Resume Writing Solutions for a Career Change

Resume writing is a challenge for many.  It can be a very frustrating experience if you are planning a major career change.  It does not have to be frustrating.  With the right approach you can craft a resume that paves a path to your new career.  Whether you work with a professional resume writer or write the resume on your own, understanding and tapping into your transferrable skills will make the transition easier.

What are transferable skills?

These are valuable skills that would be useful in your target job.  In other words, these are skills that would transfer to your next job, even if that job is a departure from your current job or industry.  You may have developed these skills in a prior job or through education, volunteer work, civic leadership, or personal projects.

What types of skills are valuable?

Technical Skills:  One example is proficiency in computer hardware and software. It also includes the ability to operate certain tools, instruments, or machinery. While these skills may seem very specialized, often the skill in a certain type of tool or technology can demonstrate your aptitude for a similar type of tool or technology.

Administrative and Management Skills: Examples include research, developing policies or procedures, organizing information, project planning, project management, resource allocation, cost analysis, decision making, staff supervision.

Interpersonal Skills:  Building and managing relationships with clients, partners, vendors, patients, co-workers, staff, and industry colleagues is critical in almost any career. There are other interpersonal skills that are valuable, such as rapport building, assessing needs, negotiating, selling, persuading, training, educating, consulting, interviewing, and motivating.

Determining Which Transferrable Skills to Showcase

Research examples of job postings for your target career.  Compile a list of job requirements.  Take an in-depth look at your career history. If you are working with a professional resume writer, she can help you by asking questions to uncover important details. The information you choose to include on your resume will support or hinder your career change. Customize your resume to match the precise needs of your target employer.  This will require analyzing your resume each time you apply for a job. These right skills will demonstrate your qualification for your new career direction.

How to Integrate the Skills on Your Resume

Start at the top.  Prepare a concise and compelling profile statement. Most experts agree that three to six lines of information is appropriate.  It should include highlights of your skills, knowledge, and experience that support your new goal. The next section, the core competencies section, is equally important. Here you list eight to ten of your most relevant skills. The key is to strategically modify this section to match the employer’s need. In other words, match your valuable skills with the primary needs of the hiring employer.  Maximize the professional experience section of your resume by capturing the scope of your responsibility and results of achievements that are most relevant to your target job.  In some career changes, this is more of a challenge. Working with a career coach or resume writer can make this task much easier.

The Bottom Line

Write your resume with intention. When a hiring manager scans your resume, it should be clear what type of job that you are most suited to perform. If the hiring manager is unclear, you will lose the opportunity to a candidate who is “the perfect match.”  Don’t make the mistake of creating a generic resume. Clearly showcase your skills and experience from the past that support your new career goal.  If you accomplish this, YOU will be “the perfect match.”