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How to Adapt your Resumé to a Career Change
Changing jobs is one of the more difficult decisions a person can make. It means not only leaving behind familiar co-workers, but also the entire field to which you have become accustomed. You have to learn new ways of doing things, which means proving your professional qualifications and credibility in a new workplace. Thus, the first step in that process is writing a new version of your resumé which demonstrates how the skills and abilities you developed in your old line of work will be applicable to your new career.
There is no shortage of material offering guidance on this process. On the Internet alone, there are numerous resources for people looking to change careers. You can find tools that help you discover what careers you are best suited for and guides for improving your qualifications to fill any gaps you may have. However, you need to be careful about sources that claim to help you put together the most persuasive resumé for your new career choice.
A person changing careers needs to take into account two major things in putting together a resumé: research and transferable skills. Most people put a lot of thought into a career change. They consider their families, their living and financial situations, their competitive advantages in the new field, and the like. After you convince yourself that changing careers is the best thing to do at this stage of your life, you will have to convince your potential employers that you are the best person to do the job you are seeking. To do so, you have to do your homework. Demonstrate to your employer that you have an extensive knowledge of the industry, even if you don't have the accompanying experience. Before you begin your new career, make sure that you understand what professional paths are available for you, and determine what will be your ultimate goal in this line of work. This will help you phrase your career objective for your resumé.
In addition, make sure to do your research on the company you are interested in, as well as their competition (if you are interested in non-profit organizations, make sure to brush up on other organizations with similar missions). If invited for an interview, you will want to be able to talk knowledgeably not only about their company, but about the industry as a whole. You will need to convince your potential employer that you are a better prospect than the candidates with experience, which means being able to showcase not only your enthusiasm for the opportunity, but your eagerness to learn and your understanding of the field.
Transferable skills, those skills that can be utilized in numerous fields, are also critical to a successful career change and absolutely must be highlighted on your resumé. Consider the qualifications you currently possess. What experience have you acquired that can be utilized in multiple industries? Transferable skills include verbal and written communication, people management, customer relations, organization and project management, development of new processes, generation of new ideas or concepts, etc. Such skills can be adapted to all organizations, and you should make the most of them to demonstrate your qualification for the job you are seeking. For example, if you would like to ditch the 9-to-5 desk job for the hectic, unpredictable life of a teacher at a college or university, let your potential employer know that your previous experience in leading by motivation makes you a perfect candidate for the job (even if that marketing project you managed has nothing to do with teaching English composition). Making a list of all your professional experiences and the qualifications needed for the job you are seeking will help you in determining which skills are transferable to your new career. Once you define your transferable skills, use a functional resumé to assure most (if not all) of the qualifications needed for the new job are clearly identified.
In addition to organizing your resumé to highlight the skills that are applicable to your new career path, use your cover letter or email to let your potential employer know why you are changing careers, so that it will not appear that you applied by mistake or on a whim. By making sure that your application materials reflect your new line of work in a genuine and professional manner, you can help smooth your way into a successful career change.
