Crafting a Career Change Resume

Changing careers can be a daunting prospect, but it doesn’t have to be. While it’s impossible to guarantee success, there are steps you can take to ensure you’re presenting yourself in the best light. Presenting an effective resume is one of the most important parts of any job search and securing a career change is no different. Here, we provide some tips on how to craft a career change resume so you can make sure you’re hitting the ground running.

Research Your Target Employers and Roles

Before you can craft a resume, you need to determine who your target employers and roles are. Research current job postings and compare your skills and qualifications with the needs of the role. Tailor your resume to the specific role you’re applying for and highlight the areas in which you have particular strengths. Be honest with yourself; if you’re lacking in experience, focus on the skills and transferable talents you do have.

Create a Skills-Based Format

When crafting a resume for a career change, use a skills-based format instead of a chronological format. Chronological formats are well-suited for jobs that have built upon a career foundation in a certain field, but if your work history doesn’t fit that mold, it’s better to focus more on the skills and processes that you can bring to a new role. This type of format allows you to group together all of your relevant abilities into clusters according to the job posting.

Highlight Your Achievements

When filling out each section of your resume, avoid using vague phrases and rather focus on highlight relevant achievements. Include numbers and metrics to demonstrate the tangible success of your efforts. This could include the number of customers you serviced or the amount of money you saved the company. Show employers you possess the skills to succeed in a position.

Include Relevant Training and Certifications

If you’ve taken any courses, participated in boot camps, or received any certifications that may be relevant to your new role, make sure to include them on your resume. Not only do these show you’re actively engaged in constantly developing your skills, but if they’re pertinent to the job you’re applying for, they could be just the thing for setting your resume apart from the crowd.

Be Honest

Most importantly, remember to be honest about your abilities and achievements. Listing any exaggerated or untrue skills or qualifications is only going to backfire in the long run. Employers are expecting applicants to have varying degrees of skill and experience for roles, and it’s likely you’ll be matched with a similar level of personnel. Building upon your existing knowledge base has more value than trying to appear far more experienced than you are.

Proofread Your Resume

Once you’ve put together your resume, give it a close read-through and have someone else read it as well. It’s crucial you have the correct spelling and grammar, and that you include all the important points you wanted to make. Make sure it’s tailored to match the job listing as closely as possible. Don’t forget to read each point out loud to ensure a natural flow of words and sentence structure.

Conclusion

Applying for a new job can be nerve-wracking, but with the right approach, you can make it a more enjoyable process. Crafting a career change resume that is carefully tailored to the specific role you’re applying for is essential. Highlight relevant abilities in a skills-based format, cite examples of successful past achievements, include any relevant training and certifications, and proofread your resume before submitting it. If you follow these steps, you should have a strong chance of securing the job you want.