Sample Resume Objectives: Why use resume objective statements?

Some sample resume objectives are listed below. But first, let's have a look at the debate about the relative merits of including a resume objective statement in your resume.

Those who are against them argue that they are generally poorly written, unexciting and either unnecessarily limiting or, paradoxically, in an attempt to avoid being too limiting, so vague as to have little value. Those in favor believe that, when well written, resume objective statements serve to capture an employer's attention in the half minute or so in which they will initially scan your resume, by describing exactly what you want to do for their organization and the key talents that equip you for the role.

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So what are some of the guidelines on constructing a winning resume objective statement? Firstly it should be a concise and powerful statement that shows the employer you understand their need and conveys how you can add value to their business. It should relate to the particular role in question, rather than listing in a general way everything you want in a new role. And it should be designed to lead the employer in positively to the rest of your resume and to whet their appetite for the information provided there.

A resume objective statement should definitely be included on the resumes of students seeking their first trainee role after graduating or applying for internships during their studies, as it should on the resumes of those applying for university admission. Individuals with only a couple of years' business experience will also improve the impact of their resume dramatically by including a carefully crafted resume objective statement, as will those seeking a change of career track.

Free sample resume objective statements

Below are some examples of how a resume objective statement might be structured for maximum impact:

• A new graduate applying for a trainee position with a major corporation might write something along the following lines: "A persuasive and commercially minded business studies graduate with sales and marketing internship experience, seeking a successful career in sales management with a market-leading organization."
• An individual seeking their first human resources management role after two years' experience might write: "Human resources professional with rounded two-year induction in market-leading organization seeks to employ first rate technical knowledge and exceptional interpersonal skills in first managerial position."
• Candidates seeking a new career direction must find a way to express the desired change, whilst convincing the reader that they possess the requisite skills or personal profile to make the switch. The following statement combines the two aspects effectively: "Experienced business professional with highly developed training, motivational and presentation skills seeks to develop successful new teaching career in forward-looking secondary school environment."

When not to use resume objective statements

Although resume objective statements can be highly effective in drawing the employer's attention to what you have to offer, there are some situations where they may not be the best way to promote yourself. Using such a statement will be too limiting if you are using your resume for a more general speculative approach, such as at a careers fair, for submission to a website, or when you want to be considered for more than one position within a company.

Job seekers who already have several years' solid business experience under their belt will also find that a resume objective statement does not sell them to their best advantage. A more effective approach is to include a "profile" section at the top of your resume - in short, a two or three sentence summary of your key areas of experience, principal skills and personal qualities, together with an indication of your career ambitions. A profile, just like a resume objective statement, is designed to hook the reader in and make them want to read on, but allows you to provide significantly more detail on what you have to offer.

Developing resume objective statements

Finally, if you have decided to include a resume objective statement, consider developing more than one version, tailored to the different types of roles or organizations you are targeting. You may wish to take this further still, re-crafting your resume objective (or indeed your profile) every time you make a specific application. Even if you make no other changes to your resume, a minor tweak of focus in this key area may make all the difference in determining whether your application immediately captures the reader's attention or simply blends into the mass of other resumes in the pile.

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