How to write a career-change resume

3 tips to help you create a career-change resume

There are many reasons you may make a mid-career transition. Whether it is due to changes to your industry, the economy or a shift in your professional interests, you may need to change course at some point in your career. Trying new jobs is becoming the norm in today’s economy. Some say the career ladder has been replaced by career scaffolding. So how do you write a resume for a role that is different than your current and past work? Searching for a job outside of your industry requires more leg work on your part. But you’ve got this! Start by creating a career-change resume that highlights your transferrable skills, uses the right keywords and showcases relevant educational, volunteer or work experiences.

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1. Highlight your transferable skills

A career-change resume tells the story of your transferrable skills to a recruiter and/or a hiring manager. Your goal is to explain how your qualifications from previous jobs are applicable to the new position you are seeking. Start by thinking outside of your current and past job titles. Highlight your transferrable skills and areas of competence on your resume to downplay your work titles. Skills such as training, customer service and project management can position you for a wide variety of jobs in an array of industries. When writing your work experience section, focus less on the job duties and more on the hard and soft skills you have developed that are likely most appealing to the hiring manager.

2. Use the right keywords on your resume

This is when your master resume will help. Pay close attention to how an employer describes a responsibility, requirement or qualification. Take the exact words and phrases used in the job descriptions for roles you are applying to and weave them into your resume. Keywords are your chance to show the recruiter and hiring manager that you are a match for the position. They also help applicant tracking systems identify your resume out of the pack as a possible match.

3. showcase your education, trade programs and certifications

It's important to position your career change as a strength. Hiring managers sometimes prefer to hire people outside of their industry. They seek fresh perspectives and ideas from their new hires. When considering applicants, hiring managers look for specific hard and soft skills, which can be acquired across a wide range of industries. When switching industries, it is important to highlight what you have learned over the course of your career that is relevant to what you will be doing in your next role. Listing previous coursework, certifications, workshops, etc. demonstrates your focus on continued education. We also learn outside of the classroom and the office. Think through your volunteer experiences. What skills did you pick up that are relevant to the job you are applying for? Highlight what you have learned and what you have accomplished as a volunteer on your resume wherever applicable. Let our experts help with your job search. Submit your resume today!

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UPDATED AUGUST 2024