Understanding career objective examples

When you apply for a new job, it’s important to read through your resume to ensure it aligns with the job description and, ultimately, what you’re looking for in a position. Writing a career objective at the top of your resume can be particularly helpful as an entry-level candidate or someone who is changing careers because it helps hiring managers understand what you hope to get out of your future career. Reviewing career objective examples can help you create your own objective to help you advance in the interview process.

Learn the importance of a career objective and use these career objective examples to help you create one that’s tailored to your specific skills and the company’s needs.

Why is a career objective important?

Career objectives allow hiring managers to better understand your career goals and what you’ve accomplished so far. Though you don’t have to provide a career objective on your resume, they have the potential to get the attention of hiring managers before they go on to read your resume in its entirety.

Career objectives are especially important for job candidates who don’t have much work experience as it gives them the opportunity to divulge their career interests and what they’re looking for in a future position. In addition, career objectives are beneficial for individuals who are changing careers or industries. This is because it allows them to explain why some of the information on their resume doesn’t necessarily align with the position they’re applying for and why they want to change their focus.

How to write your career objective

When you write a career objective, it’s important that it’s tailored to your specific experience, passions, and interests. Follow these steps to write an effective and concise career objective:

1. Start with a sentence that details your strongest traits, career goals, and what you hope to achieve for the company you’re applying with.
2. Though not necessary, you can state the name of the company and the role you’re applying for so the hiring manager knows what position you’re seeking.
3. Stick to one to three sentences or 30 to 50 words at a maximum.
4. Before you finalize your career objective, read it over and check for grammatical and spelling errors.

Good career objective examples

Now that you know how to write a career objective, consider these general resume objective examples to help you write your own:

• ‘To find a challenging position where I can grow both personally and professionally.’
• ‘Highly motivated tax specialist seeking a position where I can grow my mathematical skills and attention to detail.’
• ‘Result-oriented and motivated individual seeking a management position with a professional company in an effort to grow my leadership skills and help the company achieve its goals.’
• ‘Seeking the role of an entry-level illustrator to expand my drawing techniques and help achieve the goals of a professional company.’
• ‘To secure employment with a reputable company where I can expand my knowledge and skill set.’
• ‘Seeking a senior-level position to further use my training and skills to make a positive contribution to a reputable company.’
• ‘Seeking an entry-level position to start my career in a professional setting.’
• ‘Organized professional with strong knowledge in a variety of subjects seeking the role of a high school teacher to provide students with creative and high-level lesson plans.’
• ‘Hard-working sales professional with over five years of experience in customer-facing roles seeking employment at an established company.’
• ‘Collaborative individual with seven years of graphic design experience seeking employment at a goal-oriented company.’
• ‘Goal-oriented individual seeking employment as a content writer to create compelling pieces for a variety of clients.’
• ‘Seeking a rewarding career as a financial analyst to learn the best accounting and analysis practices in the workplace.’
• ‘Recent graduate seeking to put my knowledge of writing and editing to good use while expanding my skills in a professional setting.’
• ‘Innovative interior designer seeking a reputable position with a highly professional real estate firm where I can grow my project management and planning skills.’
• ‘Dedicated civil engineer with over six years of experience in managing a multitude of engineering projects. Detail-oriented and committed to providing high-quality structures that comply with environmental, health, and safety measures.’
• ‘A dedicated and organized individual seeking for a responsible position to gain professional experience in the medical field.’
• ‘To use my technical skills to help a reputable company achieve its goals as they relate to customer satisfaction.’
• ‘Seeking the role of a sales manager where 10 years of sales experience and negotiation skills can be used to reach sales goals and drive revenue.’
• ‘Dedicated human resources professional seeking to put my knowledge of policymaking and conflict resolution to use.’
• ‘Seeking the role of a biology high school teacher to apply my knowledge of the sciences and help students achieve their goals and highest potential.’
• ‘A solid academic record with experience working at a college newspaper and collaborating with other news-minded individuals. I am seeking employment as a reporter to further my journalism knowledge and use my skills to help disseminate news.’
• ‘To further expand my knowledge of academia and use my five years of teaching experience to educate students of different upbringings and cultures at a progressive institution.’
• ‘Journalism graduate with two years of experience in a daily newsroom covering both breaking and sports news. Looking for a professional and challenging role in a positive environment that encourages growth and collaboration.’
• ‘Licensed physical therapist with experience treating patients of all ages with medical injuries and illnesses. Seeking rewarding position within an office, hospital, or nursing home.’
• ‘Accomplished lawyer with seven years of expertise in labor laws and company affairs looking for role at a reputed law firm to assist clients and further grow my legal skills.’

What to avoid when writing a career objective

While you may feel inclined to include all of your unique skills and abilities, it’s important to keep your career objective short and to the point. Here are some additional things to avoid when writing a career objective:

• First-person pronouns
• Spelling and grammar errors
• Generic approach and lack of specificity
• Non-action verbs
• Prolonged sentences or sentences that are too short