What is a resume objective?
Found at the top of a resume, it is a short paragraph that tells about yourself, your educational background and experience, your career goals and a value proposition for the job and organization you’re applying for.
Usually, a resume objective is only two to three sentences long. Due to space limitations, it can be difficult to write. A resume objective is also known as a career objective or an objective statement.
Importance of a resume objective
As always, employers receive tons of resumes each day but only pay attention to a few resumes that are unique and noteworthy. It means that your resume must be able to instantly captivate hiring managers’ attention and go through your beautiful resume.
That’s where to resume objectives come into play. It serves as your formal opening statement and it helps employers to identify your skills and strengths immediately. It saves time and increases your chances of getting an interview opportunity.
Just graduated and is eager to jump right into the workforce? Here are our impactful resume objective tips for Malaysian Fresh Graduates.
Resume objective tips
1. Tell them about yourself
A crucial part of the resume objective is your primary qualification(s). Start by stating that you are a fresh Finance graduate, an entry-level nurse or a licensed Law professional. You may also include your work experience to boost your credibility.
Next, pick one of two adjectives to best describe you as the perfect fit for the role. These adjectives should be relevant only to the applied role. For example, use creative or resourceful if you are applying for a marketing role instead of analytical or caring.
2. Research on the job description
Your resume objective is not the same as your elevator pitch. A resume objective is personalised to the specific job title you’re applying for. The objective should address the responsibilities and expectations for the specific job title.
That’s why it is important to research the job description and match your profile with what employers are looking for. The more you research, the better you’ll be able to craft your resume objective and boost your chances for an interview opportunity.
3. Personalise your experience and skills
Once you’ve researched the job description, pick your own skills that match the role that you’re applying for. Again, personalisation is key. Specify a few relevant skills and expertise in your resume objective to further match your profile with the ideal candidate that employers are searching for.
Do NOT bother mentioning obvious skills. Tools such as Office 365 or the English language are standard skills that all fresh graduates must have today. Use limited space wisely and only mention skills that are more impressive or a second language that is high in demand.
4. Include the position and role
It is common sense to not send in the same general resume and cover letter to multiple companies. Content must be personalised and it is the same for resume objectives. Resume objectives without a position and role are essentially ineffective as it defeats the purpose of writing it – to highlight the position and why you’re the perfect candidate for it.
A simple but important tip is to state the job title you are applying for, the more specific the better. Creating a resume objective and stating a specific position will assist the hiring manager to immediately identify and connect you to the job title and imagine you as a potential candidate.
5. Value proposition is key
What makes you different from thousands of other applicants? It is always your value proposition. As the labour market gets more competitive, your resume objective MUST highlight the value that you will bring to the organisation.
Research on the job posting, company profile and goals. In one sentence, describe how your skills and experience can contribute to the company’s success. Doing so will set you apart from other applicants and help boost you as a potential candidate.
6. Proofread it!
Lastly, it is always necessary to have someone else like your friends and family review your resume objective. This is to ensure that your objective is truly clear and concise.
Sometimes, it is hard to catch and fix our own grammatical mistakes or poor writing style as we may be biased towards our own creation. Triple-checking your resume objective is important and it is always the right move.
The best resume objective examples
Let us look at a few resume objective samples. Combining all 6 tips will result in a complete resume objective that is simple, concise and full of useful information.
“Fresh graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and three months of the regional internship experience. Looking forward to utilising vast academic knowledge and work experience to fill the Economist position at XYZ. A determined high achiever striving to reach XYZ’s objectives in the APAC region and beyond.”
“Creative and passionate ABC University Marketing graduate seeking a position as a Digital Marketing Executive in your company. I strive to leverage my ability to implement trendy and impactful digital marketing initiatives to achieve organisational goals and boost market share in the SEA region.”
“A meticulous and caring fresh graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Nursing seeking employment as a junior nurse in hospital DEF. I seek to leverage my 2 years of experience and outstanding results to bring the best service for patients in the intensive care unit.”
Conclusion
Now that you have all the tips you need to write a powerful resume objective, it is time to showcase your well-constructed resume and ace the job application. We would also like to advise job seekers, especially fresh graduates, to be 100% honest when applying for a position.
Have you created your cover letter? Or are you interested in filming a video resume? Don’t know how to succeed in the upcoming job interviews? Our Job Majestic Blog has all the resources you need.
Read the Mandarin version here: 马来西亚毕业生的6大简历求职目标提示
