Writing a Resume Objective Statement
Resume objective statements can make-or-break an application. Allowing you to express the nature of your interest and highlight skills relevant to the position, it can help you stand out as a candidate. But what should you put in a resume objective? By looking through a few examples and samples of objective statements for resumes, you’ll learn how to make them work for you!
Why You Need An Objective Statement On Your Resume
Resumes are an advertisement for yourself. They demonstrate you’re employable, qualified, and capable of being professional.
Employers use resumes to filter through large numbers of applicants quickly, based on need. Like any good advertisement, your resume should be targeted to its intended audience and able to be reviewed and understood quickly for busy employers. This is where a strong objective statement comes into play.
What Is A Resume
A resume objective is a short statement, usually one or two sentences. Typically positioned as the introduction of your resume, an objective statement is intended to help explain why you’d be a good fit for the position. It might also include a job title or a general description of your intended career path.
Resume objective statements are useful in a variety of circumstances. They can be particularly useful for people who have minimal work experience or who are changing career paths. They can also be used to help convince employers you know what you want and that you’ve got the skills to succeed
How To Write An Objective Statement For A Resume
So what should you include in a resume objective? When you’re preparing the skills list and your career goals statement, it’s important to customize both to better reflect the job in question. For example, you might apply for a job where the employer is looking for a self-starter with great organizational skills.
Figuring out what traits an employer is searching for will allow you to determine how their goals align with your experience. Using that knowledge, a resume objective statement can be used to immediately grab an employer’s attention, and help them see the relevance of your skills.
The human brain is wired to enjoy the unique. When an employer is filtering through a stack of resumes, they’re bound to encounter many of the exact same phrases, over and over. Somewhere around the 300th time a person reads “team player” or “detail-oriented,” many resumes can start to blend together.
Try to stand out by using specific, unique descriptions, and avoiding clichés. Also remember that what you don’t include can be just as important. A career goals statement can hint that your goals align with those of the company, but it’s a mistake to focus on what an employer can do for you. Rather, focus on how your skills can help them.
Resume Objective Statement Examples
Consider the following two examples:
Example #1:
“Committed individual with 2 years of experience in information technology, seeking an insurance agent position with Generic Company. Eager to apply extensive analytic and technical abilities to the task of helping people find optimal insurance coverage.”
This example of a resume objective statement succeeds in several ways. It’s direct and descriptive. While it doesn’t feel particularly unique, it does focus on what’s important – the value provided to the employer. It’s also slightly lengthy, the best resume objectives are usually short and sweet.
Example #2:
“Lifetime learner seeking marketing position at Generic Company, interested in applying academic research skills to develop a career surrounding the fascinating challenges of market analysis.”
This resume objective example is short, unique, and it avoids cliché phrases. It also sticks to the facts, and hints at future career intentions without the entire statement becoming about what the company can do for the applicant. A more descriptive picture about these research skills could offer room for improvement.
Insurance Resume Objective Statements for the Insurance Industry
Let’s turn our attention to the insurance industry, and try to understand what differentiates resume objective statements for insurance claims adjusters and sales agents. What do insurance companies look for in an objective statement? The answer depends on the specific job you have in mind, though there’s actually a great deal of overlap within the industry.
Insurance Claims Objective Statement
Claims representatives interact with potential clients, explain the features of policies, maintain records, and analyze current policies in order to help suggest improvements.
An insurance claims adjuster’s resume objective should demonstrate their organizational skills and the ability to work well with others. It might also reflect interest or background knowledge in the industry.
Insurance Sales Objective Statement
Similarly, an insurance sales agent needs communication and interpersonal skills. They also need a willingness to learn new things, and can benefit greatly from a background in customer service.
Consequently, a resume for an insurance sales position might focus on the ways you’ve developed strong verbal or written communication abilities, customer service interactions, or similar familiarities with the industry.
Resume objectives can work to help employers see why you’re the right fit for their job. Vividly demonstrating your abilities and intentions, they’re capable of helping show employers how your skills and experiences connect to their needs.
Still prepping your resume and unsure about which career path is right for you? Insurance careers are more varied and applicable to a range of skill sets than most think. For a short, fun exercise, try out MyPath’s Career Wizard Tool to see which career insurance might fit your personality and skills the best!