A resume is one of the most important tools that you can use in expediting your job search. It is the information that you would use to convince a hiring manager that you deserve an interview. It is not so much about your experience, but about how you word it that is important. Your resume is basically your personal advertisement to the employer to convince them they should hire you.

There are many parts and types of resumes. When you set out to put your resume together, you will need to research the type of resume that best fits your career history. Once you have chosen a resume type, you will need to gather all of your information.

The first part of your resume will include your contact information and name. The next portion of your resume will go one of two ways. You will either write an objective statement, or write a positioning statement. In years past, the objective was always the first part of the resume under the contact information. In recent years things have changed, and some experts recommend using a positioning statement instead.

What Is an Objective?

Simply put, an objective statement tells the employer what you are looking for in a job for which you would like to be hired. Objective statements are controversial these days, because tight job markets give employers a lot of people from which to choose. A lot of employers would rather hear what you have to offer them rather than hearing what you want.

If you decide to go ahead and use an objective statement in your resume, then you need to understand a few basic points. State your objective sentence in a clear and concise manner. Use active verbs rather than passive verbs to describe your objective. Make sure that your objective is specific and does not use any generalities. If you say, “I would like an administrative job using my customer service abilities,” that does not give the employer anything specific to evaluate you by. A better example goes something like this, “Executive level administrative professional with seven years experience in process improvement seeks to join a company facing the challenges of the new millennium head-on.” This tells the employer exactly what your goal is and what type of job you are searching for.

What Is a Positioning Statement?

A positioning statement is similar to an objective, except that it focuses more on what you have to offer a potential employer. You will want to follow some of the same advice that goes with an objective. Use action words. This lends power and creates a feeling in the employer that you will be an achiever in the organization. Here is one example: “Diligent achiever, adept at collaborating with customer to produce quality content relevant to the end user.” Notice the high powered action words, diligent and adept. These words will reinforce the idea that this applicant will produce positive results.

Whether you choose to use an objective or a positioning statement, make sure that your resume stands out from the crowd. If you follow these recommendations, you are much more likely to get the job.