Career Statements Interview Preparation Guide

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.