What is an objective on a resume?
An objective on a resume (also called a career objective or objective statement) is a resume introduction that addresses a specific job ad, acting as a career mission statement by introducing the skills and qualifications you can bring to a position.
Because they emphasize potential rather than achievements, resume objectives are best for job seekers with little or no experience in a field, such as entry-level applicants and career changers. The two resume objective examples below focus on the applicant’s capabilities to get hiring managers’ attention:
Entry-Level Resume Objective Example for People Beginning Their Careers
General Resume Objective Example for Multiple Jobs
You can skip ahead to the 54 other resume objective examples we have to show you, or keep reading to learn how to write one:
How to write an objective for a resume (with examples for students and recent graduates)
In the following video our resident expert and Certified Professional Resume Writer, Aaron Case, breaks down everything you need to know about how to write an effective resume objective (but if you’d prefer to read about it, keep scrolling):
To write a good resume objective, first research the company and think about how your personal background (experience, skills, education, and interests) makes you the best fit for the role. Why should the specific company hire you for that job opening? What makes you better than other applicants?
Once you determine which of your information is most likely to stand out to the employer, summarize it in three sentences, like this:
- First sentence: Self-introduction where you mention your years of relevant experience (if any) and degree or level of education
- Second sentence: Your most job-relevant hard and soft skills
- Third sentence: The role you’re targeting and how you plan to help the company achieve its goals
Here are example resume objectives written for a college graduate resume, a college student resume, and a high school resume. They’re color-coded to show how each sentence aligns with the writing guidelines above:
Recent college graduate resume objective example
Recent college graduate with a BA in English Literature and six months of international internship experience. Dedicated worker skilled at data entry and taking dictation. Seeking to leverage acquired academic knowledge and work experience to effectively fill AZZ Inc’s open Office Clerk position.
College student resume objective example
Motivated college junior with 2+ years’ experience volunteering as an ESL tutor. Became the most-requested tutor at the ESL center thanks to my ability to quickly identify students’ needs and develop efficient solutions. Excited to bring these skills to College Prep Corp’s part-time Tutor position.
High school resume objective example
Hard-working student (3.5/4.0 GPA) with proven leadership and organizational skills, and strong attention to detail developed in multiple AP classes. Team player who can be relied upon to help with administrative and customer service tasks. Seeking to apply my abilities to fill the internship role listed on Bauble Inc.’s website.
The sample resume objectives above include details like relevant coursework, volunteer work, and GPAs to make up for a lack of professional experience. If you’re writing a resume to begin your career, you can also include that information and other extracurricular activities in your resume objective to compete with more experienced applicants.
54 Resume Objective Examples
Looking for job-winning resume objective examples to take ideas from? We provide 54 resume objective examples below organized by:
- Experience level
- Role (entry-level, supervisor, manager)
- Life situation (career changing, high school, college, internship, part-time job)
- Job title
Resume Objective Examples Based on Experience Level
Your resume objective should feature different information depending on your experience level. Here are examples of good resume objectives for inexperienced and experienced applicants:
Resume Objective for Job Seekers Without Experience
If you’re writing a resume objective for your first job, focus on your job-specific skills and training to show employers what you’re capable of, like this:
Related Resume Resources:
Resume Objective for Experienced Workers
If you do have relevant work experience, emphasize your accomplishments and job-ready skills in your resume objective to catch the hiring manager’s eye. Here’s an example of a resume objective written by an applicant with a little work experience:
Related Resume:
Resume Objective Examples Based on Role
Here are resume object examples for four different roles within a company: entry level, supervisor, and manager:
Entry-Level Resume Objective
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Supervisor Resume Objective
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Manager Resume Objective
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Resume Objective Examples Based on Life Situation
Sometimes you need to write a resume to match your situation in life (e.g., a resume for an internship). Below are five resume objective examples for different life situations:
Career Change Resume Objective
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High School Student Resume Objective
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College Student Resume Objective
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Internship Resume Objective
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Part-Time Job Resume Objective
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Resume Objective Examples Based on Job Title
Looking for a resume objective example for your specific job title? We’ve got resume objective examples for positions in the following job categories:
- Academic
- Administration & Office Support
- Banking & Finance
- Beauty
- Childcare
- Customer Service & Retail
- Education
- Engineering
- Food & Food Service
- Healthcare
- Information Technology (IT)
- Legal & Law Enforcement
- Manual Labor & Skilled Trades
- Sales & Marketing
- Writing
Academic
Looking for a resume objective example for an academic CV or resume? Here’s a research assistant resume objective example that you can adapt for your purposes:
Research Assistant Resume Objective
Related Resumes and CV:
Administration & Office Support
If you’re seeking an office-based role, here are some resume objectives for inspiration.
Administrative Assistant Resume Objective
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Executive Assistant Resume Objective
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Office Assistant Resume Objective
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Banking & Finance
Applying for a job in the banking and finance industry? Here are resume objective examples for an accountant, bank teller, and financial analyst:
Accounting Resume Objective
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Bank Teller Resume Objective
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Financial Analyst Resume Objective
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Beauty
To showcase your skills in the beauty industry, follow the example of these resume objectives:
Esthetician Resume Objective
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Cosmetology Resume Objective
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Childcare
Look at the below example to get an idea of how to write a resume objective for your childcare resume:
Babysitter Resume Objective
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Customer Service & Retail
Below are examples of resume objectives written for customer service and retail jobs:
Customer Service Resume Objective
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Call Center Resume Objective
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Cashier Resume Objective
Related Resumes:
- Retail sales associate resume
- Grocery store cashier resume
- Retail manager resume
- Store manager resume
Education
School hiring managers look for your teacher skills on your resume. Let employers know immediately that you can lead the classroom by listing your most relevant teaching qualifications in your resume objective like these educators do:
Preschool Teacher Resume Objective
Related Resume Example and Objectives:
- Elementary teacher resume
- Math teacher resume
- Special education teacher resume
- Teacher resume
- Teacher resume objective examples
Substitute Teacher Resume Objective
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Engineering
Whether you’re a soon-to-graduate engineering student or an experienced engineer changing your industry focus, you can use these resume objective examples for inspiration:
Civil Engineer Resume Objective
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Mechanical Engineer Resume Objective
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Food & Food Service
Looking for work in the food and food service industry? Highlight your relevant skills like the applicants do in these resume objectives:
Bartender Resume Objective
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Food Service Resume Objective
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Line Cook Resume Objective
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Fast Food Resume Objective
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Waiter Resume Objective
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Healthcare
Providing medical care to patients requires good carer skills. Learn how to show hiring managers you have these skills by using these resume objectives to learn how to write your own:
Medical Assistant Resume Objective
Related Resume Samples and Objectives:
- Medical assistant resume
- Physician assistant resume
- Medical assistant resume objective examples
- Caregiver resume
Nursing Resume Objective
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CNA Resume Objective
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Phlebotomist Resume Objective
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Information Technology (IT)
If you work in IT, you already know software and hardware skills are essential. But you might not know how to write a compelling resume objective. Here are some examples to show you how:
IT Project Manager Resume Objective
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Data Entry Clerk Resume Objective
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Software Developer Resume Objective
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Legal & Law Enforcement
Here are resume objective examples for a paralegal and police officer:
Paralegal Resume Objective
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Police Officer Resume Objective
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Manual Labor & Skilled Trades
Attention to detail and technical abilities should be at the top of your resume if you’re a blue-collar worker or skilled laborer. Learn how to showcase these skills by looking at these sample resume objectives:
Construction Worker Resume Objective
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Housekeeper Resume Objective
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Custodian Resume Objective
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Janitor Resume Objective
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Security Guard Resume Objective
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Truck Driver Resume Objective
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Warehouse Worker Resume Objective
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Sales & Marketing
Marketing is an ever-changing industry, so show employers you’re adaptable and open to new ideas in your resume objective. Below are three examples of well-written sales and marketing resume objectives:
Sales Resume Objective (College Graduate)
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Sales Resume Objective (No Degree)
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Marketing Assistant Resume Objective
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Social Media Resume Objective
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Fundraiser Resume Objective
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Writing
As a writer, you need a standout resume objective to show hiring managers that you have the writing skills they’re looking for. Here’s an example resume objective for a journalist resume that you can follow:
Journalism Resume Objective
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