To change careers, people need revamped and fresh resumes to accompany their job search in a new industry or field. It’s not easy to create a standard resume. The good news is that most of your skills and work history will remain relevant if you aren’t looking for positions in a completely different industry. That’s because they’re transferrable. When shifting from a management role at the publishing company to the wedding industry, your leadership skills, organizational abilities, and strong backgrounds are applicable in a career change resume.
Its Basic Purpose
As a job seeker, tell a story of all transferable skills to potential employers and hiring managers in your career change resume. Highlight how qualifications from previous jobs are relevant and applicable. There are different reasons to make a career transition, including a shift in your interests or a shift in the industry. Get expert advice to make it successful.
Identify Transferable Skills
When seeking a career switch, read industry articles and job descriptions to gain a better sense of important skills. Match them with your current abilities and traits.
- Think creatively and search for common things;
- Feel free to include non-professional experiences in your resume (volunteer activities or favorite hobbies that can support your qualifications);
- Be careful not to overreach.
The best resume format for career change
A combination resume is a popular format, and candidates can choose the following options for their new careers:
- Functional;
- Chronological;
- Their combination.
What is a Chronological Format?
It highlights where you worked in a reverse chronological order. This format is perfect if you have a good maturation or progression in your career, but it’s not a suitable resume format for career change and re-entering the field.
What is a Functional Format?
It emphasizes skills more than job titles. The number one job that you list should be the one that pertains to the position you’re applying for, which is quite helpful for a career change. This format has certain drawbacks because potential employers or recruiters can be suspicious and eager to get your complete working history.
What is a Combination Format?
This format is mainly a functional resume with the extra section that lists employers’ locations, names, your titles, and employment dates. It allows you to use this format with less risk. Choose it if your job objective is different than experiences, your work experiences are unrelated, your abilities or skills don’t match, or you’re seeking a career change.
How to Write Resume Objective
This section should be on the top and highlight the type of vacancy you’re seeking. Its basic purpose is to sell you to a hiring manager. Why is it important? Use it to make it clear for recruiters how your previous career provided you with a set of the skills, education, accomplishments, or training necessary in a new field. Make sure that your resume objective states a company, a position name, and a few detailed skills that you’ll use in your new job. Follow a few helpful guidelines.
- Understand what to exclude from your resume;
- Be employer-focused;
- Don’t be vague;
- Tailor this section to every position;
- Avoid clichés.
A resume objective is often a better fit than a summary of qualifications because it can be hard for readers to tell from the remaining part what you’ll bring and what you’re applying for.
What is a Resume Summary for Career Change?
A resume summary for career change is a clear statement that sums up your experiences in a specific field, special awards or achievements, skills you’ll bring, personal commitment or passion, and linguistic or technical talents. Write about 50 words and tailor it to a particular vacancy. When hiring managers and recruiters scan your resume, they will see familiar responsibilities and job titles from the industry. Use this section to showcase that you have both hard and soft skills required for a given position and necessary for a successful job transfer.
Why Use Keywords?
It’s important to match keywords in your resume and a job description. Take these basic steps to do it correctly:
- Find a few positions for your perfect job;
- Search its different names online to come up with many suitable descriptions;
- Look through them to find significant skills;
- Match them with your previous working experiences and education;
- Include them all.
You’ll be surprised to find out how many skills match up the relevant ones for your perfect vacancy because most of them are transferable.
How to Do Your Comprehensive Rewrite?
If you didn’t update your resume, think about your past experiences or achievements and reanalyze your qualifications while editing it. Simply listing your past titles and duties isn’t enough. Create the exhaustive resume that compiles all of your skills. Look for the ones that match the job you’re applying for and choose the portions pertinent to your new industry.
Watch Out for Jargon
Although jargon can help you appear as an expert in your original field, it can alienate or confuse hiring managers and recruiters in your new industry. Write down relevant information in your clear language. Try to translate all of your relevant responsivities and skills into the insider language that fits your desired position or field.
Leave off unnecessary details to send a winning job application. Need any extra help to increase your chances to succeed? If writing a comprehensive and strong resume seems a difficult or time-consuming task, don’t hesitate to turn to our team of qualified professionals and use their high-quality online services. All rights are reserved.