What Is a Resume Objective?
Composing a meaningful resume objective—or objective statement—can be a roadblock to completing the remainder of a resume, especially on the first resume a new job seeker prepares.
From time to time, professional resume writers counsel their clients not to use objectives on any type of resume. However, an objective is highly useful if a job seeker is looking for a career change.
The objective, in this case, can be used to show how the worker's skills and achievements can transition directly and fruitfully into a new career field. For the new college graduate, the objective explains in short order exactly what type of position the job seeker is pursuing and, often, where. In some types of resumes, a longer profile or executive summary may be needed instead of or even with an objective section.
The key word is "meaningful."
The composition of this objective statement can be very challenging because many people simply do not know what to include in the statement. These individuals sometimes resort to over-used objectives given to them by friends, sample resumes, or out-of-date resume preparation books.
An Objective Is a Signpost
An objective is like a signpost that leads the new employer to the right professional for the job! The job seeker must paint an effective sign.
Ingredients of an Effective Resume Objective
- Specific—including the position you seek and your relevant qualifications
- Meaningful—not just an empty phrase or sentence
- Composed with proper grammar and spelling
- Clearly illustrates your personal brand
- Includes what you can do for the potential employer
It may also include your own goals, but not at the expense of highlighting your outstanding potential contributions to your new boss. The objective should not be trite, fawning, arrogant, incoherent, overly long, or too simplistic.
The Objective as a Haiku
A clear objective will lead employers to you like a street sign. Writing an objective is a little like writing a Haiku poem—it should be brief but contain substantial information in meaning-packed words.
Tailor your objective and your entire resume and cover letter to specific companies and agencies—even to specific job openings. Keep a master resume as a template that you can pull up and change quickly as you need targeting adjustments for different positions.
Use names—names like specific job titles, industries or industry clusters, and career fields.
Match your most relevant qualifications to those required by a specific company or agency in a job title and/or industry. Take time to research the company well enough to learn what is required by the company culture and the job title in which you are interested. In this way, you can perform a proper matching of your qualifications with company requirements in your objective.
Remember
A meaningless objective will fall flat.
Other Designations for the Objective Statement
The objective may be called any of these titles:
- Objective
- Objective Statement
- Career Objective
- Personal Profile
- Professional Profile
- Profile
- Professional Goal
Another good one:
- Professional Purpose
The titles of career objective, professional profile, and especially professional purpose help to establish the job seeker as a person that is serious about doing good work, exceeding standards, making a difference in the world, and developing a strong, recognizable personal brand and professional personality.
Placement and Samples of Resume Objectives
The objective is a signpost for a "For Sale Sign" on places immediately below the contact information listed at the top of a resume. An effective objective will sell you to the person reading the resume and make them want to know more. For example, the top of the first page of a successful resume might look like this:
Randall Smith
12345 Oak St., City, US State Zip Code * (123) 456-7890 * smithpro@ex_ail.com
OBJECTIVE: To secure a responsible position as a Network Systems Administrator with a leading American corporation or agency and contribute my superior experience, insight and business results via continued growth, expansion, and profits.
Sample Resume Objective Statements
On a USA Federal resume, the objective is simply:
Job Title and Vacancy Announcement Number: _______________________ (fill in the blank)
Outside of federal resumes, some effective objectives are the following:
Professional Profile
Committed to continuous improvement in Sales and Marketing through professionalism that consistently breaks sales and profit records. Highly organized, innovative, beats deadlines and exceeds company sales goals. Attentive to detail and follow-up, with superior written and verbal communication skills.
Profile
A success-driven professional that combines a strong Personal Brand of communication skills with uncommon success in Human Resources, Training, and Business Consulting in Information Technology to maximize client productivity and profits.
Objective: A summer internship in the area of Sales and Marketing.
Career Objective
A position as a Training and Performance Specialist in the Environmental Industries. Committed to continuous improvement in ongoing performance development programs in the workplace.
Professional Goal
To secure responsible employment in Environmental Science in order to accept additional opportunities of bringing my Personal Brand of consistent business results to improve state environmental conditions.
Additional Resume Objective Examples
OBJECTIVE: To apply a demonstrated expertise and Personal Brand of top flight business results to an Administrative Management position with an Industry Leader in Automotive Manufacturing.
OBJECTIVE: To secure new opportunities to provide a superior Personal Brand of excellence to a leading company in Financial Services, Investment, Trading, Marketing, or Training.
OBJECTIVE: To secure a responsible position as a Program Officer in Youth Services and apply my expertise and demonstrated Personal Brand of success in administration and programming.
OBJECTIVE: To bring superior recognized Personal Brand of expert customer service to a leader in the Fine Dining Industry.
For a Career Transition
OBJECTIVE: To provide a top Personal Brand of achievement by transferring optimum skills acquired in the military into a major company in the fields of Business Administration, Sports Management and Recruiting, or Fitness.
For Transition to the Military
OBJECTIVE: To obtain a responsible position as a SMALL ARMS REPAIR INSPECTOR with the US ARMY TACOM. To support the Small Arms Readiness and Evaluation Team (SARET) for Fielding Operations. To apply my extensive productive military experience in Small Arms to promote a continuing brand of outstanding client service in small arms and equipment inspection, maintenance, overhaul, and repair.
Objectives for New College Graduates
Weak Objectives
Avoid objective statements such as the following statements that have actually appeared on resumes:
- An internship to permit me to utilize my skills and expertise in different areas.
- To work for a friendly agency that pays high wages.
- To obtain a job in sales with a company that will appreciate my skills.
- To obtain a position where I can maximize my management skills, program development, and training experience while I work toward promotion.
- A position as Sales Representative.
- Position in Development
This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.
© 2008 Patty Inglish MS