How To Write A Killer Resume Objective
Resumes.
We all know what they are.We all know how important having a good one isand how much a bad one can hurt your ability to get your dream job.
We also know we arent the only ones out there turning in well crafted, carefully targeted resumes to hiring managers
Unfortunately for you, for every available job out there in the real world, there are hundreds, if not thousands of very qualified people applyingand odds are, there are more than a few really knock-dead resumes in that pile.
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Of course, there are also a mountain of bad ones that wont even make the first cut. But of those that dohow do you make sure yours stands out?
You could always go for the Elle Woods approach. Remember in the movie Legally Blonde when our spunky and upbeat heroine hands her resume off to her professor in the hopes of securing that killer summer internship?
Professor Callahan: Its pink
Elle: Oh! And its scented! I think it gives it a little something extradont you think?
We have to admit, that is one way to make an impression with a hiring managerhowever, outside Hollywood fantasies where the hero always gets their way , odds are your pink scented resume is going to end up either in the trash or on the bulletin board Wall of Shame as an example of what NOT to send in to a hiring manager.
And I promise you, no pink paper.
Public Relations Account Executive
As a Public Relations Assistant Account Executive, I honed my skills while landing clients consistent placements in publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Wired. Im now looking for new challenges and opportunities to expand my skill set, manage clients reputations, and develop/implement in-depth brand awareness campaigns.
Examples Of Career Objectives For A Fresher
- To work in an organisation which provides me with ample opportunities to enhance my skills and knowledge along with contributing to the growth of the organisation.
- Looking for opportunities to incorporate my skills and training to help the company grow. I am looking forward to roles that will help me realise my potential by exploring the various aspects of this field.
- I am seeking opportunities to join a company that can help me in enhancing my skills, strengthening my knowledge and realising my potential. I am willing to explore a wide variety of opportunities that can help me gain perspective.
- I am looking for an entry-level position to kickstart my career in the . I wish to work in a dynamic organisation that will contribute to my professional and personal growth while I contribute to the growth of the company as well as engage in opportunities to further the companys goals.
- To explore new areas of work in a dynamically stable organisation.
- To secure a challenging position in this organisation in order to improve my skill and work for the growth of the organisation.
- Looking forward to work for my dream which provides the chance to improve my to learn and grow along with the organisation goals.
- With a BCom in Accounting and Finance, I aim to obtain an entry-level Accounting job position at .
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Resume Objective Vs Resume Summary Statement
As resume introductory statements go, the resume objective isnt as valuable as the modern resume summary statement.
One significant difference is that the summary statement highlights hard skills and accomplishments in the active voice rather than passive voice, making the job seeker sound more capable and assertive.
For example, I achieved 25% sales growth is active voice, while 25% sales growth was achieved is passive voice.
Overall, a resume summary statement is more assertive in tone. It uses quantitative results to offer the hiring manager proof about the job seekers abilities and what they will continue to achieve if hired.
Here are a few examples of traditional objective statements compared to resume summary statements:
Career Objective For Hr
- A fresh graduate with an undergraduate degree in Human Resource Management seeking suitable job position at a reputed organisation to implement my advanced communication skills, managerial and organisational skills along with administrative knowledge.
- Searching for a challenging position at _____ Inc. with 5 years of experience in human resource management and personnel training with excellent communication and organisational skills.
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Should You Include A Resume Objective
A resume objective is a great way to make your resume stand out and to convey a theme or narrative to your work. However, many career experts will insist that its a resume feature of the past. However, it is particularly important for a few key job seekers:
Making a big career change? Congratulations on your courageous move. This also means youre the ideal candidate for adding an objective statement at the top of your resume. Your objective statement should clearly address the fact that youre switching industries. Do not try to add fluff or extraneous details to seem more qualified. State the situation as it is.
If a significant amount of time has passed since your last job, an objective statement is a good place to address this. What have you been up to? What have you learned during this period? Life experience is still valuable experience. Give a teaser of what youve learned.
As youre poised to enter the work world, you might be so excited about the possibilities that lie ahead you havent given much thought to, well, actually landing one of those possibilities. A job search especially your first one can be tough work, wading through the unfamiliar waters of resume writing and job search sites, plus intuiting exactly what a potential employer wants while sidestepping interview landmines. A resume objective can help a recruiter understand how your career goals as a new grad align with the open role.
Does My Resume Need An Objective
The resume objective is very important if you are at a crossroads in your career, or if you want your career to change track. Then, a section that describes your new direction of movement and transferable skills and qualities becomes incredibly important to describe in the first words of any resume.
There isnt always a requirement for a career objective. If you have a solid marketing manager resume and want to continue as a marketing manager, there is little point in spending vital resume real estate on explaining your goals and career trajectory.
You apply for a marketing manager role and your resume speaks for itself. In this case, your summary should focus on your cultural fit, your achievements and the experience that you will bring to the role. If you find yourself in that scenario, you can simply keep your traditional resume summary profile.
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Education And Academic Achievements
After your key skills, create a resume section for your education. List any degrees you have obtained or any degrees you are currently pursuing. If you stopped going to school before obtaining a degree, you can list the credits or hours you have completed.
For each degree, list the school, the location, your degree, your field of study and the dates you attended. You should also include academic honors and awards, such as graduating Cum Laude.
Example of how to list education in a resume #1:Coral Springs University, Coral Springs, Florida Bachelor of Science in Biology Minor in PsychologyGraduated Magna Cum Laude
Example of how to list education in a resume #2:Coral Springs University, Coral Springs, Florida In ProgressAssociate of Arts
Example of how to list education in a resume #3:Coral Springs University, Coral Springs, Florida Bachelor of Arts in Art History 200 Credit Hours Obtained
You Have 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 dont 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 dont have much relevant work experience yet, and you want to impress the hiring manager, weve made some guides and templates that can help you create a resume that stands out:
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Volunteer Work And Activities
Lastly, create a section for volunteer activities. This could be formal or informal volunteering, such as serving food at a local homeless shelter or helping your neighbor rake leaves. For each volunteer activity, include who you volunteered with, what your role was, the dates and hours you volunteered and a brief description.
Example of how to list volunteer work and activities in a resume:Coral Springs Soup Kitchen, Coral Springs, Florida 25 Hours Meal Prep and ServingPrepares, serves, and cleans up after meal service at a local homeless shelter on a bi-weekly basis.
Media/journalist Career Objective Examples
Example 1:
Looking for a News Reporter position with a reputed media house where gathering and reporting information on several matters within strict deadlines are primary job responsibilities. Dedicated and energetic professional with 3 years of experience, open to working in a 24/7 environment.
Example 2:
A self-motivated copy editor with 8 years of experience in handling marketing materials, including website, brochures, press releases, magazine, etc. Areas of expertise include writing and proof-reading materials before final submission to the printing house.
Example 3:
A Mass Communication graduate with 2 years of full-time experience working as a journalist for a local daily newspaper and covering spontaneous and anticipated news for online and print media. Looking for a challenging role in a growth-conducive environment where hard work receives rewards and recognition.
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Resume Summary Or Resume Objective Which One Is For Me
The resume summary and resume objective serve the purpose of saving you valuable time. Recruiters will appreciate having short statements or bullet points to validate their interest on what you have to offer.
The more important question should be: Which section is more important for me resume summary or resume objective?
A good rule of thumb to consider is to focus on the resume objective if you fall under any of these categories:
- First- time job applicant about to enter the job market.
- Youve been unemployed for some time and have decided to re- enter the job market.
- Youve decided to shift gears and change careers you want to attract interest.
The summary and objective effectively communicates your value to the employer and delivers this in the fastest time possible.
Cna Resume Objective Example
Certified Nursing Assistant with a track record of delivering exceptional patient care and building deep, meaningful working relationships with other medical staff. Looking for a position where I can leverage my high attention to detail and organizational skills to allow for quicker and more effective care.
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A Guide To Crafting A Perfect Resume Objective And Summary Statement
Ask one person about including an objective statement on your resume and theyll say its paramount. Ask another person and theyll say its outdated. Who knew a couple of sentences could be so polarizing? Youre bound to find conflicting information about this topic, making the objective statement, well, subjective.
A resume objective is a short statement that outlines your career direction. Objective statements were once the standard on every job seekers resume. A decade or so ago, you wouldnt have sent out a resume without one. But times change, and what recruiters look for in a standard CV has changed, too.
Read on to learn about resume objectives, why they are important and how to distinguish your resume objective from thousands of other job seekers.
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. Theyre not amateurand theyre looking to develop their skills by adhering to its highest standards for personal and team excellence. Its clear what they want to accomplish and get out of by taking on the job opening.
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What Can I Put On My Resume Instead Of An Objective
The traditional resume summary centres more around achievements, experience, personality and cultural fit with the role. If you are a marketing manager who is moving to a marketing manager role , it makes sense to focus on the hard-hitting facts about your marketing experience rather than wasting a sentence around how you just want to keep on keeping on. That will not leave a powerful first impression.
We have written a couple of guides around creating the perfect resume summary and also some tips on crafting impactful personal statements. They are well worth a read in our resume examples section.
What Is A Good Career Objective
Important for both experienced professionals and a fresher, a career objective for a resume is a summary of experiences, skills, knowledge, and competencies that one wants to acquire or is well acquainted with. A concise statement of not more than 2-3 lines, the career objective for resume of a fresher should clearly highlight the professional goals and what one wants to learn from the company they wish to join.
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How To Make Your Career Objectives For Freshers
If you are facing difficulty in writing your objective, try completing the rest of your resume first, and then inculcate some of your strong traits into it.
Computer Science Resume Objective Examples
Im looking for an internship where I can utilize my experience with natural language processing and building web apps for non-technical users to further the mission of Coursera in democratizing education across the world.
Recent graduate with an MS in Computer Science looking to leverage my experience building responsive and scalable web apps to solve interesting problems that delight end-users.
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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 lets go through the full list of pros and cons.
Extracurricular Activities Sports And Clubs
After you awards and achievements, create a section for extracurricular activities. List anything you are passionate about that shows your positive attitude and aptitude for the job youre applying for, such as playing a musical instrument, clubs, sports and other activities. In your resume, list the relevant activity and include a brief description.
Example of how to list extracurricular activities, sports and clubs:Piano Has played piano for 8 years and practices, on average, 4 hours per day.Babysitting Babysits neighbors, 8 and 3 years old, twice a week.Swimming Competitive swimmer, having won multiple gold and silver medals in state competitions.
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Do Background Research And Understand The Job Description
Identify and take note of what the employer needs. Then, translate the words theyve 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 wont make it past their ATS.
Career Objective For Teacher
- To obtain a teaching position at ABC school as an English teacher to share my knowledge of this discipline and enlighten young minds to achieve advanced proficiency in this language.
- Seeking a teaching opportunity where I can utilize my understanding of advanced and emerging teaching methods such as e-learning and team learning.
Read more at Career Objective for Teacher!
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Objectives Example For A Start
Working in a start-up is a unique challenge, but people move to smaller firms from corporate roles all the time. State your case in your resume objective and make it clear you have what it takes to work in a fast-moving startup.
Public sector mechanical engineer looking to move to a start-up operation in the renewable energy sector, combining a wealth of large-scale infrastructure experience with a passion for the environment. Will bring 10 years of energy sector expertise to the team.