"Ready, Aim, Fire! " What's Your Career Objective?

Creating your “spiel”:

Whether it’s talking to a prospective employer, networking with someone you know (or don’t know), or just explaining to people what you do, sometimes you need to “spiel” it out. I refer to it as “target practice” because it involves really clarifying and articulating your focus. Both for yourself and others.

During my own job search, I found target practice particularly helpful and productive. It helped me realize what exactly I wanted, and it gave the people in my network something concrete for which to help me look. After all, how are others supposed to know what you are looking for if you don’t even know?

So, how do you begin your target practice? Let’s go back to the basics:



Keep it simple. Stick with the traditional WHO, WHAT, WHERE, and WHY. I’m leaving out the “WHEN”—but you can add it in if you’d like.

1. The WHO:

This is your freebee. Because the “who” is you. Might as well start off easy to get your feet wet. And what do you know--You now have only have 3 more to go.

2. The WHAT:

The “what” answers the question, “What do I want to do?” It refers to the function or the type of work you want to be doing. Whether it’s accounting, graphic design, management, production, counseling, etc.—Prioritize the fields of work you find most motivating.

3. The WHERE:

This one should actually be plural, as in the “wheres.” It has 3 parts:

a. industry
b. employer
c. organizational culture

For example: “I would like to work in the entertainment industry, for a TV network, in an organizational culture that is fast-paced, innovative, and team-oriented.”

4. The WHY:

Here’s your chance to really articulate your relevant education, skills, and/or experiences. In other words, what about your background makes YOU compatible for a particular type of work and/or a particular industry?

For example: “The reason I chose advertising is because I excelled in both art and business in college; I am very creative and entrepreneurial; and I really enjoyed my previous work experience designing magazine and newspaper ads."

By articulating the “why,” you are highlighting your qualifications to prospective employers AND giving the people in your network language they can use when promoting you to others.

Putting it all together:

Now combine your who, what, where, and why, and you have yourself a career objective!

For example: “I am seeking a position in advertising within the entertainment industry. I’d like to work for a TV network in an environment that is fast-paced, innovative, and team-oriented. I chose advertising because I excelled in both art and business in college; I am very creative and entrepreneurial; and I really enjoyed my previous work experience designing magazine and newspaper ads.”

You obviously don’t have to memorize your spiel word-for-word or spit it out like a robot, but have a basic idea of how you are going to articulate yourself. Also keep in mind that you don’t have to pick just one objective. You can have several. You might decide you want to do marketing but are open to both the entertainment industry AND the pharmaceutical industry. As long as you don’t have a thousand (because that might be a little overwhelming), then having several options can be great.

Still feeling stuck?

After going through target practice, some of you might be asking the question, “What if I don’t know the who, what, where, and/or why?” Well, then that’s the place to start! Not the application process. Aim before you shoot. Those who say, “I’ll do anything” often end up just doing “anything.” With that said, sometimes our life situation requires us to find immediate employment, particularly for financial reasons. Even if you need to take a temporary job to earn some income, I encourage you to begin your target practice so that you are actively engaging in your career planning.