Resumes. We all know what they are. We all know how important having a good one is…and how much a bad one can hurt your ability to get your dream job. That’s why reviewing different resume objective examples is essential, ensuring you can create well-crafted, carefully targeted resumes for hiring managers.
So, how do you make sure your resume objective – and entire application – stands out? We’ll tell you. Come with us as we explore some resume objective statement examples, as well as tips on how to ensure yours shines.
“My objective? Well, that’s easy. My objective is to get the job.”
Absolutely, we couldn’t agree more. But an objective on your resume is so much more than just writing, “Hey, hire me. I’m super awesome.”
So, what is an objective for a resume?
Well, according to the Marquette University College of Business Administration, “an objective statement is a concise, position-centered statement describing the value you can add and the needs you can fulfill.”
Our friends over at Indeed.com take it a step further, saying: “A well-written resume objective statement can be customized for the job you’re applying for and add value to your resume that sets it apart from other applicants.”
Essentially, a resume objective is a targeted snippet that clearly outlines your career direction while simultaneously positioning you as someone who fits what the employer is looking for exactly.
Sounds pretty ingenious, right? So why don’t more people have them on their resumes?
Resume objectives can be a bit controversial. Some people think they can make you look amateurish…which, if you don’t do it correctly, is absolutely true. But that can be said for any section of your resume.
Other schools of thought think that the objectives should be taken out entirely and replaced with the more popular “resume summary statement.”
You may be wondering, “What if I use a resume objective and the hiring manager looks at it and laughs? Are they going to throw out my resume…or worse, put it on the wall of shame?”
Now, nobody is going to laugh at your resume objective as long as you use the right approach. Additionally, if your career is moving in certain directions, using a resume objective makes more sense than the alternatives.
Are you relatively new to the job search market or lack work experience?
Are you changing industries?
Are you targeting a specific job or position?
If you answered “YES” to any of these above questions, then the resume objective is potentially perfect. If you answered “NO” to all of the above questions, you might be better off with a “Resume Summary Statement.”
For those of you in the middle of a career change or who might just be starting out, a resume objective statement allows you to define your goal to a potential employer…something that your work history might not otherwise be able to do for you.
Imagine how confused a hiring manager would be if they were looking for candidates to fill an office coordinator position and you sent in a resume with ten years of experience in marketing. Without an objective statement, the hiring manager might just assume your resume has been accidentally sent to them and simply discard it.
With an objective statement, you can not only let the hiring manager know that your resume IS in the right spot but also explain that you’re making the switch and show that your skill set does align with this new career path.
If you’re targeting a specific job or position, a resume objective statement can help reinforce that idea that you know EXACTLY what you’re after. That can work in your favor, too.
Overall, and most importantly, the biggest reason to put an objective on your resume is…it’s better than having nothing. Remember, your goal is to catch the hiring manager’s eye and stand out from the rest of the paper in that pile.
There are several common mistakes job seekers can make when writing their statement with the number one being using the same objective for every job application.
EXAMPLE:
To obtain a job within my chosen field that will challenge me and allow me to use my education, skills and past experiences in a way that is mutually beneficial to both myself and my employer and allow for future growth and advancement.
Your goal is to be the ideal candidate and that means making sure you’re exactly what the hiring manager is looking for…and unless you’re applying to a cookie cutter factory in a cookie cutter job town where every job every employer is listing is exactly the same then I guarantee you 100% that your statement will NOT be a “one size fits all” statement.
This is a trap that many job seekers fall into, as they can’t resist to use the objective to list off all of the things that they want to get out of the position.
EXAMPLE:
Hi, I’m Joe Jobseeker and I really want a job in a company where I make a ton of money doing as little as possible. Oh, and a corner office. A company car would be nice too. While we’re at it, let’s talk benefits, retirement…and the company vacation policy.
Yes, we’re being over the top with this one, but we need you to look at this and laugh…because even a slightly toned down one where you list only what YOU want is going to come off just as ridiculous to the hiring manager as the one we’ve blown out of proportion.
Mistake number three is being vague. Like we said, this isn’t a one size fits all so by being ambiguous in the hopes of somewhat fitting what they’re looking for is going to get your resume sent directly to the circular file. (In case you don’t know, the circular file is the trash can. It just sounds fancier but the end result is the same…no job.)
EXAMPLE:
Looking for a long term full time job where I can apply my extensive skills and knowledge to the position for which I am hired.
Blah. Who is this person? All we know by reading this statement is that they have skills and knowledge…but other than that, not much else. What skills do they have? Do they really apply to the job? And what knowledge can they draw from that will benefit the company? See what we mean? It’s so generic you could literally fit anything into those blanks…it’s like Resume Mad Libs!
Mistake number four is being too long. This isn’t a novel. It’s a quick little blurb to catch their attention so they can bring you in for an interview…then you can get into more detail!
EXAMPLE:
Not going to put one here. Why? Because the example we were going to do was going to be so long and ridiculous that you and everyone else reading this post would just get bored and move onto another article. Just remember, it’s all about short and sweet. Anything over a sentence or two is TOO LONG. Remember that.
Mistake number five is probably the worst…and the easiest to fall into (outside of mistake number two, the “all about me” statement.) Mistake number five is writing a statement that basically fills space but doesn’t tell the hiring manager anything about the value you bring to the table. This can also be confused with the too vague statement…
EXAMPLE:
To obtain a position within my chosen field where I can utilize my skills as a hard-working, well-educated employee in exchange for a steady market-fair paycheck.
Congratulations. You’re educated and you’re hard working and you want to make money. So what? So are 90% of the people you’re going up against. Why are YOU the ideal candidate? What makes the hiring manager want to bring YOU in over everyone else? See what we mean?
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY:
How are you going to fulfill the needs of the company?
When writing your resume objective, you should always have the intention of answering this question.
So how do you write a GOOD resume objective?
One thing every one of these bad examples has in common is the fact that not a single one of them is tailored to the position you’re looking for. Any hiring manager who looks at a resume with objectives like those is going to immediately move on to the next candidate.
Because whoever those potential hires are, they’re not ideal candidates. You need to not only catch the hiring manager’s eye; you must make sure that they look at your statement and say, “Here’s the perfect fit!”
So, how do you make it happen? Well, a really good place to start is by looking at the job description. According to Indeed.com, “…when you include an objective that’s specific to the job role, the recruiter is more likely to dig deeper and learn more details about your professional experience.”
After that, make sure it’s tailored to not only the position but the company as well. By incorporating a few tidbits that speak to the company’s mission and values, you can take that quick statement up a notch.
Additionally, focus on how you’re a benefit to the company, not how the company can benefit you. Showcase value, ensuring you point out what you bring to the table.
Keep it short and sweet, too. Skip overblown adjectives in favor of action verbs, which will help “raise the energy levels” of your objective and ensure that it is more dynamic and interesting.
If you’re someone who is changing careers, demonstrate how your past experiences relate to your future tasks. The same goes for those who are just starting out or who are relatively inexperienced.
In some cases, nothing makes the points above clearer quite like a few resume objective examples. Here are a handful of samples, each targeting different situations.
“Diligent, dedicated individual looking to apply communication and collaboration skills in a fast-paced customer service role. A self-motivated team player with an outgoing personality who’s ready to learn the ins and outs of a new industry and provide ample value to a retail employer.”
“Well-organized high school honor graduate with exceptional problem-solving and collaboration skills seeking opportunities in the office administration field where strong communication, time management, and research skills can provide excellent value to an employer.”
“Current accounting student with an emphasis on accounts payable and accounts receivable seeking developmental opportunities with a local firm. Diligent, focused, and tech-savvy, looking to provide value to a skilled team.”
“Hard-working business administration graduate with proven leadership and organizational skills. Looking to leverage knowledge or operational processes, emerging commercial trends, and supply machine management to increase efficiency and support broader productivity goals.”
“Honor graduate with a Bachelor’s in Human Resources and one year of experience at a leading staffing firm looking to leverage a deep understanding of leading ATS solutions, modern interview techniques, and conflict resolution strategies to support the goals of an enterprise-level HR department.”
“Ambitious professional looking to leverage 5+ years of customer service experience and exceptional communication skills in the fast-paced field of real estate. Proven ability to build lasting, long-term relationships, understand client needs, and find solutions designed to ensure customer satisfaction.”
“Experienced accounting professional and recent college graduate with a Bachelor’s in IT looking to leverage mathematical and analytical capabilities in a data analyst role with an enterprise-level employer. Impeccable attention to detail and organizational skills, as well as strong desire to learn and grow on the job.”
“Skilled software developer with 7+ years of experience with Java, Python, and C++ seeking out opportunities in team-oriented environments that prioritize Agile methodologies, Lean strategies, and DevOps principles to accelerate timelines and achieve challenging goals.”
Speaking of specific roles, we thought that it might be prudent to dig deeper into a couple careers that we get the most questions about (in terms of resume objectives). Here are our deep-dive articles into Teacher Resume Objectives, Customer Service Resume Objectives and Nursing Resume Objectives. Enjoy!
So, there you have it. We’ve covered what a resume objective statement is, who should use one, and how to properly execute it. Plus, there are some handy resume objective examples that can serve as inspiration.
While some people might claim that the objective statement for a resume is outdated, if done properly, it can make a difference. Use all of the information above to your advantage. That way, you’ll be one step closer to your dream job.
Ok the next thing you should do is get our handy Resume Objective Cheat Sheet PDF.
In it you'll get word-for-word sample resume objectives covering a variety of scenarios you can use right away.
Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com.
His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan, Penn State, Northeastern and others.
Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page.
