Resume objective or summary? What new grads should use
For most new grads, a short summary does more than an objective. An objective says what you want; a summary says what you offer, in two or three lines.
The difference
The University of Houston's career center describes an objective as your goals and ambitions, and a summary as a short outline of your skills and what you bring. It recommends that students and recent graduates replace the objective with a summary of two to three lines that focuses "on what an employer wants".
Why objectives fall flat
The usual objective
Every applicant could write that sentence, and it tells the reader nothing about you. Houston's career center calls the objective "generally considered as outdated and unnecessary", because employers already assume you want the job.
The summary formula
- Who you are: your degree or field, in a few words.
- What you're good at, with proof: the skills the job post asks for, and where you used them.
- The job you want: the role, named the way the posting names it.
Three examples
These are illustrations. Write yours from what you have actually done.
Economics grad, analyst roles
Marketing grad, marketing assistant roles
Computer science grad, junior developer roles
When an objective still makes sense
A one-line objective can help when the target is very specific and a summary would repeat it, for example "Summer 2027 software engineering internship" on a career-fair resume. For most online applications, the summary works harder.
Common mistakes in a summary
- Copying the job post word for word. Use its terms, in your own sentences.
- Buzzwords like "results-driven" or "passionate" with nothing to back them up.
- Running past three lines. If it needs more, the detail belongs in your bullets.
- Naming skills that don't appear anywhere else on the resume.
Tailor it
Change the last line for each job, using the posting's own words for the role and the key skills. Then run the free resume check with the job post added to see what's missing for that job.
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