Your resume is one of the first materials your potential employer sees from you. It needs to catch their eye and attract interest — at least enough to get you in the door for an interview.
As a job seeker, one great way to win over employers and become a top candidate is to write a strong career statement.
A career statement, also known as your career summary or career objective, is your personal elevator pitch. It’s a few brief sentences at the top of your resume clearly explaining what your career goals are and how this job will help you get there.
An objective statement is a great addition to your resume, particularly if you’re a new graduate or don’t have a lot of experience. If you aren’t sure where to begin, here are a few career objective examples to get you started.
How to write a career objective for a resume
The average recruiter only looks at a resume for about seven seconds, meaning they don’t read every bullet point in depth. You need to wow them from the beginning and encourage them to learn more about you, your experience, and your relevant skills.
That’s where the career objective comes into play. Usually at the top of your resume, a recruiter should be able to read your statement in just a few seconds and have a clear picture of what you’d bring to the role you’re applying for. It should emphasize the unique skills, credentials, and experience that make you the ideal candidate, all in just a few seconds.
But keep in mind that some recruiters advise against including summaries and objectives. If your work experience already speaks for itself, or you have lots of skills and certifications, it might be best to use that space for something other than an objective statement. Objectives and summaries are most helpful when you have something to say — like what kind of environment you’re looking for — that you can’t include elsewhere.
If you do want to learn how to write an objective for a resume, start by creating a custom statement for every job application. It might be tempting to write a generic objective that suits any job in your industry, especially if you’re applying for the same position with multiple companies. But saying you want to work as a “sales representative at XYZ Company” makes for a stronger statement than “seeking a sales position” because it shows specificity and drive. And a tailored statement is more likely to catch a recruiter’s eye.
Here are a few more essential guidelines for writing your career objective:
1. Write it in third-person singular
Writing in the third person is the standard for resume objective statements. First-person pronouns like I, me, and my come across as personal and informal to a reader, and your resume should be as professional as possible.
To avoid the first person, your statement doesn’t have to be a complete sentence. Instead of saying “I’m looking for a job in the front office,” your career objective could read, “Seeking a role as an administrative assistant with [company name].” That way, it’s more formal and you have more space to explain your career path.
2. Emphasize your strongest traits
Your resume and cover letter aim to prove that you’re a top candidate for the job. And to do this, they need to mention the strengths you bring as an employee. Do you have years of specialized experience? Exceptional communication skills? Put those qualities front and center in your career objective. The goal is to show what makes you stand out.
If you’re unsure which traits to highlight, scan the job description and look for keywords that apply to you. If the employer asks for someone self-motivated and results-driven, use those words to describe yourself. Just make sure you aren’t stretching the truth at this stage. Start your professional relationship on the basis of trust.
3. Add a few skills
You can tell a recruiter that you’re hardworking, driven, or experienced at a job. But proving those facts with specific examples is much more effective. If you want to focus your resume objective example on your abilities, use the space to explain how you’ve used them well in the past.
Someone applying for a marketing manager position might emphasize a successful social media project with metrics that show its success. And a prospective healthcare professional might point out their certifications or knowledge of regulatory practices for their role. Remember, the best skills for your resume are specific to the job you want, so use the job posting to guide your selections.
4. Explain your goals for yourself and the company
If you’ve ever looked up sample resume objectives, you may have noticed that many start with “Seeking a position” or include “expand their skillset” as part of the sentence.
But these statements are vague and obvious. If you’re applying for a job, the recruiter or hiring manager already knows you’re looking for a job. “Seeking a position” tells the recruiter how they can help you, not how you can help them.
Instead, tell a company what you bring to the table and how you can help them reach their goals. While it’s still fine to mention your career growth objectives — a recent grad might state that the job will launch their career in a certain field — explaining how you’ll benefit the company by working for them is even more important.
5. Keep it brief
Your career objective needs to be short and sweet to save room for more important information. Try to limit the entire statement to two or three lines. Pack those sentences with strong action verbs and job-specific qualities, and your resume will stand out from your fellow applicants.
4 career objective examples for beginners
Career objective statements are particularly important for beginners seeking entry-level positions. At this point in your career, you may not have enough work experience to fill out your resume, or at least not as far back as a resume should go.
The career objective statement on your resume should highlight your strengths no matter where you are in your career, persuading the company to give you a chance. Here are a few examples:
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Organized and motivated employee with superior [skill] and [skill]. Seeking to join [company] as a [position] to help enhance [function].
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Certified [position] looking to join [company] as a part of the [department] team. Hardworking individual with [skill], [skill], and [skill].
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Detail-oriented individual seeking to help [company] achieve its goals as a [position]. Excellent at [skill] and dedicated to delivering top-quality [function].
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[Position] certified in [skill] and [skill], looking to help [company] increase [goal metric]. Excellent [position] who can collaborate with large teams to [achieve goal].
4 career objective examples for experienced professionals
Whether you’re climbing the corporate ladder after years with the same company or reentering the applicant pool for a career change, seasoned employees can still use objective statements. The key is to point to your work history. Here are a few professional summary examples for resumes of workers with professional experience under their belt:
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Experienced [position] looking to help [company] provide excellent customer service. Over [number] years of experience at [company], demonstrating excellent [skill], [skill], and [skill].
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[Position] with [number] years of experience looking to help [company] improve its [function]. Diligent and detail-oriented professional with extensive experience with [hard skill].
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Hardworking [position] with [number] years of experience at a [type of environment]. Seeking to bring [skills] and experience to benefit [company] in the [department].
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Dedicated [position] with over [number] years of experience looking to move into [new field]. [Graduate degree title] from [school name]. Excellent [skill], [skill], and [skill].
4 objective examples for student resumes
Students seeking their first post-grad job may feel like their experience isn’t good enough to discuss. But as a student, you can still highlight your talent and skills with a career objective statement.
Instead of work history, emphasize assets like your GPA, degree title and expected graduation date, and skills you’ve learned in any apprenticeships or internships. Here are a few examples:
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Detail-oriented college student at [school] with [GPA]. Graduating in [year] with [degree title]. Looking to use [skills] as a [position] for [company].
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High school student with proven [skills] looking for a [position] at [company]. Proven [skill] as [extracurricular position]. Wishing to use [skills] to [achieve goals].
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Hardworking recent graduate in [degree] from [school]. Excellent [skills] and [skills]. Experienced in [function], function, and [function] at [company].
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[Degree] candidate in [subject] from [school] seeking a [position] at [company]. Experience in [function]. Exceptional [skills], [skills], and [skills].
Land the interview in just a few sentences
As the career objective examples above demonstrate, this statement highlights your skills and demonstrates how you’d be an asset to your potential employer’s organization.
Whether you point to your project management experience, human resources accomplishments, or soft skills you’ve developed throughout your life, a good objective will make your resume stand out — even if the recruiter only takes a quick glance. Take your time and craft something that’s true to you. If you get it right, it could bring your next great job opportunity.
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