AFSNews Careers Column December 1996

Careers

According to employers, one of the greatest weaknesses of candidates interviewing for jobs is a lack of clear career goals and evidence of self-assessment.

You need to be able to describe your goals to employers clearly and concisely: What is it that you want to be doing? In what kind of organization? What steps do you plan to take to achieve your goals? As part of your self-assessment, you need to prepare to answer questions such as these.

Some people include career objectives on their resumes. In fact, some employers say that they expect to see objectives on resumes. Should you include yours?

If you choose to do so, be sure that the objective is appropriate for the position you are applying for. You may want to have separate resumes with different objectives for different kinds of jobs. (Actually, you should tailor your resume for each position you apply for.) If your objective is inappropriate, in all likelihood you'll quickly be dropped from consideration.

Consider describing your objective in your cover letter instead. After all, you'll write a new cover letter for each job you apply for. That will make it easier to customize your objective for each position. (You should be aware that those who believe that objectives belong on resumes argue that your resume may be circulated without your cover letter.)

What should you include in your objective? Describe the level and type of position you are seeking, the kind of environment in which you hope to work, and the skills you want to use. You must be as specific as possible.

For example, you might have an objective like this one: Seeking an entry-level public relations position in a community agency in which I can use my excellent public speaking, writing, and customer service skills.

On your resume, you will need to document the skills you mention in your objective. You should also include supporting items in your portfolio and be prepared to give examples of how you have used each skill in your interviews.

Using the example above, you could include writing samples, a list of presentations, and fieldwork logs that document your experience in working with a wide variety of people. Then in your interview, you would give examples of how your experience as a folklorist helps you to relate to different communities, ascertain and address their concerns, interpret issues, and so on.

If you have suggestions for future columns, please contact me at Career Services, Lucina Hall, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306 (tel: 765/285-2430; fax: 765/285-3757; e-mail: 00jpgoodwin@bsuvc.bsu.edu).