Are you looking for the best way to secure your dream job?
Applying for a job while you are still a student can help give you an edge over the competition. This gives you the time to find the perfect role that matches your career goals and abilities. However, most students lack concrete work experience, which can make creating a strong resume difficult.
Fortunately, the resume objective allows you to lead with your specialist skills and qualifications. So, let’s take an in-depth look at some top student resume objective examples and ways to make this statement particularly compelling.
Contents
- How To Craft Your Opening Statement
- Top Student Resume Objective Examples – Valuable Skills And Personal Attributes
- Top Student Resume Objective Examples
- Opening statements for high school students
- Opening statements for college students
- Opening statements that highlight qualifications
- Opening statements that highlight specialist skills
- Opening statements that highlight your career goals
- Opening statements that highlight your experience
- Opening statements that highlight personal traits
- Not Sure Yet What Career You Want?
- Final Thoughts
How To Craft Your Opening Statement
The first paragraph of your resume is what hiring managers will see first; therefore, it needs to be impactful. This is your first chance to capture the attention of the reader and make them want to know more. Here are some tips on how to make this paragraph as strong and interesting as possible.
Read more: Top Teacher Resume Objective Examples
Study the job post
It is important to make sure that you understand the role that you are applying for, including the main duties. You need to check out the requirements and make sure that you can meet them. Your task is then to demonstrate that you are the perfect fit for the role and will bring value to it.
Highlight your valuable skills
You need to work out the hard and soft skills that will make you perfect for the position you are applying for. It is a good idea to make a list of all of your skills and the skills that are needed to do the job. You can then highlight three or four skills that are likely to grab the attention of the hiring manager.
Use action verbs
You need to make your opening statement as dynamic and interesting as possible. Action verbs such as organized, designed, developed, and managed will help bring your statement to life. These verbs help show the way you approach tasks to successfully complete them.
The first sentence
This is the place to mention the degree you are working on and what you plan to achieve. Make sure that the degree you are working on is connected to the job you are applying for. It may also be useful to mention societies you take part in that have taught you valuable skills.
The second sentence
The second sentence shows the hiring manager that you are qualified for the job you are applying for. The elements in this sentence should be directly linked to the requirements in the job posting. This will help the hiring manager to see straight away that you are a strong candidate.
The third and final sentence
This sentence can be used to highlight any additional features that make you stand out from the crowd. This can help add depth to your resume and show that you have numerous valuable skills. Ideally, you should be able to connect these elements directly to the job you are applying for.
Edit carefully
If there are spelling or grammatical mistakes in your opening statement, you will appear unprofessional and unprepared. If you are applying for a role that requires attention to detail, you are likely to be disqualified straight away. Take the time to check for errors and remove any filler words so that your opening statement is as impactful as possible.
Top Student Resume Objective Examples – Valuable Skills And Personal Attributes
You may be applying for your first-ever job and have a lack of work experience to share on your application. However, you are likely to have gained valuable skills through your studies and extracurricular activities. Here are some of the main skills hiring managers seek from applicants and what those skills involve.
Reliability
Having a good work ethic is very valuable to employers and shows that you will arrive at work on time. Even if you are still in high school, reliability can be reflected by your excellent attendance record. Highlighting this attribute shows that you are likely to work hard and exceed expectations.
Customer service skills
This skill is the ability to make customers and clients feel special and provide them with what they need. This skill is very valuable to all types of companies, as it helps to encourage customer loyalty. It shows that you are ready and able to go the extra mile to help companies maintain their customer base.
Leadership skills
No matter what type of role you are applying for, this is a great skill to highlight. It shows that you can take the initiative and motivate other people when necessary. This skill also shows that you are a strong candidate who is willing to work hard to advance your career.
Collaboration
Being able to work well with other people is a valuable skill that is difficult to teach. Most roles are likely to require you to work as part of a team at some point. You are also likely to have to collaborate with service providers, clients, and a range of other people.
Office skills
If you are applying for a job that takes place in an office, make sure you refer to your skills and experience. This is a broad term that can cover anything from the ability to make photocopies to sending emails. If you have advanced skills, make sure that you reference them directly to show your experience.
Driven
Any student understands the value of hard work and is sure to have completed numerous projects and assignments. Describing yourself as driven shows hiring managers that you are ready and willing to work hard. This personal attribute is sure to be impressive and can make up for little or no work experience.
Adaptability
This is a valuable personal trait that is sure to impress hiring managers. Being adaptable means that you can rise to the challenges of different tasks when they arise. This implies that you are able to remain calm under pressure and focus on the needs of the job.
Persuasion
People who work in sales need to have this skill to sell products and services to clients. This is a soft skill that you can develop without the need for work experience. It involves the ability to convince other people that your opinions and ideas are valid.
Top Student Resume Objective Examples
When crafting your opening statement, the first sentence needs to do the majority of the work. This is the place to include your strongest attributes so that they are not overlooked. Here are some examples of strong student objectives that can be applied to different situations.
Opening statements for high school students
If you are still in high school, you are likely to be applying for an entry-level role. In this case, you need to highlight the personal attributes that will help you to do the job well. Here are some ways to begin your opening statement if you are a high school student.
- Motivated and diligent student with a love for books and customer service skills seeking a library assistant role.
- Focused and creative computer science student with a deep knowledge of programming and excellent time management skills.
- Detail-oriented and driven recent graduate with the ability to learn quickly and follow instructions to the letter.
- Friendly and customer-focused individual looking for an entry-level role in the hospitality industry.
Opening statements for college students
Securing a part-time job while you are at college is a great way to gain work experience before you graduate. It is also possible to apply for a full-time role in the semester break that will provide extra skills and experience.
Here are some ways to reflect your college experience in your opening statement:
- Analytical and focused chemistry student with strong attention to detail seeking hands-on laboratory work.
- Detail-oriented business college senior with a deep understanding of modern business practices and standards.
- Dynamic marketing manager with strong communication skills and the ability to think outside the box.
- Flexible and responsible college student with excellent communication skills and the ability to anticipate needs.
Opening statements that highlight qualifications
If you are working on a college degree, it is best to apply for a job connected to your studies. Make sure you highlight your degree and the specialist skills you have gained that will help you excel.
Here are some impactful ways to highlight your qualifications in your opening statement:
- Recent graduate with a BS in Accounting, strong attention, and focused knowledge of bookkeeping and data entry.
- First-year nursing student with First Aid and CPR certification.
- Bachelor of Education student majoring in education with strong classroom management skills and the ability to create detailed lesson plans.
- Biology student with keen attention to detail and the ability to work quickly and accurately without supervision.
Opening statements that highlight specialist skills
Even if you have limited work experience, you are likely to have developed valuable skills through your education. Make sure the skills you want to highlight are directly linked to the job you are applying for.
Here are some ways to make sure hiring managers notice these valuable skills straight away:
- Bachelor in media student with a detailed knowledge of social media platforms and marketing.
- Bringing a deep knowledge of clinical psychology and pediatric care as well as compassion and active listening skills.
- Software engineering student with coding experience in Css3. JAVA, and HTML and strong attention to detail.
- Compassion early child care student with an in-depth knowledge of the needs of young children and different teaching approaches.
Opening statements that highlight your career goals
If you are in college, you are likely to have your career path all mapped out. Sharing your goals shows the hiring manager that you are focused on your career and working hard.
Here are some ways to show what you are looking for in your opening statement:
- Marketing student with a strong vision seeking the opportunity to build on my skills and knowledge.
- Performance-driven finance student seeking an auditing role where I can gain practical experience.
- English language major fluent in Spanish and French seeking a dynamic translation role where I can utilize my advanced skills.
- Hospitality degree holder with strong leadership skills seeking a role with room for advancement.
Opening statements that highlight your experience
If you are in your final year of college, you are likely to have gained a little work experience. Your opening statement is also the place to mention the experience you have gained during an internship.
Here are some examples of opening statements that allow you to lead with your valuable experience:
- Looking to build on the customer service and data entry skills gained during my summer intern role.
- Recent business graduate with a deep understanding of business needs and experience making presentations to groups of all sizes.
- Focused and independent accountancy student with three years of bookkeeping experience and strong attention to detail.
Opening statements that highlight personal traits
When the hiring manager reads your resume, they want to get a feel for who you are and what you want. This will help them to determine whether or not you are likely to be the right fit for the company.
Here are some ways to reveal valuable personal traits in your opening statement:
- Motivated team player with strong organizational skills and a flexible approach to tasks and challenges.
- Adaptable and driven student with excellent customer service skills and a team-oriented attitude.
- Hardworking and reliable college student with a broad range of office management skills and strong organizational skills.
- Friendly and efficient graphic art student with excellent collaboration and time management skills.
Not Sure Yet What Career You Want?
No problem! I found a superb selection of teen career guides such as #What’s Next After High School?:: Choosing a Great Career You’ll Love: A Guide for Parents and Students Working Together, as well as What Color Is Your Parachute? for Teens: Discover Yourself, Design Your Future, and Plan for Your Dream Job, to get you inspired!
In addition, we have the Teens’ Guide to College & Career Planning, as well as Life Skills and Career Coaching for Teens, and Who Am I?: An A-Z Career Guide for Teens, all available online in 2023.
Now that you have all your options, I highly recommend using the Academic Resume: Parents, Students, Middle School, High School, College, Graduate Application, Homeschool, the 6 Easy Steps to Create Resumes & Cover Letters for High School Students, or perhaps Creating Your High School Resume: A Step-By-Step Guide to Preparing an Effective Resume for College Training and Jobs, and Stand Out or Sit Down: Stories and Lessons for Teens and Young Adults to Find a Job They Love to help perfect your resume!
Final Thoughts
When hiring managers are seeking the perfect candidate for a vacancy, they are likely to focus on your resume objective. This short yet powerful paragraph should show that you are the perfect candidate for the job.
Therefore, it is important to spend time making this paragraph as strong as possible. There is no substitute for research, and this will help you to understand what the hiring manager is looking for. Make sure that you directly connect your skills to the requirements listed in the job description.
This will show the hiring manager that you understand the job and are fully able to meet all the demands.
All the very best in planning your future!