Objectives for Secretary Resumes

Secretaries in the job market today are forced to compete with a large pool of other applicants, as there are as many different kinds of secretaries today as there are different offices and environments for them to work in. As such, it is critical for a job applicant to provide a unique resume, especially one that tailors the profile statement to the specific needs of the prospective employer.

Modern professional resumes use a profile statement of current applicable qualifications rather than a traditional objective statement. A summary of only the most relevant qualifications should be written to set the applicant apart from the competition. Four lines of text or less should suffice for a good profile statement.

Here are some examples of profile statements for secretary resumes and some insights into what makes them high quality options for your resume:

• The Objective Statement: "I am seeking a position as a word processing secretary that will utilize my extensive knowledge of computers, strong communications skills, organizational abilities, and experience in business administration."
  
  The Logic: This is a clear and concise objective statement that describes what the candidate is offering and what the candidate is looking for. These are two key points that all effective profile statements should contain.
  
  
• The Objective Statement: "Highly dedicated secretary bringing more than 10 years of experience to the table in manufacturing and retail looks to increase company's operational efficiency while reducing office costs."
  
  The Logic: This is an effective statement because it emphasizes her experience, which is a big selling point for her. It’s also effective because saving time and money, two skills that she outlines using key words, are some of the biggest concerns in all businesses and industries.
  
  
• The Objective Statement: "I am a talented and dependable secretary with skills in numerous office management aspects specific to nonprofit environments."
  
  The Logic: Secretaries on steady career tracks like the one mentioned above can convey something along the lines of "This is who I am" rather than "This is what I would like to be," which is an excellent way to help employers recognize the applicant’s goals.
  

Your objective statement or qualifications summary should be unique rather than just a copy-and-paste job from something you found online or in a book. Once you understand the basic format of a qualifications statement or objective summary, it shouldn’t be difficult to combine what you are looking for and what you have to offer effectively in a single statement. Your objective statement or qualifications summary should absolutely include the following two facets:

• First, it should define who you are. Are you a legal secretary with ten years worth of experience, or a doctor's office receptionist fresh out of school with a degree in communications? Be clear and concise when defining yourself and your experience or background.
  
  
• Secondly, it should focus on what you’re bringing to the table. There are several key phrases and terms you can use to make yourself sound more proficient. Just be careful not to add too much padding because your qualifications statement should be limited to four lines or less.
  

When you are writing the objective statement for your secretarial resume, something that will instantly get you noticed is to conduct research on the specific requirements the employer is looking for. Some of these abilities will be identified in the job listing, giving you a good idea of what strengths you should emphasize. Most employers are looking for the following basic skills, so if you meet them, don’t hesitate to include them in your skill set:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
  
• Familiarity with certain office applications and specialized software solutions including database software, spreadsheet software, word processing software, and other computer applications.
  
• Organizational skills and the ability to approach complex tasks in a manner that is efficient and logical.
  
• The ability to multitask.
  
• Other specific skills, such as supervising a team, dealing with confidential information, working with specialized software, etc.
  

The important thing to understand when it comes to writing a secretarial objective statement for your resume is that you should customize it to match each job you apply for. That way, you can be sure to play up your strengths to each employer, allowing yourself to stand out and get noticed.