85+ Resume Objective Examples by Job Title [2020 Updated] - Algrim.co

85+ Resume Objective Examples by Job Title [2020 Updated] - Algrim.co As a job seeker, you’ve read that a resume objective is necessary to include in your resume. But what is it? How do you write one? What should yours look like? And what do “good” resume objectives look like? These are common questions for job seekers. And ones that this writeup will address. Before we jump into these questions, let’s start by paraphrasing what this writeup is going to show you: You’ll learn what a resume objective is. You’ll learn what a resume summary is. You’ll learn what an executive summary is. You’ll learn whether or not a resume objective is necessary in modern resumes. You’ll learn what makes a great resume objective. You’ll learn what the different between a resume objective and executive summary is. You’ll learn how to make a resume objective which is impactful to your hiring manager. You’ll be given more than X examples of resume objectives (by job title) which can be used as a point of reference when writing your own. Before we jump in. Let’s see how the Dictionary defines the word “objective”: “a thing aimed at or sought; a goal.” OK, so this gives us some insight into what we should be focusing on. Goals, aspirations, desires, career paths, objectives. Got it! Ready to learn? Let's go! What is a Resume Objective? A resume objective is a brief paragraph at the top of your resume that states your career goals or career objectives. It is a place where you propose what you’re looking for in your career, what you hope to achieve with the company you’re applying to, and what you can bring to the table. What is a Resume Summary? A resume summary is very similar to a resume objective; it is a short paragraph at the beginning of your resume that states your career goals or career objectives. It is intended to provide the hiring manager with insight into what you desire as a candidate before reading your resume. What is an Executive Summary? An executive summary is a short written paragraph (or section) towards the top of a business letter. Its intention is to state the business letter purposes and summarizes a longer report or proposal. While this might not appear applicable to resumes, it can be if used appropriately. What is a Professional Summary? A professional summary is very similar to an executive summary. It is a brief paragraph that encapsulates your intention behind your business letter but contains more focus on your historical performance. Meaning, it is more focused on your professional history. But maybe more descriptive in terms of what you may want to write for your more ideal resume objective (a bullet-point style resume objective that contains prior work achievements). Is a Resume Objective Necessary? While this is highly debated, it is widely believed that a resume objective is no longer necessary. Why? A resume objective takes up valuable space that can distract the reader from your prior work or professional experience, education history, or personal achievements. Why Do You Need a Resume Objective? A resume objective can be a helpful way to summarize your resume. But only if done correctly. It is widely believed that your resume objective needs to be a proposal for your future employer. This is a statement that describes what you are seeking as an employee. How is that going to help your employer? It may not. Let’s analyze a traditional resume objective for a moment. “Seeking an environment which is conducive to creativity, collaboration, and world-class software execution.” Is that something your employer is going to find valuable? Probably not. If that’s the statement you want to make, you are better off removing it from your resume and keeping your resume focused on prior work experience or your academic achievements. But what if you made your resume objective something like this: Able to increase sales 23% annually at XYZ Company. Deployed a CRM system for XYZ Company. Brought in more than 20,000 leads for XYZ Company. Wow. Now that’s impactful. It provides insight into your work achievements and summarizes your career, right? Yes. For your employer, this will be a much easier way to understand who you are. But this approach isn’t right for everyone. For example, recent college graduates. Or entry-level workers and administrative workers. You might not have the ability to state your prior work experience in this way. Fear not, there are two methods for creating effective resume objectives. The Two Resume Objective Methods There are two ways to write your resume objective. The first is to write your resume objective much like in the last example above, three bullet points of your most impactful work achievements. The other method is to write your resume summary in a way that alludes to the type of work environment qualities that are conducive to you demonstrating your soft skills. Both of these methods show that you have work experience in the job function you’re applying for. And that’s what we want to communicate to our reader. Your hiring manager is searching for security when reading your resume. Here’s what they want to know: That you know how to perform this job. That you are a high-performing candidate on the job. That you have some prior experience or a good understanding of what’s required to deliver excellence. Both methods deliver that if performed and written correctly on your resume. But which method is right for you? The best way to determine which method is best for you is to wait to write your resume objective until after you’ve completed writing your prior work or professional experience section. In your prior work experience section you should including one to three bullet points for each job that encapsulates what role you played within the company and what you accomplished. If you have a healthy amount of accomplishments listed, consider taking three of the most impactful ones and utilizing the first method. If you find that you don’t have enough accomplishments (don’t feel bad, not all jobs are conducive to producing these types of results) than pick the second method where you describe the work environment that allows for you to utilize your talents. For the sake of this writeup, we're going to call the first method which utilizes your prior work achievements the “achievement method” and the second method, which utilizes your ability to recognize what work environment variables create great work the “traditional method”. What Makes a Great “Achievement Method” Resume Objective? If you feel like you are ready to write down bullet points that encapsulate your ability to perform as an employee, you should feel proud. The first thing to note is that when writing your bullet points, don’t presume that you need to write all of them about one specific company. Your achievements can be about any previous company and about any previous position. If you have multiple positions, try to line up your bullet points so that the most impactful achievement is at the top and the least impactful achievement is toward the bottom. When writing these bullet points, avoid going fast four major achievements. If your description of the achievement is one to two sentences, that’s okay. Anything further than that might be considered a paragraph and doesn’t work as well. The ideal scenario for the reader is that they’re able to scan these bullet points and get a strong impression that you are a high performing employee. Here is another example of what a great resume objective looks like when using this method: Hired more than 18 software engineers through Q1 of 2012 at XYZ Company Performed company-wide training of agile software development methodology for more than 78 engineers Q4 of 2012 at XYZ Company Improved our overall software delivery efficiency by 78% by deploying agile methodology as a software development lifecycle at XYZ Company Before Writing a “Achievement Method” Resume Objective Before you decide to write your achievement method resume objective, it’s imperative that you take time to reflect upon yourself. A few questions you should ask yourself are: Are you qualified for this position? Do you have the proper skills required to succeed in the position if you were to be hired? Do your achievements align with the type of achievements you might expect your future manager to task you with? Will your previous employers support the fact that you achieved the results you are about to list if your new employer contacts them? These are important questions to reflect upon and ensure you feel both comfortable and confident in the answer before you write and submit a resume objective of this kind. What Makes a Great “Traditional Method” Resume Objective? If you don’t have enough prior work achievements to create an “Achievement Method” resume objective, fear not. You can still create a great resume objective. In order to make yours effective, you’ll need to sit down and think through workplace qualities that present the opportunity for great work. For example, is active listening a big part of being able to have a creative environment? If it is, then you’ll want to say something along the lines of “desiring to be part of your collaborative culture that embraces listening, understanding, and empathy as part of its creative process.” The point is to both show that you understand what factors go into great work environments for your particular job function. Avoid speaking to work environment variables that are too high-level. For example, having diversity. While that’s very important, it is less applicable to your specific department or job function. Focus on what should be important to you, in your new role, if you were to be given it. Some ideas for discussion points to include would be the following. Your soft skills Speak to particular soft skills that you have which the job description may have alluded to. Is there a lot of team collaboration that’s required? Then you may want to speak to your ability to coordinate between teams and be adaptable. Your ability to relocate Maybe the job is in another state. If that’s the case, you may want to mention that you are willing to relocate to a geography that makes the most sense for the position. Your willingness and ability to travel Are you willing to travel? Does the job require travel? If so, mention how much you’re willing to travel. Expert tip: The most common request for travel is about 20% to 30% of your annual time commitment to the company. Disadvantages of the “Traditional Method” Resume Objective If you’ve decided that the traditional resume objective is right for you, it’s important to comprehend the potential negative effects that it might have on the reader. It may appear as though you are more concerned about yourself A resume objective, no matter which way it’s written, aside from your bullet-point style method (the “Achievement Method”), is going to sound like the most important thing to discuss is yourself. Why? Because it’s the first thing you want the reader to read. Meaning, you are placing your own emphasis highest on the priority list. That isn’t great. Great employees care about the company first and then how they fit in second. It could be misinterpreted No matter which way you look at it, this provides the interviewer or hiring manager a potential opportunity to misinterpret your message. Remember, you don’t know who is going to read your resume. And for the hiring manager or interviewer, the only thing they expected to read when opening your resume PDF was your prior work experience. It could extend the length of your resume Simple bullet points that express your prior work experience and knowledge is a very effective way for your hiring manager to scan your background and get a grasp of who you are professionally. If you accidentally write too long of a resume objective (say 3 sentences or more) than you could risk the interviewer not finishing your resume by simply feeling as though the commitment level is too high to read that many words. Why Do Some Experts Shy Away From Both Methods Some experts will tell you to shy away from both methods. Why is that? The reason is that they’re fearful that you’ll turn your resume into a short storybook. Your resume should be no longer than one-page. And contain only pertinent information to the employer and job that you’re attempting to receive employment at. For example, if you’re applying for a Creative Director position, it’s less important that you list your education experience and more important that you speak to your creative portfolio. Resume objectives can distract the employer. And because many job seekers make mistakes on their job application assets, experts shy away from giving you the opportunity to make another (your resume objective being present on the page). What Should You Expect From Your Resume Objective Before you spend too much time on your professional summary or resume objective, remember that the only goal for you as a job seeker and your resume is to reassure the employer that you have the skills required to succeed in the position. The way to do that is to use the right keywords for your resume. Does the job require a high degree of collaboration? Then use active listening as part of your resume. Does the job require a high degree of travel? Then use the words flexibility, adaptability, and commitment in your resume. Consider how much you are using these buzzwords. Only use them 15% of the time, at the most. Meaning, you aren’t referencing them too much but enough to where when the hiring manager scans your resume (or an Applicant Tracking System scans your resume) it can find a decent amount of references to the right skills. If you aren’t sure how often you’re using particular words, print your resume on a piece of paper. Then get at least three variations of colored highlighters and then highlight words you use often. When you’re finished, count the number of times you used that word in your cover letter, resume, and resume objective. You shouldn’t use the same keyword or buzzword more than 5 times. Try variations of the keyword when you feel like the keyword is fitting to your storytelling, but repeats the usage of the word too many times. How to Make Your Resume Objective Even More Appealing To Your Employer The reality is, your resume objective won’t be appealing to your employer. Listing your prior work achievements in bullet-style format (the “Achievement Method”) can be a great way to earn the trust of your employer enough to have the desire to interview you. But how can you really speak to your future employer and resume reader in a way that’s going to make them say, “Yes, we need to hire this person!” The best thing you can do is connect with someone who works at the company and learn what really makes them tick. What the environment really values. For example, this now public information about Facebook is helpful. In the work culture, they had a slogan (which they’ve now retired as of 2018) which was all over the walls. It was “Move Fast and Break Things”. This slogan is indicative of the type of work culture that Facebook embraced. If you were an applicant to Facebook in 2017, what do you think your resume objective should have said? It would have said, “I want to move fast and break things!” If you can connect with an employee who works at the company you want to be part of through LinkedIn, you might get the opportunity to ask them about the work culture. Ask if there are any pillars of excellence that exist in the culture and what they are. Ask if there are any slogans that the CEO or Human Resources team seem to point to often. These can be helpful insider research points that can make your resume objective seem like it was written by an already employee. How Long Should Your Objective Be? If you’re using the bullet-style method (the “Achievement Method”) then it should be more than 4 bullet points with two sentences per bullet point. If you’re using the “Traditional Method” then avoid having your resume objective be longer than 250 words. 15+ Resume Objective Examples by Job Title Below are “Traditional Method” resume objective examples that you can use as a reference when writing your own resume objective. Human Resources Resume Objectives “Seeking an environment that appreciates culture, diversity, creativity, empathy, understanding, respect, and allows for team building.” “Desiring to be part of an HR team that active in nurturing culture, innovation, diversity, and respect amongst the employee base. And provides guidance to those who need it.” Administrative Assistant Resume Objectives “Seeking an environment which honors its culture and utilizes administrative functions as a way to drive success, revenue, and overall business competition in the marketplace.” “Professional who understands that scheduling, note-taking, coordinating emails, and other operational tasks can drag down important executives who need to focus.” Teacher Resume Objectives “Seeking an environment that is conducive to education and understands that strong support is required to deliver world-class education to our youth. From emotional support to physical guidance.” “A strong education leader who can provide strutted education and find a way to make education fun for every learning type. Seeks an environment where teachers are collaborative and assistive in their daily duties.” Nursing Resume Objectives “Seeking a fact-paced environment where team members are able to collaborate under a high-pressure environment. Looking for collaborative nurses who have high attention to detail and appreciate empathizing with our patients.” “Seeking an environment where team members have a friendly, professional attitude and understand that patient care is part of the product that we offer.” Customer Service Resume Objectives “Seeking a position that embraces the idea that customer support is part of the brand. A living, breathing, product that needs to be nurtured and tracked like any other department.” “Desiring to work with other strong professionals who understand how to empathize with our customers, learn about their needs, and problem-solve on the fly.” Sales Representative Resume Objectives “Desiring to be part of an experienced sales team who knows how to address customer needs and turn leads into sales. Utilizing social skills, upset skills, and being able to turn relationships into revenue.” “Desiring a team that knows how to sell world-class products and services by influencing our customers in a positive manner. Being able to educate them on our solutions, learn about their needs, empathize with them, and make great relationships.” Warehouse Worker Resume Objectives “Experienced and hardworking warehouse worker looking to obtain a position with COMPANY with the hope of building a career within it.” “Warehouse worker with X years of experience looking to apply my organizational, time-management, and teamwork skills in a group environment to contribute to the productivity and overall success of the workplace.” “To acquire a role as a warehouse worker where I am able to utilize my X years of experience in a team setting and positively contribute to COMPANY.” Supervisor Resume Objectives “Seeking a role as a supervisor where I can manage and support teams and assist them in positive growth and career acceleration.” “Manager with experience in a variety of workplace settings, eager to find a supervisor’s position that provides opportunities for personal and professional growth and allows me to utilize my leadership, communication, and teamwork skills.” Social Worker Resume Objectives “An experienced and trained social worker with expertise in client management, not-for-profit work, and case management seeking a community-based role where I am able to apply my practical skills with my passion for helping others.” “Seeking a position as a social worker focusing on the area of case management in an agency that has the opportunity for growth and personal and professional development. Eager to work alongside a team of passionate community workers who are focused on improving the lives of others.” Server Resume Objectives “Server with a proven track record in sales, service, and customer satisfaction looking for a role where I can assist in cultivating memorable experiences for customers.” “Looking to apply my serving experience in a fast-paced restaurant environment where I can help COMPANY heighten their customer experience and consistently reach targets and goals.” Receptionist Resume Objectives “Organized, client-centric receptionist, looking to apply X+ years of experience and knowledge to an administrative role where I am able to assist in increasing client satisfaction and overall productivity.” “To acquire a receptionist role with COMPANY where I can utilize my communications, organizational, and customer service skills to help with the day-to-day management of the office environment.” Child Care Worker Resume Objectives “Seeking a role as a child care worker that will allow me to utilize my communication and active listening skills to create a fun and educational experience for the children in my care.” “Eagerly searching for a position as a child care worker within a SPECIFIC setting where I have the opportunity for personal and professional growth as well as the ability to work in a meaningful environment.” Pharmacy Technician Resume Objectives “To obtain a pharmacy technician role within a thriving pharmacy setting where I am able to apply my clinical and administrative skills to assist local patients in our community.” “Organized, focused, and customer-driven pharmacy technician looking for an opportunity to contribute to and learn from a client-centric environment.” Office Clerk Resume Objectives “Seeking a permanent office clerk position in a team-based environment where I am able to apply my superb communication, time management skills, and knowledge to complete detail-oriented work that will benefit both employees and clients.” “Office clerk with X years of experience working in a variety of officer settings looking to obtain a role where I can combine my customer service and administrative skills to make a positive impact.” Medical Assistant Resume Objectives “Client-focused, detail-oriented, and passionate medical assistant looking for a position in a clinic where I can utilize my X years of experience in a clinical setting.” “To obtain a medical assistant position where I can apply my administrative and clinical skills in a setting that allows me to grow as a professional and positively contribute to the patient experience.” Computer Science Resume Objectives “Computer science professional seeking a challenging role within a company that allows me to utilize my critical thinking and analytical skills in both an independent and team setting to solve problems.” “Creative, critical, and eager computer science professional looking to secure a role with COMPANY to apply my X years of computer science skills and experience, making a positive contribution to the company overall.” CNA Resume Objectives “Client-focused, detail-oriented, and passionate CNA looking for a position in a clinic where I can utilize my X years of experience providing clinical and emotional support for patients.” “To obtain a CNA position where I am able to apply my clinical skills in a setting that allows me to grow as a professional and positively contribute to the patient experience.” CPA Resume Objectives “To secure a permanent position as an accountant at a company where I can share my knowledge and use my X years of business accounting experience to help with the company’s growth.” “Organized, adaptable, and innovative CPA with over X years of experience looking to find a role within a (large company/firm/organization) where I can lend my expertise to assist in the overall profitability of the company.” Resume Objective Samples by Job Title Human Resources Administrative Assistant Nurse Customer Service Sales Representative Retail Associate Receptionist Medical Assistant College Student Accountant Recent Graduate Social Worker Pharmacy Technician Child Care Worker Warehouse Worker Office Clerk Computer Science (Software Engineer) Supervisor CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) Server (Waitress) Resume Objective FAQ's & Writing Guide Below are common questions job seekers have regarding writing their career objective, resume objective, and objective statements. What's the difference between a resume objective and career objective? In short, nothing. Though a career objective might be a better way to describe a resume objective for those who have very little previous professional experience. It may state what they expect or hope to achieve with their career. If you are concerned that your needs require a career objective, don't be. A career objective and resume objective are roughly the same. The same goes for objective statements. They are simply a synopsis of your career and knowledge for the manager. What's the difference between resume objectives and career objective statements? In short, nothing. They are the same. Though objective statements may be a better way to describe a type of resume opening that describes what you're seeking as a candidate. How does a resume objective show my communication skills to my prospective employer? Writing an impactful opening in under 200 characters is going to be challenging. Try to make your objective as impactful as possible using work achievements instead of reasons why you feel you should be employed. Should I have a resume objective on my entry-level position resume? It's not necessary. For entry-level position resumes, you should focus more on your prior professional experience, your knowledge of what's required of the position, and ensuring your skills align with the job you're applying for. What are good skills to mention on my resume objective? The following skills are always great to bring up: Communication skills Problem-solving skills Organizational skills Interpersonal skills What is a career summary? A career summary and resume objective are the same. Though, a career summary may be better suited for those with 20+ years of experience and have enough work achievements to capture five bullet points or more. Generally, these are a synopsis of your knowledge and abilities as a professional. Should I mention my bachelor's degree? Your prospective employer will care less about your bachelor's degree than they would your prior work experience and achievements while employed in those positions. You should reference your education less than your prior work experience. The same rules apply for those with a master's degree. What is a good resume objective for an entry-level job? You should spend time thinking about previous work accomplishments that apply to the position you're seeking. From there, try to position your resume for the entry-level job you'd like to acquire. Remember, it is all about targeting your resume to the job you want. What is a career objective statement? It is the same as a resume objective. What makes a good resume objective? A good resume objective is one that doesn't use too many resume keywords, contains a healthy amount of professional accomplishments, and speaks to the competencies you can provide to the company through your work. When should I start writing my objective when writing a resume? Ideally, save this part for last. Even though it is toward the top of the page, you may want to prioritize this portion last. You will have more information to work with if you start with your previous work first. What is a job objective? It is the same as the resume objective. Where can I find more objective examples? Each of the resume samples in our database contains objectives you can use. If you don't see a sample resume that fits your needs, please contact us. We are always interested in improving our resume templates. How can I make sure the recruiter reads my resume objective? There is no guarantee that a recruiter will. The best thing you can do is to reference your accomplishments in more places than one. This includes your cover letter. Is listing the ability to be part of cross-functional teams a good skill set to mention? Certainly, for management positions especially. Try to mention what you accomplished for the company by being part of cross-functional teams versus simply stating it. What advice would you give to someone who is preparing to write a resume objective or career objective? Think about what you would need during the hiring process. And start from there. If you were hiring for this position, what qualities and knowledge would you want to see in a professional? And how would you want to ensure they can do exactly what they say they can do? Think about how you'd like to examine the professional's career and determine their fit very quickly. My friends told me I should be writing a career objective and not a resume objective, should I be concerned? No. They are the same. Be sure to write an impactful career objective and resume objective by using statistics, accomplishments, and accolades of your work. If you are still concerned that you need to be focusing on a career objective, you should write yours then ask your friend or colleague to review your objective and ensure it is what they believed a career objective should appear like. What's one piece of advice you would give someone who is preparing to write a resume? Be sure you consider what the professional hiring for the position wants to see. Consider their needs and questions they may have regarding your professional abilities and what you can bring to the table. Then try to address those questions as you write a resume. Show your knowledge of the position through your previous jobs. And your knowledge of what's required to succeed. Should I use a resume builder? A resume builder can certainly help with your formatting. Though, it will not help you write a better summary of your career. Instead, ask a friend to help review yours to gain better insight. They may be able to help share their job-seeking knowledge with you to speed up the process.