6 Resume Objective Examples for Every type of Job Seeker

One of the first things a recruiter or hiring manager will see when you’re applying for a new role is your resume objective statement. This short, targeted statement can make all the difference when it comes to catching an employer’s attention and getting them to keep reading your resume.

Short though it may be, an impactful resume objective that utilizes action verbs and positions you as the ideal candidate for a specific role can go a long way when it comes to convincing someone to give you an interview, which could ultimately lead to landing the job you’ve always dreamed of.

It’s important to note that a resume objective differs from a resume summary. Your objective is not simply re-stating your qualifications, but rather 1-2 sentences that frame how your specific skill set will add value to the company hiring you.

A resume objective not only explains who you are and what you do, but shows recruiters and hiring managers how your skills can mean success for them if they hire you. Basically, you want to make yourself look like the ideal candidate for the specific job that you’re applying for.

The easiest way to do this is to tailor your resume objective to the job posting. This also means that you’ll need to rewrite a new resume objective for each job that you’re applying for. Copying and pasting the same generic couple of sentences onto each resume you submit is a red flag for recruiters and hiring managers that can lead them to believe you aren’t serious about the role.

Using a few select phrases, skills or keywords listed within your objective statement can also help prevent your resume from getting overlooked by an Applicant Tracking System. These automatic systems are calibrated to pick up on specific phrases and keywords, so including a couple within the first few lines of your resume is one way to help ensure your application actually gets seen.

A solid resume objective will not only capture the attention of whoever is reading it but will encourage them to keep reading. It draws them in and makes them consider how well you fit within the role they’re trying to fill.

The following resume objective examples cover six different job-seeking scenarios and show how to craft a persuasive and attention-grabbing statement whether you are transitioning from self-employed to a company role, a recent graduate, changing careers, applying for a management role, have an employment gap, or are working remotely.

1. Employment gap

When crafting a resume objective after a gap in employment, it is imperative to highlight how your previous experience can translate to success in your new role. This tactic can help convince hiring managers that even with an employment gap, you still possess the key skills needed to get the job done and produce desired results.

Draw attention to not only what you will do to achieve results, but that you have prior experience doing so. This won’t be a laundry-list of skills, rather a succinct description of how your experience can help you master the goals, tasks, or responsibilities listed in the job description.

Example:

2. Recent graduate

As a recent graduate, your job history likely won’t have the heft that your competitors’ resumes might. Instead of trying to impress a hiring manager with skills you have honed in on through years of experience, highlight your enthusiasm for learning their way of doing things and helping this particular company achieve its goals.

Example:

3. Management

When applying for management positions, hiring managers will look not only for experienced candidates, but those who are not afraid to explain exactly how they will lead. You can provide examples of your leadership style right in your resume objective and fill in the remainder of your resume with concrete proof to back up when and where you exercised these skills.

Example:

4. Transition from self-employed

Making the switch from working for yourself to working within a company structure can be a tough sell for some hiring managers who may confuse self-employed for self-serving. It’s important to cement your willingness to work as part of a team in a full-time role right from the start by including these sentiments within your resume objective.

In this situation, your objective statement should express not only your passion and drive for what you do, but highlight what attributes you could bring to the table that can prove how you would thrive in the role while working with others.

Example:

5. Remote work

Mentioning your preference for remote work upfront within your resume objective can help to hire managers to decide right from the get-go whether or not you should be considered for the position. Because some roles won’t have the option of remote work, getting this out of the way before going further into the hiring process can help prevent misunderstandings later on.

Alternatively, if you’re applying to a position that isn’t traditionally remote but could be, this is the perfect time to highlight how you would handle the role from a distance. If the job listing specifies the role as remote, your resume objective can serve to clearly communicate your understanding of the remote nature of the role right off the bat.

Example:

6. Career change

The biggest leverage a person making a career change has is the ability to explain how the skills they utilized within their old career will translate to success within their new career. Effectively and efficiently explaining this within your resume objective statement can help to hire managers not to dismiss your application simply because your previous experience doesn’t match up completely against those already working within the industry.

Example:

Source: theladders

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