Are Sample Resume Objectives
Going to Help You Write a Resume?

Sample resume objectives are not the answer to building a resume. Why? Because in today’s job market, the objective has been replaced by a more meaningful summary of your experience.

The reasons for this are twofold:

• An objective can be limiting. You might be excluded from a great job because your objective doesn’t match the open position. Suppose the hiring company has a Director level opening, but your resume says you want to be a VP. The screener is likely to reject your resume without even looking at your background.
• There’s no value added in a very generic objective. Everyone is looking for a growth opportunity and rewards based on performance. There’s nothing in a generic objective that compels the screener to look deeper.

So, while sample resume objectives are not the answer, we can help you craft a strong summary statement that will capture the attention of the person screening your resume – even if that “person” turns out to be a computer tracking system!

The Building Blocks

Mix and match these phrases to get started.

Your Level

Don’t include a title in your summary statement. Instead, cast a wider net by using one of these phrases to capture the level you’re looking for:

• Senior level sales professional
• Regional sales management focus
• Direct sales professional
• Sales leadership executive
• Sales management executive
• Senior sales leader

The Company

Describe the type of company you have experience with in broad terms:

• Global manufacturing company
• Decentralized industrial manufacturing environment
• Regional leader in the XYZ industry
• Global leader in the XYZ industry
• Fast paced, results oriented environment
• Non-profit arena

Specific Skill Set

You want to highlight what you’re particularly good at, while not painting yourself into a corner:

• Strong financial acumen, including forecasting, budgeting, and planning
• Outstanding team leader, with a demonstrated track record of mentoring individual team members
• Visionary leader, recognized for creative problem resolution and innovative operational ideas
• Award winning producer, with a consistent track record of exceeding quota
• Strong relationship manager, with outstanding C-level contacts in the XYZ industry

Tailoring Your Summary Statement

It’s a good idea to tailor your summary statement to the position you’re applying for. We are not suggesting that you mislead anyone here. However, you will be more successful in landing interviews if your summary includes some keywords from the job advertisement. If you can’t honestly highlight some of the skills the hiring company is looking for, you probably are applying to the wrong jobs! While this may seem like a lot of work, your effort will be rewarded with more interviews.

The Examples You're Looking For

Instead of giving you some outdated sample resume objectives, here are a few summary statements that you can adapt for your own use.

A dynamic business development executive with a proven track record of driving top-line revenue growth. B2B and B2C leadership experience with new product development, customer acquisitions, contract negotiations, channel development, and strategic planning. Demonstrated strategic and tactical expertise in opening sales relationships, establishing new territories and managing an experienced account team. Specific expertise in:

• Customer Acquisition and Revenue Generation
• P & L Management
• Rapid Market Entry and Expansion
• Pricing Strategy and Analysis
• Customer Retention and Loyalty Programs
• Competitive Analysis and Response Systems

A results-oriented sales executive with experience in business development, key accounts, sales planning, and territory management. Experienced team leader, with expertise in directing high-performing teams in the achievement of strong bottom-line results. Demonstrated track record in building a sales organization, creating strategies that respond to customer needs through relationship selling. Implemented award winning sales processes, taking my team to a number one ranking in both new revenue growth and customer retention for the past two years.

Global consumer products executive with extensive experience leading complex business units up to $1.2 billion in sales, with margin contributions of up to 16%. Strengths in general management and driving change through an organization. Visionary leader with specific expertise in growth oriented strategies. Cross-functional training in brand management, operations, and logistics. Outstanding track record of recognizing and developing of top talent.

For an expanded discussion of why sample resume objectives are not the answer – and additional examples of Summary Statements, visit the following sections on Top-Sales-Jobs.com: