Get Your CV Objective Just Right This Year
This page covers everything you need to know about CV objectives, including examples and writing tips.
This page covers everything you need to know about CV objectives, including examples and writing tips.
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Sometimes job seekers need a little something extra to make their CV stand out. A CV objective can do just that. Adding an objective to the top of your CV can grab the attention of potential employers, as well as get the key points of your application across succinctly.
In this post, we’ll look at exactly what a CV objective is, when you might want to use one, and how to write one. We’ll also provide a few examples of CV objectives that you can use as inspiration to get you started on your own.
A CV objective, which is sometimes called a CV summary or an objective statement, is a couple of sentences at the top of your CV that clarifies the main goal of your application. For example, it can tell the hiring manager why you’re applying for a certain role or to a particular company. You can use it to briefly summarise your skills, experience, and goals so the recruiter can quickly gain an understanding of who you are and what you’re looking for.
There are certain situations when it might be especially helpful to include a CV objective. Often, it’s when something’s changed about your situation and you want to offer an explanation that sets out your stall and lets employers understand the purpose of your application.
Here are a few examples of when you might use a CV objective:
If you’re new to the job market, for example, if you’ve just graduated from university, you might not have a lot of professional experience in your CV. In this case, a CV objective is a great way to outline your career aspirations and add some substance to your CV, helping paint a picture of you as a candidate.
When you decide on a career change, it’s likely that you won’t have much experience in your new chosen industry or job title. Without an objective, potential employers may question the relevance of your CV to the role they’re filling. However, adding in a CV objective gives you the chance to explain that you’re making a career change and draw their attention to any skills and experience that will stand you in good stead in your new industry.
Moving locations is a common reason for finding a new job. However, without context, some employers may question why you’ve applied for a job so far from your current location. In this case, a CV objective can explain that you’re relocating and let them know you’re ready for a new adventure.
Whether due to illness, having a child, or other personal reasons, you might have had an extended break from working. A CV objective lets you address that and indicate what your career goals are for the future, focusing on the skills and attributes you would bring to a new role.
So you want to add a CV objective to your CV. But how do you write one? Follow these tips to create a first-rate CV objective that’ll get you noticed.
A CV objective should only be around 2-3 sentences. Any longer than that and the person who’s reading might switch off. For example, you might include one sentence about your background and one sentence about your future career goals.
Include keywords and phrases from the job description, particularly traits that employers have said they’re looking for, such as “hard-working”, or “detail-oriented”. Also, think about the key points you want to get across and have these words in the objective so readers can pick out the important points when they skim it.
In your CV objective, you should mention how you will add value to the company if they hire you. For example, perhaps you have a lot of experience in one area or are good at taking the initiative to make things happen.
You should tailor your CV objective to each job you apply for, mentioning points that are relevant to each role and business. You can also explicitly name the company and say why you want to work there.
Here are a few CV objective examples for different industries and job roles. Take a look at our examples and think about how you could use elements of these and personalise them for your CV objective.
Experienced, diligent managerial professional with over 10 years of experience in project management. Seeking a position at XYZ company to hone leadership skills to increase productivity and boost performance.
Strong team player with excellent interpersonal skills, seeking a position with ABC company to bring 10 years of experience to transform employee relations in your organisation’s human resources department.
Looking for a challenging entry-level role in information technology to bring my problem-solving skills to provide solutions to improving IT efficiency in your workplace.
Hard-working digital marketer seeking a role to bring management skills to give direction to a digital brand strategy. Skilled in inbound marketing principles, SEO, analytics, and social media management
To help with the rest of your CV don’t forget to check out our guides about how to write your CV, CV templates and CV examples.
The main parts of your CV include your personal information, as well as details about your work experience, skill set, and education. Your personal information should include all the details the hiring manager might need to contact you such as your phone number and email address). Nowadays, that also includes relevant social media and LinkedIn profiles. Your work history section should note current and previous positions, along with associated achievements, in reverse-chronological order. Your skills section needs to highlight relevant skills, including soft skills like communication skills. Your education section should cover any qualifications and certifications you may have, whether you’re a high school leaver or a university graduate.
Every job application should include both a professional CV and a cover letter. They work in tandem to show the recruiter that you’re a perfect fit and help you land a job interview. While your CV shares basic information, your cover letter allows you to expand on your relevant experience and skill set to explain to the recruiter why you’re a great candidate and why you want to work for the company. You should always customise your cover letter and CV for the specific job description.
There is plenty of help out there to guide you when writing your CV before your job search. Whether looking for your first job with an entry-level position or a recent graduate hoping to land a full-time high-paying role, starting your CV from scratch is a challenge. Use our CV builder and gain inspiration from CV templates and CV examples. You’ll also find specific career objective examples to help with this tricky CV element.
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