By cchi@hubspot.com (Clifford Chi)

With only six seconds to grab a recruiter’s attention, conventional wisdom might tell you to cut right to the chase when you write your resume. A lot of people say a resume objective just wastes precious space. But if you craft it in a way that highlights your qualifications, skills, and fit for a role, an objective can actually enhance your resume by giving recruiters a sneak peek of your background that prompts them to keep reading.

In this post we’ll teach you how to leverage a resume objective to your advantage as well as share some examples to help you craft your own.

Skip to:

• What’s a resume objective?
• When to use a resume objective
• Writing a resume objective
• Good resume objective examples

When to Use a Resume Objective

Including a resume objective, sometimes called a professional summary, in your resume gives the prospective employer a snapshot of your background and talent. They’re the perfect place to specify what you bring to the table for the role you are applying for. As a general rule, you should use a resume objective when you are targeting a specific position or are early in your career with little work experience.

Adding a resume objective is also especially helpful if you are changing careers or industries. It can give context to your transition and how your transferable skills are the perfect fit for the company, despite being new to the industry.

How to Write a Resume Objective

When recruiters read your resume, they want to know three things about you:

• Are you qualified for this job?
• Have you made an impact on your company in your current or previous roles?
• How will you make an impact on our company in this specific role?

If you can give them a clear and concise preview of these three answers within the first few lines of your resume, they’ll start thinking about your potential as an employee at their company. This’ll also give them a positive first impression of you and make them read the rest of your resume to confirm that you’re their best-fit candidate.

Pro tips:

• Keep it short: Objectives should be 1-3 sentences max.
• Be specific: Get specific about the role you are applying for, your skills, and how those skills and what impact those skills will have on the organization.
• Tailor it: Your resume objective should be tailored to fit the role or company you are applying to.

To show you how to craft a compelling resume objective at any stage of your career, we’ve provided some resume objective examples that anyone from a recent graduate to a proven professional can use. We’ll also break down the structure …read more

Source:: HubSpot Blog

Author: Aaron