Objective Section or Qualifications Summary?

While it’s important for your resume to include a clear career goal, you don’t have to convey it through an Objective section. The majority of job seekers may incorporate their career goals into a Qualifications Summary instead.

Career changers and entry-level workers should consider incorporating their objectives into their resumes, because their goals may not be clearly defined by their work history alone. If you’re targeting a particular position, add a formal objective statement and reference the job opening. The hiring manager will see you took time to customize your resume and the opportunity is important to you.

Tips for Writing Your Own

• Focus on how you would benefit the employer, not on how the employer would benefit you. Stay away from objectives that state your working preferences, such as “seeking a team-oriented environment that fosters professional development.”
• Don’t be vague. Steer clear from statements that say nothing substantial about your career goal (e.g., “seeking a challenging position with potential for growth and advancement”).
• Keep it concise and targeted. Hiring managers often sort through hundreds to thousands of resumes to fill one job opening. Make it easy on them by keeping your objective short and to the point. The best objectives contain a desired job title or target.
• If you have more than one career goal, create a different resume version for each objective.

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