific skill set and expertise you can bring to their company. If you don't have an area of expertise, try to think of skills that would benefit someone in that job, such as interpersonal communication, typing, problem-solving, or customer relations. Then show how you can apply those skills to the position by highlighting them in your career objective.

Be specific in your career objectives. Tell prospective employers exactly what kind of job you are seeking, general phrases such as "seeking part-time employment" or "Job in the sales world" are not specific enough. Instead, use phrases such as "a direct sales job working in the telecommunications industry" or "part-time employment providing clerical services to a law firm." These objectives specify the job you are seeking instead of making it look like you will take anything you can get. Of course, you will have to tailor your objective for every job you apply to in this situation, but in the end it will make you a better candidate.

Choose strong verb phrases rather than complete sentences and avoid using the word "I" in your objective. Instead of writing, "I want a job," use the phrase, "seeking employment." Do not ask for anything as part of your career objective; rather, offer your services. When you write, "Seeking employment where I can expand my skills/gain experience/increase exposure," you are essentially asking them to give you something out of the job instead of offering to bring something to their company.

Instructions for writing a career statement:
★ Determine what type of career path you envision for yourself and what skills, qualifications and experience you possess that make you the right candidate for the job.
★ Crystallize the elements of your career objective by using one or two relevant adjectives to describe yourself.
★ Choose the type of job or specific position you are interested in.
★ Describe how you and your skills would benefit the organization.
★ Create your career objective statement with the three essential components described in the above steps so that it flows well, is structured well and does not consist of long, winding sentences.

Career statements help define and clarify your professional future. Spending time writing about where you want your career to take you and how to get there is a fruitful exercise. The result is a road map complete with goals and time-lines that you can follow.

A career objective statement is more effective when tailored to the specific position type or organization. However, since this may not always be possible, it is also necessary to develop a more general career objective statement that is broad in essence while reflecting your specific strengths and accomplishments.

If you are thinking about mapping out some career goals, one way of getting started is to compose a career statement. Used as a personal motivational tool, career statements help define and clarify your professional future. Spending time writing about where you want your career to take you and how to get there is a fruitful exercise. The result is a road map complete with goals and time-lines that you can follow.