| |
Resume Objective
ANALYZING YOU
What is your resume objective and who is your target audience?
Values in life that we find most important will ultimately influence and direct our decisions. This includes the types of jobs we select. The following information is designed to help you better understand yourself and hopefully help you concentrate your job search on positions that match your needs. I've had jobs that paid well, but were horrible. I've had others that paid near to nothing, but I loved them. Hopefully your resume objective will be to achieve a happy medium in your next job.
Below is a list of values considered to be motivators for professional success. Read through the list and number each from 1-13 in order of importance to you, 1 being the most important.
_______ INDEPENDENCE: The opportunity to do things on your own.
_______ POWER: Controlling the situation around you.
_______ LEADERSHIP: Being able to influence others.
_______ EXPERTNESS: Being the best in some area.
_______ SELF-FULFILLMENT: Realizing your potential.
_______ DUTY: Doing what is expected of you.
_______ NURTURING: Helping others.
_______ FRIENDSHIP: Being liked and having companionship.
_______ FAMILY: Meeting the needs of family members.
_______ HEALTH: Taking care of yourself.
_______ SECURITY: No present or future income worries.
_______ PLEASURE: Being happy and having fun.
_______ WEALTH: Earning lots of money.
Now compare the three top values to your current or most recent job. Do they match? Ask yourself, “Am I working to fulfill mine or someone else’s values?” Careful examination of the values you are trying to fulfill will help you pin-point where your next employment opportunity comes from.
You can learn a lot about yourself as you explore the reasons behind your own personal value ratings. You will gain a clearer idea of your own values and how they impact your personal and
career choices and your resume objective.
TRAITS & CHARACTERISTICS
Each of us possesses certain personal traits and characteristics that make us unique and enhance our ability to perform different tasks successfully. Review the list below and circle the six that best describe you.
| TRAITS & CHARACTERISTICS |
accurate
adventurous
artistic
assertive
calm
challenging
civic
committed
communicates
compassionate
confident
creative
curious
dedicated
dependable
efficient
emotional
energetic
entertaining
enthusiastic
expressive
gregarious
humorous
imaginative
independent
inquisitive
intelligent
intuitive
kind
leader
loyal
original
perfectionist
personable
persuative
physically fit
physical
positive
practical
productive
rational
responsible
responsive
self-assured
self-controlled
self-starter
sensitive
sociable
stable
strong
tolerant
trustworthy |
Of these six, now select three which represent your most prominent traits and characteristics. Place a check next to them. Are you presently working in a position or searching for a position that allows or will allow you to use these traits and characteristics to their full potential? Is your resume written to satisfy these traits and characteristics?
MARKETING YOUR SKILLS
Your choice of career should make use of your strongest skills. It is important for you to identify your marketable/transferable skills and become comfortable discussing them with potential employers. Your resume objective should be to use your strongest skills by referring to them in the body of the resume. Review the list of skills below and place a check next to each skill you do well in and enjoy using.
| Communication |
Coordination |
Finance |
Management |
Arbitration
Coaching
Conflict Management
Counseling
Crisis Management
Customer Service
Editing
Interviewing
Listening
Mediating
Negotiating
Persuading
Presentation
Public Speaking
Recording
Recruiting
Reporting
Teaching
Training
Writing |
Adapting
Combining
Distributing
Enlarging
Expanding
Improving
Joining
Liaison
Scheduling
Strengthening
Team building |
Accounting
Analysis
Appraising
Assessing
Auditing
Budgeting
Computing
Correcting
Development
Evaluating
Finance
Inventory
Measuring
Performance
Planning
Procedures
Reviewing
Quality Assurance |
Advising
Appointing
Approving
Assigning
Conducting
Counseling
Decisive
Delegating
Directing
Enabling
Entrusting
Evaluating
Flexible
Facilitating
Formulating
Goals
Governing
Implementing
Initiating
Instructing
Leading
Managing
Motivating
Project Managing
Policy Maker
Resource Development
Staff Development
Supervising
Strategic Management |
| Organizing |
Planning |
Other Skills |
Administering
Arranging
Cataloging
Categorizing
Classifying
Collecting
Developing
Diagnosing
Improving
Problem Analysis
Problem solving
Sorting |
Analyzing
Conceptualizing
Creating
Designing
Developing
Estimating
Initiating
Inventing
Organizational Development
Policy Development
Research
Reviewing
Strategizing
Surveying |
Assisting
Coaching
Computer
Consulting
Contracts
Drawing
Fund raising
Human Resources
Information Management
Investing
Marketing
Motivating
Software
Training & Development
Volunteer |
Of the skills you checked, which ones do your feel are your strongest skills?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES & ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Past challenges and experiences that have helped us succeed can be used to identify the traits and skills most important to us. Identify one significant challenge in your personal or professional life, how you resolved it, and what did you accomplish.
Describe the challenge.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
How did you resolve it?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
What was the result? What did you accomplish?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
What traits and/or skills did you use to resolve it?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
LISTING YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Many job searchers have a hard time showing how valuable they are. Your past accomplishments are very important. Your resume
objective is to list your accomplishments in your resume. During your career you have utilized your skills to achieve results that benefited the companies you worked for. Identifying those accomplishments isn't hard. Review the following statements and place a check next to each accomplishment you have achieved. Remember to quantify each accomplishment (numbers impress interviewers) in order to show a real, tangible difference you made in your current or previous job. Finding a job is your resume objective.
_______ Identified a problem at work and solved it.
_______ Introduced a new idea that increased quality.
_______ Saved the company money.
_______ Increased the company's profit line.
_______ Increased productivity and reduced down time.
_______ Authored major publications or newsletters.
_______ Received a patent.
_______ Were involved in a plant start-up or shutdown.
_______ Trained employees on new systems or procedures.
_______ Served as a liaison between departments or companies.
_______ Received awards, bonuses or promotions.
ACCOMPLISHMENT RECORD
An Accomplishment Record provides an overview of what you have done in past positions. It's also a good way to map out your accomplishments and their results. You can use that information on your resume. Here is a generic
Your Resume Objective - Accomplishment Record
Hopefully you now know a little more about yourself, your resume objective, and the type of job(s) you are looking for. This will help you when creating a resume. Remember to tailor the resume to the job you are applying for, but also remember to tailor it to your needs. Above all, LIST THOSE ACCOMPLISMENTS!
|
