The objective sentence of your resume should outline your career goals to the employer. These goals need to be specific and communicate why you’d be a good fit for the company. In the objective sentence, you gain the opportunity to prove to the employer that you are the best candidate for the job.
The objective statement is the first thing an employer reads on the resume. It is placed at the top of the page, just below your name and contact information. Thus, the object “leads” your application and encourages employers to scan your resume further; it also encourages them to offer you a job interview.
Because of the importance of the objective statement, it is imperative that you spend time and put in effort to creating a strong one. When writing your own objective sentence, keep the following in mind:
- Do not use the word “I”. The first person point of view is frowned upon in resumes because it makes the applicant seem self-centered. Companies want applicants who are interested in the good of the company, not in themselves.
- The objective is typically one sentence long. Do not use run-on sentences or make your objective overly long. Employers want to be able to read it fast and still fully understand your career goals.
- Tailor your objective to the company you are applying to. Write a new objective for each individual company. Different employers value different skills. Make sure you target the qualities you have that fit each employer’s needs, rather than using a generic objective sentence.
- Do research on the companies you are applying to. Make sure that you understand their values so you can explain why you are the best candidate for them.
- Don’t be vague, and avoid use of cliché phrases. If you can tell an employer why you fit their specific needs, you will more likely be invited to an interview; if you are vague on your abilities, it’s more likely that you’ll be turned down. Cliché phrases, such as “career growth opportunities” are often seen as vague.
- Check all spelling and grammar yourself. Do not rely on spellcheck. Words such as “their” and “there” can be used in the wrong context, but spellcheck software will miss the mistake.
The attached YouTube video has many examples of good and bad resume objective sentences. Review them and compare your own resume objective to it to see if you’ve written a high-quality sentence.
