Objectives for education resumes

The "Objective" portion of a resume consists of a brief statement reflecting the applicant's goals. Strong objectives should be specific and should reference the applicant's strengths and experience as they relate to the overall goal. Educators should always make reference to learning or knowledge within their objectives. They should also vary the wording of the objective based on the goals and flavor of the district to which they are applying. Objectives should be brief (one or two sentences.) Teacher Objectives Candidates for in-class positions such as teachers and paraprofessionals should write objectives that specifically apply to their work in the classroom. These objectives may include the grade level and subject that the candidate wishes to teach. Teachers may also include the type of student with which they wish to work, if this is applicable. For example, teachers seeking employment with an urban district may specify that they wish to work with disadvantaged students or at-risk youth. Alternatively, a teacher may state that she wants to work in special education, with gifted students or with remedial students. Teachers may also include information on the type of school at which they want to work such as an alternative school (for students unable to attend regular classes) or a magnet school (schools that focus on a specific area, such as science or drama.) Administrator Objectives Administrators such as principals and assistant principals should direct their objectives toward the overall running of a school. They too may indicate a preference for a type of school such as a magnet or alternative school and may also specify a preference for public or private schools. If applying for a position with a school with known problems (such as high crime or low test scores), the applicant should reference his desire to resolve the problem and give examples of how he would do so. For example, he might say "I seek to improve the academic record of a school with known test score issues by analyzing areas of weakness and implementing success initiatives for both students and teachers." Administrators with classroom experience should always reference this in their objectives. Other Professionals' Objectives Other education professionals include coaches, curriculum developers, librarians (sometimes called media specialists) and counselors. These professionals should create objectives that specifically reference students and learning, even if their past experience has been in another environment. For example, a librarian candidate might say "I am seeking to use my 10 years of experience as a reference librarian in a public library to help high school students find resources within their school library." Higher education professionals such as college professors and deans should reference both student learning and institutional advancement (such as increasing the prestige of the university or attracting more students) because all colleges, even public ones, must generate revenue to succeed. These professionals should also express a continued desire to publish in academic journals as this is considered key to generating respect to institutions of higher learning.