Are you writing a CV and have no idea how to make it stand out? A career objective is one of the sections that your CV must have in order to wow the recruiter.
Your career objective is a one paragraph on your CV that comes after the personal details. It serves to showcase who you are, your experience, strengths and educational qualifications to some extent.
When writing a CV, ensure that you include those key skills that you think are important and relevant to the job you are applying for.
Avoid cluttering your career objective with clichés and unnecessary details that have nothing to do with the job you are eyeing.
Recruiters only have a few minutes to go through your CV and they should be in a position to decide if you are the right candidate for the job just by reading the career objective.
According to Ms. Margaret Komora, a Professional CV Writer in Nairobi, most Kenyan job seekers underestimate the immense power of a career objective and in this case they will tend to leave it out.
Here is how to write a career objective that guarantees you a shortlisting.
- Introduce yourself
Your CV is your first contact with the recruiter and it therefore needs to be as professional as possible. This means writing a career object that is powerful and captures the attention of the recruiter in a few seconds.
A brief introduction allows the recruiter to know who you are, where you are coming from, your experience and skills that you possess. This in itself could be the difference between you being shortlisted or not.
An example; “As a recent graduate from University of Nairobi with a Second Class Honors degree in Communication & Public Relations, I have undertaken internships in various organizations like Care International and Deloitte. These internships have helped me in developing not only communication industry experience but valuable transferrable skills in the fast paced communication sector.”
- What are you bringing to the table?
Besides writing a very good CV, recruiters are more interested in what you have to offer rather than what you have done. You need to make this clear in your career objective.
For instance, “During my internship at Care International, I worked in the communication department contributing immensely to the various projects – such as a documentary on poverty in sub Saharan Africa- managed to do research on my own, connect with various media divisions and participated in group meetings. With my excellent communication skills, I have developed the ability to work successfully with both internal and external staff.”
- Your career goal
When writing your CV, the recruiter needs to see that you have ambitions and that you are looking to grow in your careers. You therefore need to make this clear in your career objective.
“I am looking to secure a position in a communication organization, where I can bring my strategic and immediate value and develop my skillset more.”
An example of a bad career objective
Rome was never build in a day and you can only get it right through practice. Here is an example of a poorly written career objective.
“Michale Kithaka is a recent graduate from University of Nairobi with a Second Class Upper degree in Communications & Public Relations. I have undertaken internships at various organizations in Kenya. Michael is now looking to get a job in any organization where I can develop my experience and skills.”
A good CV incorporates essential sections in order to stand out and one of them is a powerful career objective. Let the recruiter know that you are the right person for the job before going through your entire CV. Open with a powerful statement, demonstrate value and keep it original. Avoid using templates as they tend to limit what you can write.
By Lilian Wamaitha