• An effective resume objective focuses on what you can do for the company.resume image by Danil Vachegin from Fotolia.com
  
  The resume objective, sometimes referred to as a qualifications summary, has been a source of confusion for many job seekers. Should it be written as, "Seeking a position where I can thrive in a challenging environment," or "Seasoned can-do professional with over ten years of experience?" The key to an effective qualifications summary is to highlight background, skills and accomplishments (what you can do for your company) rather than a statement of how you plan to grow your career (what your company can do for you).
  
  

Seasoned Professional

• The seasoned professional who has several years of work experience must highlight job skills, background and achievements. For example: "Technical writing and courseware development professional with over ten years of experience working on project teams in a fast-paced environment under tight deadlines. Work demanded strong technical, organizational, problem-solving and interpersonal skills, particularly in collaborating with upper management, trainers, editors and technical subject matter experts. Highly versed in principles of adult learning theory and information mapping."
  
  

Recent College Graduate

• College grads who have no tangible job experience should focus on their major, internships and volunteer work. For example: "Bachelor of Science in Art and Design. Through internships and volunteer work, designed eye-catching online and print artwork solutions for a number of companies. Creative-minded, conceptual graphic designer with high standards and a strong work ethic who is willing to do whatever it takes to provide cutting-edge artwork to your company."
  
  

Career Changer

• Career changers must place emphasis on how their current job skills match the position they're looking for despite a different job title. For example, a technical writer who seeks to become a graphic designer could create a summary of qualifications such as the following: "Through various technical writing and documentation management projects, used graphic design tools such as Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop to design cutting-edge online and print artwork solutions for a variety of clients. Highly capable of creating design artwork with high standards and the added bonus of a technical communications career track. Strong work ethic and willing to do whatever it takes to provide your company with the highest quality artwork."