Objectives for Resumes:
Will These Examples Help You Write a Resume?
Sample objectives for resumes are not the answer to building a resume. Why? Because in today's job market, the
objective has been replaced by a more meaningful summary of your experience.
The reasons for this are twofold:
- An objective can be limiting. You might be excluded from a great job because your objective doesn't
match the open position. Suppose the hiring company has a Director level opening, but your resume says you
want to be a VP. The screener is likely to reject your resume without even looking at your background.
- There's no value added in a very generic objective. Everyone is looking for a growth opportunity and
rewards based on performance. There's nothing in a generic objective that compels the screener to look deeper.
So, while sample objectives for resumes are not the answer, we can help you craft a strong summary statement that will
capture the attention of the person screening your resume - even if that "person" turns out to be a computer
tracking system!
Your Level
Don't include a title in your summary statement. Instead, cast a wider net by using one of these
phrases to capture the level you're looking for:
- Senior level operations professional
- Regional sales management focus
- Direct sales professional
- Global sourcing leadership executive
- Division management executive
- Senior technical support leader
The Company
Describe the type of company you have experience with in broad terms:
- Global manufacturing company
- Decentralized industrial manufacturing environment
- Regional leader in the XYZ industry
- Global leader in the XYZ industry
- Fast paced, results oriented environment
- Non-profit arena
Specific Skill Set
You want to highlight what you're particularly good at, while not painting yourself into a corner:
- Strong financial acumen, including forecasting, budgeting, and planning
- Outstanding team leader, with a demonstrated track record of mentoring individual team members
- Visionary leader, recognized for creative problem resolution and innovative operational ideas
- Award winning producer, with a consistent track record of exceeding quota
- Strong relationship manager, with outstanding C-level contacts in the XYZ industry
Tailoring Your Summary Statement
It's a good idea to tailor your summary statement to the position you're applying for. We are not
suggesting that you mislead anyone here. However, you will be more successful in landing interviews if your
summary includes some keywords from the job advertisement. If you can't honestly highlight some of the
skills the hiring company is looking for, you probably are applying to the wrong jobs! While this may seem
like a lot of work, your effort will be rewarded with more interviews.
The Examples You're Looking For
Instead of giving you some outdated sample objectives for resumes, here are a few summary statements
that you can adapt for your own use.
A dynamic business development executive with a proven track record of driving top-line revenue growth.
B2B and B2C leadership experience with new product development, customer acquisitions, contract negotiations,
channel development, and strategic planning. Demonstrated strategic and tactical expertise in opening
sales relationships, establishing new territories and managing an experienced account team. Specific
expertise in:
- Customer Acquisition and Revenue Generation
- P & L Management
- Rapid Market Entry and Expansion
- Pricing Strategy and Analysis
- Customer Retention and Loyalty Programs
- Competitive Analysis and Response Systems
A results-oriented sales executive with experience in business development, key accounts, sales planning,
and territory management. Experienced team leader, with expertise in directing high-performing teams in the
achievement of strong bottom-line results. Demonstrated track record in building a sales organization, creating
strategies that respond to customer needs through relationship selling. Implemented award winniDng sales processes,
taking my team to a number one ranking in both new revenue growth and customer retention for the past two years.
Global consumer products executive with extensive experience leading complex business units up to $1.2 billion
in sales, with margin contributions of up to 16%. Strengths in general management and driving change through
an organization. Visionary leader with specific expertise in growth oriented strategies. Cross-functional
training in brand management, operations, and logistics. Outstanding track record of recognizing and developing
of top talent.
For an expanded discussion of why sample objectives for resumes are not the answer - and additional examples of
Summary Statements, visit the following sections from DerrJones:
