Real-Life, Fast, Free Career Advice from an Expert Career Coach
"Remember that the goal of your resume is to get an interview," I said. "You need to convince a potential employer you are worthy of their limited time."
"Think of your resume like a sales brochure for you, representing your skills and accomplishments to a potential employer. It is likely that an employer will only take a few seconds to skim your resume, so it is important that your resume emphasizes what you could do for an employer."
"What are the most common mistakes I should avoid?" Matt asked.
"One of the most common mistakes people make in preparing their resume is to assume that a potential employer or interviewer will carefully read the resume," I replied. "Most employers won't. Instead, they will skim it, looking for a few key points. If your resume is not reader-friendly, that brief overview may miss your most important accomplishments. Or it could lead a reader to focus on experience that is not necessary relevant to the position at hand."
"Keep these tips in mind as you develop your new resume," I recommended.
Tip #1: Think of Your Career Change Resume as a Sales Tool, Not a History
Focus on the skills and experiences that support your case as a candidate for the new career. Translate your current and past experience into credentials that are obviously connected to your new profession and/or industry.
Be thoughtful about the experiences and accomplishments you show on your resume. A resume is not a work history. Include information that is relevant, that lends credibility to your work-related abilities or that demonstrates your development of important skills.
Think about the industry/field you are applying to, and what impression your experiences and activities will give to them.
It can be particularly helpful to have someone who works or has worked in the field look over your resume to make sure you have focused on the relevant information.
Use active verbs, not phrases like "Responsibilities
include…."
Tip #2: Highlight Your Accomplishments, Not Your Responsibilities
Employers want to see why you are potentially better than the hundreds or thousands of other applicants. To demonstrate this, describe how you improved a process or product, made a significant suggestion, or contributed something of value to an organization. This aspect of your resume can be particularly difficult to do for oneself, because it feels a lot like bragging, which many of us have been taught not to do.
It is okay to single out something you did once, a suggestion you made, or a procedure you developed. Think about when you took the initiative to make something happen, or when you went above and beyond your typical responsibilities to benefit your employer.
Accomplishments also include skills you learned. If you can quantify your accomplishments, all the better. Don't worry if you cannot. Not every experience lends itself to number-based explanations.
Tip #3: Consider Using a Summary or Profile
A summary is an opportunity for a potential employer to take a ten-second look at your resume and know they want to interview you. Since a summary or profile is right up front on your resume, it will influence how the reader (employer) perceives the rest of the information on your resume. That is why a summary or profile is your best tool for steering the impression of a potential employer. It also prevents them from missing key points about your experience that may be buried further along in your resume.
A summary is an especially helpful too for a career change resume because it puts the most relevant skills to the new career front and center.
A summary or profile is generally 5-8 bullet points (a bullet point can have more than one phrase or sentence) or a long paragraph that is a snapshot of your resume. It may change based on what kind of job or organization you are applying to, so you may need more than one summary. You can repeat experiences/skills that you list in your job descriptors below, but don’t use the same exact phrasing.
Here is an example of a summary in a bulleted format:
Experienced in integrated marketing, public relations, brand development, customer relationships, and project management.
Developed and managed complex projects, working effectively as a member of cross-functional teams and individually. Strategic viewpoint combined with strong tactical execution.
Crafted and implemented media plans, including reputation building and issues management.
Knowledgeable in branding and the use of messages and graphics to build and express identity.
Wrote, designed, and supervised production of marketing and communication materials. Developed strategy and navigation and wrote copy for web sites. Developed PowerPoint and other audio-visual presentations.
Created, presented, and executed programs, including consulting with colleagues, executives, influencers, and key constituents. Developed and managed relationships with key constituent organizations, including media organizations.
Proficient in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, and FrontPage. Familiar with Microsoft Access and Excel, Adobe Acrobat and PageMaker, HTML, Macromedia Dreamweaver, FileNET content management system, and SCT Luminis portal software.
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills; adept at reading people and group dynamics; creative, detail-oriented, and self-motivated.
Tip #4: Focus Objectives on Contribution
Contrary to popular belief, putting an objective on your resume is not mandatory. Include an objective if a potential employer cannot easily tell what type of position you might be applying for, based on the body of your resume.
A typical resume objective reads something like this: "A position in the 'fill-in-the-blank' field where I can learn..."
Employers want to hire people who can contribute to their organization, not to provide a learning experience (no matter what their public relations materials say). Use your objective to tell a potential employer what skills and/or knowledge you can contribute.
Example
Senior marketing position with opportunity to
contribute to goals of the organization based on track record of
strategic counsel, ability to generate innovative ideas, and
well-honed client relationship skills.
Tip #5: Be Obvious
Be obvious; don’t make people guess or fill in the blanks. Potential employers do not have time to do research or look for information.
Tip #6: Mind Your Jargon
Review your resume for jargon and other technical language from your old career and make sure to translate your experience into the language of your new career. If you are unsure of the jargon or buzzwords to use, do some research on the internet, with a professional association, or by asking someone in the field. Highlight the new jargon in your career change resume.