15+ CV Objective Statement Examples & How to Write Yours

You've sent in your CV.

Now it sits in a pile of 250 of them.

To make matters worse, the hiring manager scans each one for about 6 seconds as they narrow it down between passes and fails.

Your chances look bleak, huh?

Not at all, actually, if you read this article and apply it to write the best CV opening statement in the deck.

In this guide, we’ll show you:

• The difference between a bad career objective statement and an effective one.
• How to write a CV objective statement that gets results.
• Dozens of general CV objective examples for various scenarios.

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1. First of All, What Is a CV Objective?

A CV objective (or objective statement) is a brief paragraph stating your professional goals and skills. A good CV objective should be tailored to the company you are applying for. In short, the objective statement is your best chance to show the recruiter that your career goals are aligned with the  position you are applying for.

If you want to know what to put on a CV, this CV statement is a must.

Choose the CV objective when:

• You have little to no work experience (CV for first job)
• You have a CV with no experience related to this particular job
• You are changing careers (one industry to another)
• You’re targeting a very specific position.

It goes at the very top of the page when it’s a multiple-column CV, or just under your contact details on a single-column CV.

But—

Don’t confuse professional objectives with CV summaries! They are both types of CV profiles.

A CV summary is a brief intro paragraph providing an overview of your qualifications and position-related skills. Use it when applying for a position in which you have experience.

Expert Hint: Employment objectives are sometimes referred to as career objectives, career goals, or objective summary statements. If you’re really gung-ho about marketing yourself, you might call it a power proposition, mission statement, or value proposition. 

2. Do I Need an Objective Statement for CVs?

“So, uh, here’s a list of my work history. What should I do now?”

See—

A CV without an objective feels directionless and undecided.

That’s not the first impression you want to make as an applicant.

When done correctly, a professional statement at the top of your CV shows you know what you’re looking for.

On top of that, it helps both computers (ATS) and HR people scan and sort your CV properly, as they understand immediately the position you’re applying for.

Remember that initial 6-second scan? You’ll graduate to the next step (a more dedicated read) only when they find specific CV keywords in your objective.

Some people say to leave off the objective, because it’s usually way too generic, unlike most summaries. And, if it becomes too specific, it could work against the applicant by not considering them for jobs they could be qualified for.

Find the right balance. This is the point of a targeted CV, and a CV tailored to one particular job is much stronger than something generic.

So, never discard the CV objective!

We’ll show you now how to write an objective which convinces the employer you’ve got what it takes.

Expert Hint: Write an objective tailored specifically to this one job. Tailoring a CV is an absolute must these days, and there is no place more important to practise this than here in the CV introduction.

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3. Good CV Objectives vs Bad Ones

A great objective for a CV should state all of these:

• Who you are now (student, career changer, etc.)
• The position you’re aiming for (this is your goal, or objective, after all).
• Relevant skills you’ll bring (including transferable skills)
• Your work experience, background, key accomplishment, or achievement
• A brief statement of how the company would benefit from hiring you.

But, that’s not all. A truly effective objective skimps on the fluff, goes heavy on the numbers, and is super-specific.

Here are two CV objective samples:

CV Objective—Samples

See the differences on these CV objective statement examples?

The bad one is just one cliché after another, generic to a fault, and all about you.

The hiring manager would yawn and move on to the next candidate if they read this.

Now, how about that good one!

That one shows focus and is tailored right to the company (Big Blue). You state specifically which role you’re aiming for (jr. net admin).

Also, the hiring manager can easily see how your university coursework (computer sci), with numbers (two years), and your skills (virt. tech & net protocols) perfectly fit the role.

Finally, you kept it about them rather than telling them what you want out of the deal. No general CV objective here! Bravo!

Expert Hint: You may use subheadings to introduce other CV sections (and we recommend it!), but skip it here—it’s self-explanatory.

4. How to Write an Objective for a CV?

Let’s break writing a CV objective statement for a specific job down into just a few easy steps:

Step 1: Study the Job Ad Carefully

When you’re writing your CV, you should always have the job ad in question open. This way, you’ll keep it tailored as you go along.

The same is true when making an objective for CVs.

The job ad is full of CV keywords the employer searches for to decide who gets the interview. They’re giving wording hints there, but still many people ignore this and send a generic CV (and wonder why they’re not getting replies).

So—

Never ignore keywords from the job ad.

Just look at this sample job description for a copy editor:

This is an ideal guide on how to write your own objective on a CV for this position.

We highlighted: a) equivalent editorial experience, b) editing, writing, grammar, and proofreading skills, and c) tactful, persuasive communication skills.

You will include all these as your transferable skills and relevant experience later.

Step 2: Identify Who You Are Now & Who You Want to Be

This part forms the beginning of our statement.

Who you are now: This is your current position title or status. Add a positive and true adjective (or two). For our example, we’ll be:

Award-winning high school English teacher…

Who you want to be: This is the specific position you’re applying for (remember, we’re keeping it tailored). In our objective example, you want to be hired as:

...the new copy editor...

Step 3: Explain How They’ll Benefit from Hiring You

Never forget that the key to an effective CV objective is how you’ll benefit the company should you be hired. Not what you want.

So, regarding our sample CV objective, you will write this:

…Seeking to use proven editing, writing, communication, and team-leading skills to…

Step 4: Put It All Together

Now, combine everything and make one super-compelling CV objective:

How about that?

We hit all your targets:

• Who you are (English teacher) and who we want to be (copy editor)
• Numbers to show rather than tell (5 years, 75 students)
• Tailored with keywords (editing experience, communication skills)
• How you benefit them (experience will help team grow)
• Tailored to them specifically (you named the company and role)

Now that’s an objective statement to be proud of!

Expert Hint: Your CV objective is just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to include more skills, experience, or numbers, don’t make it longer. Instead, sprinkle them around in the relevant areas of your CV and cover letter.

5. Effective Job Objective Examples

Here are a few CV career objective examples for different positions:

Sample CV Objectives for IT CV

Good Objective for CV for Flight Attendant

Assistant Store Manager CV Objective Sample

Example Objective on CV for Real Estate

Expert Hint: Choose the “right” skills for your objective and on the rest of your CV. The job ad could say they need someone proficient with Microsoft Excel, but add that to your career objective ONLY if it’s the most impressive thing you can put there.

6. Tips for Making Your Career Objective Outshine Others

Save Writing It for the End

Your objective statement is the first thing they’ll see and read, because it’s the first thing on the page.

But, that doesn’t mean it is the first thing you write.

One great CV hack is to save writing the objective for a CV for the very end.

As the topmost item and the first thing they’ll read, you need to get it right.

First, knock out the entire CV.

Then, you’ll have all the achievements and selling points on hand to write a professional career objective.

Direct their Gaze

A bit of bold and italics works great when you want to highlight the best parts. (If used sparingly!)

A great place to do that?

Your CV objective, of course!

Remember that your CV will be glanced at initially for around 6 seconds.

Graphic aid such as this helps the hiring manager by making it more readable—a huge advantage over those 249 other CVs!

Be Objective vs Subjective

A good CV objective is, well, objective.

Remove subjective statements. Do say how dependable, results-driven, and detail-oriented you are.

Yeah, well, you know, that’s just like, uh, your opinion, man.

Make your case with with numbers and by giving actual results.

It shows rather than tells.

Don’t Ask for the Lowest Position

Career objectives on a CV work great for entry-level positions.

However, if that’s what you’re seeking, don’t mention it, because why ask for the lowest position?

Instead, skip that “entry-level” prefix and go with the root phrase.

Who knows—

You may have just given yourself a promotion before you even sign the contract!

Expert Hint: “Are cover letters important?” Our recent study shows that to over 80% of recruiters cover letter are an important factor when making hiring decisions.

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Key Points

• Write a CV objective specifically for each job.
• Use the job ad to guide and inform your writing.
• Your CV objective has to always be about them, not you.
• Show, don’t tell. Use numbers to prove what you’re saying.

Got questions or comments on how to write a CV objective? Not sure how to get this CV advice to work for your career objective scenario? Scroll down a bit further and get at us in the comments. We’d love to hear from you, and thanks for reading!