What's the Difference? Objectives, Summaries, and Profiles Explained

Starting your resume off on the right foot helps ensure that it’s being read. Consider the first thing employers usually see—an objective, summary, or profile. You might be wondering if these are just different names for the same thing. The short answer is no, and you should only choose one for your resume. Select the one that sells you the best AND helps the person reading the resume understand why you are qualified for the job. The following will explain the purpose of each and how to write them. 
 

Objective

Resume objectives tell the employer what type of employment you are seeking and may call out a specific position. Objective statements are goal oriented, focus on your future, and may indicate when you are available to work. An effective statement serves as a headline for your resume by highlighting a few of your selling points or strengths in a maximum of 2 lines. Objectives can be useful for both intern/co-op and full-time seeking students.

Example: 

Computer engineering student seeking an internship or co-op applying academic focus in hardware, related team project experience, and analytical thinking skills. Available starting May 2023; open to relocation.

Summary

Resume summaries include all of the qualifications that you possess and are hoping to showcase. They highlight your past accomplishments in 4-5 sentences. Resume summaries are typically written out in a paragraph style format and are most effective when you have quite a bit of previous experience. For that reason, full-time seeking students are most likely to benefit from using a summary.

Example:

Self driven and results-oriented industrial engineering student with a successful background in process improvement, quality control, and data visualization. Nine months full-time work experience gained through internships and co-ops at Manufacturing Inc. and #1 Systems Company. Six Sigma experience with a track record of achievements in engineering project teams. Possess a collaborative team approach, excel at completing projects in a timely manner, and conscious of budget throughout projects. Skilled in the use of Tableau, MS Excel, AutoCAD, and SOLIDWORKS.

Profile

Profiles synthesize relevant experience and highlight the main selling points that the person is trying to emphasize. Typically, a profile will be a bulleted list of items for easier reading. Using a profile allows you to surface your most relevant skills/experiences and tell the story you want to convey to the employer. For that reason, full-time seeking students are most likely to benefit from using one.

Example:

• Engineer-in-Training, passed the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering (FE), February 2022
• Strong academic Civil Engineering background, with focus on Structural Engineering
• Hands on experience using power tools, conducting repairs, and performing electrical work
• Strong communicator—developed skills through previous involvement in Toastmasters International
• Experience working collaboratively with two diverse, multidisciplinary engineering project teams for national competition

Regardless of whether you opt for an objective, a summary, or a profile, remember the following:

• Know that regardless of which you choose (and you should only choose one!), these sections are listed first in the order of headings on the resume.
• Do not use personal pronouns as it is a standard convention to omit pronouns from a resume.
• Relate the “selling points” to the job(s) for which you are applying (translation: pick qualities to highlight that specifically match up with qualities listed in the job description).

You will hear varying opinions regarding what you should use, so select whichever suits YOU best. For more help fine tuning your resume and putting your best foot forward, schedule an appointment with ECS.

"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing." - Benjamin Franklin