Applying for a job in 2023 has to be well-thought-out, targeted, and personal. That’s why resume objectives are taking prevalence in the world of job seekers and recruiters.
Today you _have _to show potential employers why you are the right candidate by intertwining your career goals, experience, and the goals of the company you’re applying for in a punchy objective statement that will hook the hiring manager.
In this article, we’ll go over everything that you’ll need to craft an effective objective statement section. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for an entry-level job in an advertising agency, or you’re looking to join an organization as a business transformation expert.
What is a Resume Objective?
A resume objective sits at the top of your resume. It’s three sentences long, and it should include a proposition on how you’re going to provide value. The resume objective highlights your biggest strengths, shows your experience, and summarizes what you’re looking to achieve in your career.
The objective statement shows what you’re looking to accomplish in your career, your strengths, and your skillset. It shows employers how you’re going to contribute to their success and your own goals.
Instead of the conventional resume summary that sums up your entire work history, a resume objective focuses on your long-term goals and how you can help the potential employer you’re applying for achieve their goals.
Why are resume objectives important?
Adding an objective statement to your resume helps recruiters immediately identify why you’re applying, what drives you, and what’s your professional expertise. You must incorporate your professional goals and make them parallel with what the employer needs.
When done well, a resume objective should pique recruiters’ interest and make them want to read your resume fully. If your goals are in strong correlation with what the company is trying to achieve, and there’s a mutual interest to benefit both sides, your chances of getting called in for an interview will be higher.
What is the difference between a resume summary and objective?"?
Resume summaries and objectives are similar concepts, but the major difference between them is the length. Resume objectives tend to be short, concise statements which focus on the value a candidate can bring to a company.
In contrast, a resume summary provides more information on the skills and abilities that an applicant has. Summaries offer those with loads of experience the ability to share how those skills could apply at the position they're applying for. These are best to use when a simple paragraph won't cut it.
Here's the thing: you're probably going to write a cover letter with your resume, and you may not need a more in depth summary. A resume objective may be exactly what you need to showcase your value.
There’s just one caveat—resume objectives are optional.
They’re not always needed…
Did that throw you off?
Hold your horses – it’s only true if you have loads of work experience to show for in the first place. Very shortly, we’ll take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of resume objectives. But just before that, let’s answer the question that’s probably on your mind…
When should you include a resume objective?
Unfortunately, most applicants don’t understand the real purpose behind a resume objective. Because of this, it’s very common to get it wrong.
Featuring an objective statement in your resume might be optional, but there are certain situations that you’d want to include one. Below, you can find the most common times when you should include a objective statement on your resume:
Breaking into a new job market
When you’re breaking into a new job market and making a significant change in your career job position, a resume objective can help you stand out. Use it to your advantage by lining up your past skills to your professional goals clearly and easily for recruiters to understand.
Pro tip
The right approach is to be specific, concise and to bring up your skills and intentions. How can you help the company close the gap between them and their goals? Are your intentions similar to their mission and values?
Let’s take a closer look.
Imagine you’re a social media marketer who’s now looking to get into a sales-related role.
Both of these roles are inversely proportional–they’re indirectly related to each other. So, in this situation, you want to talk about how the skills you’ve developed as a social media marketer will help the company get closer to accomplishing its goals by having you as part of the sales team.
Bring up your objectives, relevant qualifications, and previous achievements. All these details play a role in influencing what the prospective employer thinks about you.
In the case of social media marketing into a sales role, here’s an example of a generic resume objective example:
Proven track record of successful case studies working with several in-house marketing teams. Now seeking to deliver a higher rate of sales figures.
It’s not bad. But the language is broad, too generalized, and quite vague. Instead, a better approach would be more specific to make our goals mutually beneficial. See below for how we would go about doing that:
Our refined example shows how the correlation of our objective and what the company is looking for is made more subtle. With the way it’s been described, the recruiter will conclude that your skills make you more than capable for the role and that you’re looking to expand on your sales skills.
Pro Tip
Take advantage of buzzwords too–these will trigger interest and spark curiosity in the reader.
In our second example, it would’ve been better if we had included the brand names we’ve worked with specifically. It would look far more credible rather than just stating “businesses”.
Possessing limited, relevant work experience
For school, college, and university graduates, crafting an effective resume objective can help you get the entry-level position you want even if you don’t have much work experience to show for.
You want to indicate how your career objective is related to the job opening.
Unless you have relevant employment history from an internship for at least a year, you may want to consider opting for a resume summary section instead.
If you don’t have much relevant work experience yet, and you want to impress the hiring manager, we’ve made some guides and templates that can help you create a resume that stands out.
Further reading
Starting an internship
Another transitional work experience where a resume objective will come in handy is when applying for internships. An internship is a time when someone new to the workplace learns directly through hands-on training, gleaning valuable insights in a potential career.
Check out the guide below which help you to craft an internship resume that will standout:
Returning to the workforce
Nowadays, a gap in the resume can be a fairly common occurrence. Whether you've taken time off to take care of little ones or you've been laid off due to an economic downturn, many people returning to the workforce are trying to find ways to make their resume standout.
If you have years of experience under your belt then you can use a resume objective to make them stand out to a potential recruiter. Drawing on quantifiable proof of your proven track record can make a future employer want to know more about you.
In fact, it can even show that you're dedicated to seeing growth in your career as you return to the workforce. Think about it like this: your objective statement can be a time for you to show a continuation in your career, that you're dedicated to picking up exactly where you left off.
The pros and cons using resume objectives
As we mentioned briefly above, including a resume objective at the top of your resume is optional. Hence why, when deciding whether to include an objective statement, you have to weigh the pros and cons of your specific case.
If you think the hiring manager will benefit from reading your career goals and aspirations, then include a resume objective. But let’s go through the full list of pros and cons.
Objective statement pros
- Get quick recognition.
A very specific and concise resume objective statement gives recruiters an idea of the bigger picture and value you can bring to the table. It lets them quickly recognize an overview of your resume and career, as well as your skills and if you’re going to be a good overall fit.
Show willingness to learn.
You’re willing to learn. Employers can see you’re looking to branch out, learn, and expand your skills in a new area. It helps them see that you’re diverse.
Highlight keywords.
Nowadays, companies that receive a large volume of resumes will use an ATS to scan your resume to determine if you’ll make the cut. They don’t have hours to spend reading every individual resume, so by having a resume objective with keywords, the scanner algorithm can see in the hiring process that you’re a qualified candidate.
- Emphasize your strengths.
Since this statement is just after your resume header, within the first 10 seconds the reader will get, they’ll notice your core strengths and values.
Objective statement cons
- Talking too much about yourself.
Some candidates go off track when writing their resume objectives. They tend to make it all about themselves without relating to the company’s needs. It’s important employers can see how you’re going to bring value, so be sure you’re directly relating to what they’re looking for, and not just what you want.
- Limited skill set.
The employers may get the impression that your skill set is limited. You’re looking to extend your boundaries with what you can do. Sometimes, the resume objective statement isn’t showing what you can do but instead, what you’re hoping to do.
How to Write An Effective Resume Objective Employers Can’t Ignore
The secret to crafting an effective objective statement is simply putting in the work to analyze the job position and the employer. Then it’s just a matter of incorporating your experience with the employer’s goals.
Do background research and understand the job description
Identify and take note of what the employer needs. Then, translate the words they’ve used in their job description into your resume.
Before you write a single word, you must understand the key responsibilities, duties, and skills the hiring manager will be looking for. If you skip the step of understanding your role and doing the background research, you won’t make it past their ATS.
Identify your strengths and tailor your statement accordingly.
Once you understand what the job position needs, meet their demands with your strengths. Just be sure that what you mention is tailored specifically towards the job position.
Don’t just say any skill. It needs to be something you’re genuinely good at and confident in. Don’t lie or be dishonest.
Start with a hook
Begin your objective statement by grabbing the recruiter’s interest with something compelling. You can do this by combining the previous steps, and using specific words to get them engaged.
When recruiters start reading your resume objective, they should grasp your relevant experience and career goals.
With our social media marketing example, notice how we started with “marketing professional”. Just by letting employers know who we are, it’s eye-grabbing enough to get them focused.
You want to start strong–create enough curiosity to spark their interest that makes them want to see more.
Use relevant qualifications, skills, and job titles.
Do you have any relevant job titles, skills, or qualifications that are useful?
Anything helpful that justifies how you’re going to do your job properly should be mentioned. Include on your resume anything professionally relevant from the past.
With your resume objective section, rather than only talking about what you hope to accomplish (e.g. “I’m seeking a competitive, fast-paced work environment that forces me to develop my skills”), you should outline the relevant skills you’re confident in, and integrate it with how it’s going to help you achieve your goal through the new role you’re applying for.
If a skill is irrelevant to the job, skip out on it unless you can put it in a way that makes sense.
Follow up with a brief description of how you’re going to add value.
Some questions that are on the hiring manager’s mind are, _“How will this person benefit us?” _or_ “What value can he bring that we need and don’t have much of?”_.
Aside from the technical obvious skills and aspects, you would need, is there anything else you can add to show the level of quality value you can deliver? For example, your work ethic, previous achievements, interests, and preferences, ambitions.
Use the right formatting and positioning.
Are there any words, in particular, you want to stand out? Is the font choice and size in check and good to use and go? Also, is the design of this resume section clean and readable?
The resume objective is one of your key highlights and sections on your resume. Therefore, the contents inside are important but so is the way it’s visually presented. More importantly, it shouldn’t compromise other resume sections, but rather support them.
14 sample resume objective examples to get inspired from.".
Okay, that’s what you’re here for right? Get some inspiration for your objective statement. Well, you’re in the right place. Our resume writer did these, and he put a lot of thought into each of the following.
He’s also doing resume reviews, so if you want to be a hundred percent sure that your objective statement is good, you can find him over at our Career Counseling hub.
Data entry resume objective
Administrative data entry specialist with 5+ years of experience in the accounting industry. Inputted 500+ invoices, expenses, statements, customer details, and documents daily. Spotted and corrected data errors at a 99.8% success rate. Proficient in M.S. Office, advanced Excel, G Suite, and CRM software Hubspot and Salesforce. 10-Key Typing Speed of 12,000 KPH with 100% accuracy.
The example above is effective because of how subtle the applicant is talking about what they can do if they were to take on the role. We can see that data entry is in this candidate’s field of expertise and that he’s a “specialist with 5+ years experience“.
In terms of his resume objective, it’s clear he wants to put his skills to use and take on the data entry job opening role. What makes this resume objective effective is that this meaning is subtle – it’s being shown to us with real data and personalized details (“spotted and corrected data errors“).
Further reading
Project analyst resume objective
A certified professional Project Analyst with solid training in project management and diagramming software. Proven ability in maintaining effective systems and processes and analyzing complex software. Able to approach all projects through SCRUM and ensure performance optimization.
This time with the project analyst resume, the recruiters will recognize you as a professional candidate who knows what they’re doing. It’s clear they’re a qualified applicant because they’ve directly included relevant soft and hard skills needed for the job.
further reading
Sales Manager Resume Objective
Advertising professional who sold $150K in SaaS products using an innovative launch campaign and strong leadership skills. Seeking a sales manager position where | can further apply my skills in motivating and training a team while increasing the company’s bottom line.
Like our social media marketing example from earlier, this example is very similar. We can see the person is transitioning from an advertising role into a sales role in which case, they include transferable skills to show why they would be a good sales manager.
Further Reading
Sales Representative Resume Objective
A results-driven sales representative with 5 years of experience in B2B sales and a proven track record of closing multi-million deals in healthcare and finance markets is eager to join the ABC company, adhering to its highest standards for personal and team excellence.
In this sales representative objective statement example, we know the applicant is knowledgeable in the field. They’re not amateur–and they’re looking to develop their skills by “adhering to its highest standards for personal and team excellence.” It’s clear what they want to accomplish and get out of by taking on the job opening.
Further reading
medical sales resume objective
Senior Medical Device Sales Representative with 6+ years of experience in the Cardiac Rhythm Management field who specializes in new acquisition account sales. A strategic contract negotiator with 4 annual top sales awards. Seeking a position that will allow me to hone my skill set in competitive and collaborative environments.
One thing I like about this resume objective is that the applicant doesn’t just list out any generic or vague skills. Instead, the applicant is specific and the opposite of generic–“sales contract negotiator“, “new acquisition account sales“.
The candidate has clearly done the background research and personalized the description to align it to the new job position.
Further reading
Interior designer resume objective
Interior Designer with 3 years of freelance and volunteering experience. Finished 15 commercial and residential interiors with overall feedback of 9.4/10. Skilled in Adobe Suite & Sketch. A regular contributor to Architectural Digest, with articles viewed over 100 000 times.
In this resume objective, she features her experiences specifically and talks about her publications. Similar to the data entry resume objective in our first example, her career goal is subtly implicated. We can see she’s looking for a more significant, rewarding position as an interior designer since she’s honed her skills respectably.
further reading
Assistant Manager Resume Objective
Highly-motivated college graduate with experience in sales and customer service. Strong leadership and communication skills. Coming with a Business Administration degree and knowledgeable enough in management. Seeking an assistant store manager position at Macy’s.
This is a good example for those who are recent graduates and lack work experience. To make up for it, the candidate correlates their career goals in employment with the company’s best interest to show how they can benefit.
Also, they’ve kept their skills specifically tailored for the role as an assistant manager and implicated the student mentality where they’re motivated and willing to learn.
Further Reading
Executive Assistant Resume Objective
Executive Administrative Assistant with 8 years of experience working in C-level executives. Skilled in administrative support tasks, including calendar management and bookkeeping. Possess strong communication and multitasking skills. Have a B.A. in Office Administration. Looking to leverage my skills and knowledge into a new role at Allata.
The most important thing your resume objective statement should do is to be aligned with the company’s goals and interests. And in this example, the candidate does exactly that.
Instead of looking self-centered, the resume objective indicates otherwise.
This is because they go the extra mile to show their interest by including tailored examples for the job vacancy. Not only are they addressing what the company needs, but they’re showing they understand what needs to be done to alleviate those pain points.
further reading
computer science resume objective
A recent C.S. undergraduate and a co-founder of a SavelT student finance management service with an active internship at SAP software department is eager to join an ABC development team as a software engineer.
This candidate is a recent computer science graduate with limited experience in the field. But that doesn’t stop them from applying to a career where having experience is preferred.
The reason this works is that they’ve listed their education to immediately signify to employers they have the fundamental knowledge required. Next, we notice that they do have experience as the candidate is taking part in an “active internship at SAP“.
They’ve also made it clear what they’re looking to do, so it’s easier for employers to determine if what the applicant is seeking matches what they’re looking for too.
Further reading
Pilot resume objective
Customer-focused commercial airline pilot with over 10 years of experience in the aviation industry, and a passion for modern aircraft technology. Completed 8,000+ hours of flight time: PiC: 2000, SiC: 3000, Night: 3000. CPL certified. Eager to join the Air Canada team to provide excellent service and uphold the highest safety standards.
Have you noticed why this resume objective is so effective?
Firstly, 10 years of experience leave a positive first impression in those first few seconds. Second, his accomplishments and feats that this pilot has done in the past are respectable.
It’s easy to deduce that we’re reading the resume of a skilled pilot who’s a veteran in the airspace field. And to top it off, it’s clear he’s eager because he’s directly pointed out the airline he wants to work with.
further reading
Customer service resume objective
Dedicated customer service representative with a 15 years experience cultivating customer relationships. Upgraded my former employer's CRM system, creating a holistic approach to tracking customer satisfaction, and receiving a general customer satisfaction ranking of 95%. Seeking to apply my skills to Babylon Inc.'s customer relationship management program.
By focusing on their experience with CRM software, this applicant's objective statement focuses on the concrete way that they can apply their unique skill set. This unique detail may give them the ability to set themselves apart from the competition.
Further Reading
dental assistant resume objective
Recent graduate of a dental assistant program, but who possesses 12 years experience as an X-ray technician. A dedicated worker who has a technical know-how of complicated x-ray equipment, while also possessing unique interpersonal and customer service skills in the medical industry. Interested in the dental assistant position at Healthy Smiles Dentistry.
This applicant may be switching careers, but they've made it clear that their previous work experience has given them skills to be able to succeed as a dental assistant.
Well written medical resume objectives shine light on an applicant's unique technical skills, while also showing that the applicant has strong customer service skills.
Further reading
Bank Teller Resume Objective
Detail-oriented worker with 5 years experience as a bank teller for TD bank. Primarily focused on providing a spectacular customer experience, leveraging their unique attention to detail to help clients process loans, balance their ledgers, and find deals to help them grow their investments. Anticipating building on this success as a representative of ABC National Bank.
A well written career objective delves into the extensive knowledge that an applicant possesses. In the example above, the applicant can show that they're primarily focused on helping their clients to succeed with their financial goals.
Further Reading
HVAC resume objective
Recent graduate of a HVAC program with extensive construction experience. In addition to the training of diagnosing complex mechanical systems, this eager worker has 10 years of experience as a carpenter and laborer. With years on job sites, this technician can help to allow J&M Heating to reach its bottom line.
Although limited in their practical knowledge of heating and cooling systems, this applicant shows that they're the right person for the position because of their background in the trades. Having the technical mindset to know their way around a job site can set themselves apart from the competition.
Further reading
Warehouse Manager Resume Objective
Hardworking warehouse manager whose primary experience has including driving a forklift, working on the packaging line, and even in-house customer service. As a result of experiencing most of the positions in a warehouse and utilizing adept interpersonal skills, this applicant has the ability to understand the needs of the average worker. Eager to use these skills to help to add to the great company culture at AKEA Furniture Company.
Further Reading
If you haven’t found your job title, don’t worry! You can find more proven resumes in your industry for your exact job position in our mega list of 530+ resume examples by clicking here.
Alternatives to resume objective statements
Just like everything around building a resume, objections can be substituted with alternatives that better fit your particular use case.
Summary statements
If you want to focus explicitly on how you can benefit the organization that you’re applying for, then including a statement of qualifications is a much smarter idea. Unlike an objective that includes your own career goals as well, a summary statement briefly summarizes how you can add value to the company.
Branding statement
Or maybe you want to cut straight to the chase. A branding statement is perfect if you want to highlight your key successes in no more than a single sentence.
Or… you can just add a title.
Headlines are short, tailored to your experience no-fuzz option that maintains the clean look of a CV.
The do's and don'ts to hone your objective statement
When you're looking to craft the perfect resume objective, follow these tips below to steer clear of statements that will fall flat and to create a poignant, eye-catching statement:
5 Things to Do
- Keep it short, concise, and impactful.
Rather than writing an essay that’s difficult to read and consume, having fewer words but showing more value is what’s going to leave a good impression. Focus on being impactful with minimal sentences.
- Assess your qualities.
Find your biggest strengths and include them on your resume. Keep them aligned with what employers need. We’ve made a whole list of the 300+ skills recruiters need, you can check them out for yourself.
Place your resume objective just after your resume header section.
Instead of your resume summary that contains an overview of your career, you’re replacing that description with your resume objectives. This should be placed right after your resume header, under the resume summary section.
Stick to keeping your resume length one-page long.
We advise your resume to be at a length of one-page because it instantly highlights the priority details with a high readability level. Especially if you’re using a resume builder that supports this concept, it’s easier to stand out.
- Make your actual professional objectives subtle.
Instead of blatantly stating what you’re seeking, it’s better if you can excite the reader instead. You do this by conveying the value you can bring over, and implicitly showing your goals. Actions speak louder than words. If you can draw the bigger picture, the recruiter will get double the meaning from you showing it than just telling it.
3 things to avoid
- Don't generalize
Although you may be handing out dozens of resumes while looking for a job, it's important to take the time to personalize each resume to catch the attention of a hiring manager. Don't add a ton of fluff, general information which might check the boxes for several companies, but focus on sharing quantifiable information which fits with the position.
- Don't focus only on what you want
It's easy to think that a resume objective is just about the job you're applying for, but recruiters want to learn more about your career aspirations and goals. Instead of sharing what you'd like to get from the job, include details that make you a valuable employee, one that will build the reputation of the company.
- Don't make it too long
A resume objective statement should be short, no more than four sentences. Think of it like your own personal 'elevator pitch', where you have the ability to prove your worth to a recruiter. Keep it short and sweet.
Pro tip
Use a three-sentence formula for your objective statements:
Sentence 1: Introduce yourself and your qualifications which make you a great candidate, including any relevant experience and degrees that you possess. Sentence 2: Mention any hard skills or soft skills which set you apart from other applicants. You can find the skills that they're looking for by checking the job description in the application. Sentence 3: Focus on the job that you're applying for and mention the company that you're applying for.
Resume Objective: Takeaways
The aim of the game is to express your professional intentions and career background in minimal detail. These need to be aligned with the company’s best interest, so they know you’ll benefit them and act as a valuable catalyst to help reach their goals!
It’s vital to entice the hiring managers the moment they pick up your resume. And, this is exactly why resume objectives are so useful.
With this guide, hopefully, we’ve answered all of your questions. But if there’s anything else you want to ask, feel free to leave a comment below. I read and respond to every message!
Also, have you tried Enhancv’s resume editor? Our design is sophisticated yet clean and simple. We’ve put a lot of thought and know-how into creating our resume builder, ensuring that your CV will look good, read well, and most importantly–stand out.
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