How to Create a Resume When Changing Careers

Changing career can be a very positive move, but landing a job can be tricky when all your experience is in a different industry to the one in which you want to work. The way you present your experiences and skills on your resume can make a significant difference to your chances of successfully navigating the tricky process of changing career.

When changing career, you need to look at all your experiences and skills from the point of view of an employer in the industry you want to enter. What does an employer in the new industry want to see? Reading job postings for the position you want to hold can help to identify the skills that are most valued in that role.

Your next task is to present your resume in a way that highlights the skills you have that are valuable to a potential employer. When you are changing career, this could mean highlighting different aspects of each position that you have held. For example, your position as a sales representative might not be directly relevant to your application for a job as a project manager, but you can point out the strong communication skills that you developed while working in that role. These transferable skills are the key to successfully changing career.

When changing career, you need to make sure that your resume does not contain any jargon that a hiring manager in the new industry would not understand. Repackage the descriptions of what you have achieved in your career into terms that the hiring manager can understand. For example, if you have won an industry-specific award, you may have to briefly explain its significance when you list it on your resume, so that the hiring manager appreciates what it means.

Your resume needs to capture the reader's interest as quickly as possible. Rather than listing the positions you have held chronologically, consider listing them in order of relevance to your application. This approach highlights your most relevant experiences, rather than simply what you have done recently. Similarly, list the most relevant aspects of the job first under each position.

Voluntary positions and work experience placements can be just as valuable as paid positions when you are changing career. If you have volunteered in the industry you are moving into, then make sure this experience features prominently on your resume. This will show that you are serious about changing career and know what is involved.

As always, your resume should be individually tailored to match each job application. Highlighting the skills and experiences that are most important for the position for which you are applying is always key to getting an interview, whether or not you are changing career.

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