Resume objective examples
A resume objective is a line or two at the top that says what job you want. For most experienced applicants a summary has replaced it, because a reader cares more about what you bring than what you hope to find. But an objective still earns its place in a few situations: a first job, a change of field, a move to a new city, or a return to work. In each of those, the reader needs context that the rest of the page does not give.
Objective or summary
A summary describes what you already do: your role, the kind of work, and one proof. An objective describes the job you are aiming for and why you are a reasonable bet for it. If your recent experience already matches the job, write a summary. If it does not, or if you have little experience, an objective can explain the gap before the reader has to guess.
Whichever you choose, keep it to two lines and make it specific to the posting.
What a useful objective says
A good objective names the role you want, the strength you bring to it, and, when it helps, the reason for the change. It should read as an offer, not a request. I want a position where I can grow tells the reader nothing. Seeking an entry level accounting role where my bookkeeping for a family business applies tells them what you want and why you could do it.
Cut words that fit anyone, such as motivated, passionate, and dynamic. Replace them with one thing you have actually done.
When you are changing careers
An objective is most useful when your last job title points somewhere else. Name the new field, then the skill from your old work that carries over. A teacher moving into corporate training, a server moving into sales, or a retail manager moving into operations all have strong transferable skills that a reader may miss without a sentence pointing to them.
Follow it with a bullet or two in your experience that proves the transferable skill, so the objective is not the only evidence.
When you are moving or returning to work
If you are applying in a new city before you move, an objective can say so with a date, which answers a question that might otherwise get your application set aside. If you are returning after time away, a short objective can name the role you want and the skills you kept current, without explaining the gap in detail.
Keep personal reasons out of it. The reader needs the plan, not the story.
Tailor it to every posting
An objective that names a different job title than the posting is worse than none at all. Change the role name and the strength for each application, using the posting's words where they are true for you.
If you are sending many applications, keep a short list of objectives for the kinds of roles you apply to most and adjust the closest one each time.
Write a resume objective
Decide if you need one
Use an objective for a first job, a career change, a move, or a return to work.
Name the role from the posting
Use the same title the employer uses.
Add one strength with proof
Something you have actually done that applies.
Add the reason only if it helps
A move date or a change of field, without personal detail.
Keep it to two lines
Cut every word that would fit any applicant.
Resume objective examples to adapt
Each one is short and names the role and one strength, plus the reason where a reason helps. The people and details are invented, so replace every detail with your own.
First job, high school student
High school junior seeking a part time cashier role on weekends, bringing cash handling experience from running a school fundraiser table.
Recent graduate
Recent business graduate seeking an entry level operations role, bringing budgeting and scheduling experience from serving as treasurer of a student club.
Career change: teacher to corporate training
Middle school teacher moving into corporate training, bringing years of designing lessons that took learners from a pretest to a passing final.
Career change: server to sales
Restaurant server seeking an inside sales role, bringing a habit of recommending add ons that regularly made the section the top seller on busy nights.
Moving to a new city
Medical assistant relocating to Denver this spring, seeking a clinic role that uses patient intake experience from a busy family practice.
Returning to work
Bookkeeper returning to work, seeking a part time bookkeeping role, with accounting software skills refreshed through a community college course this year.
Before and after: replacing a vague objective
Weak: Motivated professional seeking a challenging position where I can grow and use my skills. Stronger: Retail associate seeking a first office assistant role, bringing experience opening and closing a store, including the cash count and the shift schedule.
Nursing, new graduate
New graduate nurse seeking a medical surgical residency, bringing clinical rotations on a busy adult floor, with licensure in progress.
Software developer, career change
Former lab technician moving into software development, bringing a data cleaning tool built for the lab that the whole team now uses.
Customer service
Call center agent seeking a customer success role, bringing a record of calming upset callers and solving the problem on the first call.
Warehouse
Warehouse associate seeking a lead role, bringing experience training new pickers until they reached the team pace.
Electrician apprentice
First year electrical apprentice seeking a residential crew, bringing trade school training and summer work pulling wire for new homes.
Administrative assistant
Front desk receptionist seeking an administrative assistant role, bringing experience running the calendar for a three doctor office.
Marketing
Recent communications graduate seeking a marketing coordinator role, bringing a semester running social accounts for a campus club that doubled its event turnout.
Accounting and finance
Accounting graduate seeking a staff accountant role, bringing an internship spent on the monthly close and bank reconciliations.
Veteran moving to civilian work
Army logistics specialist moving into civilian supply chain work, bringing experience tracking equipment for a unit across several sites.
Internship, college student
Sophomore studying data science seeking a summer analytics internship, bringing a class project that cleaned and charted city bus ridership data.
Part time while in school
College student seeking evening and weekend barista shifts, bringing a year of cafe experience during the morning rush.
Related reading
Questions
- Should I put an objective on my resume?
- Only if it adds context the rest of the page does not, such as a first job, a career change, a move, or a return to work. Otherwise a short summary is usually stronger.
- What is the difference between a resume objective and a summary?
- A summary describes what you already do. An objective names the job you want and why you are a reasonable fit for it.
- How long should a resume objective be?
- One or two lines. If it runs longer, it is probably trying to be a cover letter.
Where ApplyASAP fits
If you are applying to many roles at once, ApplyASAP can tailor the top of your resume to each posting.
ApplyASAP is one option when you want the sending done for you. It finds openings for the titles and places you name, tailors your resume to each posting, and does not invent employers, dates, degrees, titles, numbers, certifications, or people you managed. It answers the application questions, and the team sends and tracks each application. Skills it adds are ones your role and level usually carry, and you can take any of them off. The resume still has to be true.
Want to see how one resume lines up with one posting? Try the free resume keyword checker. It runs in your browser and saves nothing.