A CV is a curriculum vitae, also known as a resume. When you prepare your professional CV, you want to entice potential employers to contact you for an interview while giving them an accurate view of your qualifications for the job you're seeking. The long way to tell employers of your suitability is to detail your employment history, education and training. The short, quick way to is to convey in one to three sentences the reasons you're a good candidate for the job. That's what the objectives section, also known as the objective statement or statement of objectives, is for. Although many view the statement of objectives as a pain to write, objectives help employers see at a glance why your candidacy is competitive.

Write objectives on a CV that are appropriate to the job you're applying for. This may mean writing a different CV for each job--or at least, customizing the objectives statement for each job.

Use a sentence construction that implies you're replying to the question, What are your career objectives? Answer: "To do X." You don't need to use complete sentences when writing the statement of objectives, in most cases.

Write the exact job title the organization uses. Your statement of objectives should mention how your qualifications match the qualifications they ask for. For example, "To work at Big Cheap Stuff as Retail Buyer II, utilizing my B.A. in Business Management and two years in the retail industry."

Mention your long-term career objectives. Figure out your overall personal career objectives--and for career objectives, think "career goals." For example, "Working toward a long-term career in the retail industry with Big Cheap Stuff, relocating if needed to wherever my job takes me."

Dress up the career objectives in language that's appealing. Instead of, "To see if I can tolerate the long hours of a career in retail management," write, "To explore a challenging career path in retail."

Put it all together so it's easy to read and concise:

"To explore a challenging career path as a Retail Buyer II with Big Cheap Stuff, utilizing my B.A. in Business Management and two years in the retail industry."

or

"To use my B.A. in Business Management and two years' experience in the retail industry working with Big Cheap Stuff, starting as a Retail Buyer II and relocating if necessary for job advancement in what I hope will be a long-term career."