Resume writing tips
Look for keywords in the job postings. ...
Review resume examples for your industry. ...
Use a professional font. ...
Include only the most relevant information and put the most important information first. ...
Use active language. ...
Call attention to important achievements. ...
Only include subheadings and sections you need.
Tip 1. Don’t fear the qualification gaps
Focus on showing your strengths and abilities in the most compelling way possible. Your enthusiasm and bravery in switching fields will come through in your cover and resume, and lead you straight to the interview.
Don’t be intimidated at the thought of being less than 100% qualified. Many employers would rather hire someone who’s an 80-90% fit, but has great enthusiasm and willingness to learn. For candidates from unrelated professional backgrounds, there will be qualification gaps. However, keep in mind that few job candidates meet 100% of every single desired qualification.
Tip 2. Highlight valuable experiences
If you’re an accounting assistant looking to move into graphic design, include the website you designed for the local soup kitchen and the brochure you designed for your friend’s bed-and-breakfast.
Think about projects in your past that allowed you to develop transferable skills — including related education, training, and volunteer work. List design classes and training in design software. Show that you have a passion for the new field and have been taking every opportunity to develop your skills. If your past professional experience has little application to this career switch, you may be able to make up for it by emphasizing work done outside of office hours.
Tip 3. Pare it down
This is particularly important if you are a relatively experienced candidate who is willing to take on a more junior role in exchange for the opportunity to switch fields. Your job here is to demonstrate the ease with which you will move into this new career. Though large, unexplained gaps in the resume should be avoided, you don’t need to list every position you’ve had if they are not relevant. Stay focused on relevance as opposed to volume.
Play down your overall years of experience and emphasize your commitment to the career change and your willingness (and ability) to roll up your sleeves and do the work needed. Some employers have a bias against the “overqualified” — worrying that you may turn up your nose at more junior work or that you can’t possibly be truly interested in the job.
Tip 4. Be Specific
Your time at a PR firm may be impressive, but not so much to a hiring manager looking for a tech assistant. Zero in on those skills that would be most interesting to the person looking to fill the position. Whatever format you choose, your new resume (or resumes) should be comprehensive, but not overwhelming.
For instance, your time management skills or knowledge of certain computer programs would be useful in almost any position. This is where transferable skills come in. Each job teaches us something, and those things can be widely used elsewhere.
Tip 5. Pick the right resume format
In this qualifications summary, it is also important for you to mention your new career objective, so employers don’t assume you’re staying in your old field. Within your chronological work history, you should focus on the skills, tasks and accomplishments most relevant to your new career.
Lead your resume with a career goal and qualifications summary, and then create categories that highlight your related skills and experience. Remember those short attention spans. If a glance at your last few positions doesn’t make it obvious that you’re a great fit for the job at hand, make sure you spell it out in the summary.
Tip 6. Prepare for resume rewrites
It’s always smart to customize your resume for each new position to which you apply, reworking to highlight the skills and past experience most relevant for each job. A common mistake career changers make is to use the same resumes that worked in their previous careers.
Re-phrase and re-organize your skills to properly highlight your qualifications for this new path. However, it’s even more important for career changers to present a customized resume that clearly demonstrates your fit for this new career. Pay careful attention to job descriptions and use the key words and lingo in your resume.
Tip 7. Make a strong first impression
These connections are not always obvious. Don’t assume that the reader can make the leap between your experience as an attorney and your fit for a marketing position. Put some effort into writing a compelling cover letter.
The cover letter is your first impression with many hiring managers (it’s true that some don’t read cover letters, but many do and it’s worth the effort to improve your chances) and an opportunity to convey the meaningful connections between your professional past and the skills you can bring to the job going forward.
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