It’s normal to feel overwhelmed, especially if this is your first time writing your resume objective statement. Luckily, seeing samples of how others have handled similar obstacles can help—just remember to inject your personality and make each objective statement as unique as you are. And while comparing others’ statements to your own, ask yourself: “Which of my achievements look the most impressive?”

Plus, we’ve got a fantastic formula for you that will further uncomplicate things:

The process is as easy as X + Y + Z = Eye-catching resume objective!

X = Your characteristics and personality traitsY = Years of experience and quantified success/resultsZ = How these results apply to the specific job role

Keep this formula in mind, and you’ll surprise yourself with professional and engaging results like the objective below:

X = Ambitious, adaptable, eager, self-motivated, and efficient

Y = 2 years of intern experience within the field, learned skills/experience

Z = Technical and soft skills tie in with forging strong teams and client connections

Not sure where to start? Check out these seven tips on how to add the maximum value to your resume objective and launch yourself into the top 20 percent of job applicants who actually get interviewed for a single job:

Don’t worry if this is a little overwhelming at first glance! Many job seekers linearly work through their resumes, but save your objective for last, even though it appears first. Once you fine-tune other sections, it’ll be easier to pinpoint choice details to fill in the formula and complete your perfect objective. (And who says you have to nail your statement the first time you write it?! Go through as many iterations as you need when you outline your resume.)

Bonus points if you tie your personality traits in with the company’s values through skillful word choices! No one wants to read a bland resume objective that doesn’t connect the person with the company—they want to know who they’re hiring.

These strengths could be notable projects or extensive educational background for entry-level applicants or graduates. For anyone changing careers, include successes like past work projects that demonstrate overlapping skills/values with the role you’re currently seeking. Mention relevant certifications in your objective, too!

Details like these may seem inconsequential and even helpful when trying to save space, but they can make your resume too informal. Also, referring to yourself instead of your skills can make it seem like you’re only interested in what the company will do for you.

(Hint: Gauge the company’s tone in its job description and website. You can get away with contractions more readily with informal companies).

Again, resume space is invaluable! Make the most of this real estate by ensuring your objective is long enough to provide eye-catching value but short enough that it won’t get skipped. Critique it visually, too—how does it look on the page?

 Revisit the job listing for crucial skills that match your expertise and leverage that in your objective statement.

Other skilled applicants undoubtedly applied for this same role—so what makes you the right fit? Mentioning why you’re interested in the position and how you’re a good match will help you stand out from the crowd.

Why reinvent the wheel? All our free Google Docs resume templates have space for your objective. Take advantage of a resume template (you can edit the one just below!) already laid out for your specific needs rather than dealing with the frustration of a template breaking because you tried to add one.

If you’re struggling, remember that starting in the wrong place is a common but avoidable pitfall: many applicants try writing their objective first, only to find they don’t know where to begin. Lessen your stress by drafting the rest of your resume first. Writing a quality resume objective will become easier once your qualifications are laid out on the table. 

Since your objective needs to take up so little space, get selective while skimming the cream of the crop from your resume bullet points. What previous roles resulted in your most impressive contributions to a company? Put yourself in the recruiter’s shoes and think of what they’d want in their next hire, then write your objective based on your most dazzling selling points. 

Return to our objective samples in this post anytime you need some inspiration. You can also better prepare with a resume outline. Planning out the arrangement of your background and skills will simplify filling out your resume when the time comes. 

To give you some examples of what we’ve been talking about, let’s look at a mock job description for a data scientist and compare three resume objective statements to see what passes muster.

Data scientist job description example:

Currently seeking a remote data scientist for Infinity Solars who is self-starting, innovative, and skilled with various data tools to design/create predictive customer behavioral models. Must be able to translate data for all levels of communication to support leadership groups, give team members actionable business insights, and lead machine-learning algorithm development. Must exhibit exceptional critical thinking skills by gauging the effectiveness and accuracy of data quality and mining techniques.

I can definitely talk to people since I just got out of college for biology. I’m good with group projects and know a lot about computers.

Why it’s not a winner: Leave out bland objectives like this one, which lacks the valuable info necessary to justify taking up space. What kind of job is this even for?

I love solar power and could use my background in data analysis to help your company. I’m also a big team player and have plenty of qualifying technical skills.

Why it’s just okay: At least there’s some personality here, although it’s a little informal. This candidate should also specify skills that would benefit the specific company.

Knockout: Check out our example!

Why it’s great: Nice—personality traits and skills that align with the job description! We also see years of experience with well-rounded skills that would benefit the company, presented with compelling and enthusiastic word choices.