Adjusting your resume to fit a new career can be scary and, at times, you may feel like you’re not cut out for that move. I’m here to tell you: you ARE!
When changing careers, the biggest issues my clients face isn’t the lack of experience; it’s a lack of confidence. I’m going to show you how to revise your application materials to show what a master-sensei-guru you are.
Once you’ve unlocked your own confidence, you’ll need to access your inner marketer and start infusing the resume with some promotional language. This is a GREAT time to be “a little cocky,” so get out there and advertise yourself unapologetically!
11 Must-haves for Your Resume When You’re Changing Careers
- Do some soul-searching
- Review your technical skills
- Review your “soft” skills
- Create a distinct writing-style
- Showcase volunteer or “initiative-taking” opportunities
- Practice being strategically vague
- Build a list of references in your industry
- Have everyone you meet review it.
- Revise for self-promotion
- Revise for applicant-tracking systems (ATS)
- Keep it up-to-date
Do Some Soul-searching
Is this even the job you want?
Before sitting down to write your resume, you MUST ask yourself at least a hundred times if this career change is right for you. If you’re writing a resume on it already, chances are you’ve probably thought things out. But just in case, it doesn’t hurt to revisit some common causes of new job nerves, and make sure that what you’re experiencing isn’t doubt in your interests!
The problem is, many people that change careers experience a stigma of “career uncertainty,” even if you’re totally confident in your decision to make a shift.
This goes back to totally obliterating all self-doubt in your mind and forcing your brain to believe in this cause obsessively. Once you’ve done that, your abilities and interests will easily shine through.
Review Your “Technical” Skills
Interestingly enough, I hear time and time again about cases where clients are interviewed and passed over because they didn’t reference basic Microsoft products in their resumes.
These aren’t entry level jobs, either. These are the big, bad Fortune 500 management jobs. My question is this: does anybody out there really know NOTHING about Microsoft Word?
A change in your career doesn’t mean you’ve lost understanding of basic technology like Word, PowerPoint & Excel. These are simple tools you could re-learn for free or quickly brush up on by doing a few YouTube searches!
You’re probably closer to using “industry tools” than you think- give yourself some credit! Use this nearly exhaustive list of computer tools to add to your “Skills” section.
Review Your “Soft” Skills
Are you adaptive? A leader? An intelligent thinker? All of these “soft” skills, or skills that identify your personality rather than skills only someone in your industry would have, are important in getting that initial interview.
Often, and especially with entry-level positions, recruiters are putting more weight on these soft skills because the technical demand is so low!
When you’re changing careers, be sure to avoid jobs that are too management-based. When we reset, we need to re-lay the foundation. Entry-level jobs help us do that, and there is NO shame in that!
Create a Distinct Writing Style
When I write, I use a ton of contractions. The language still feels professional, and it reads like I speak. If you were to hear me in an interview setting tomorrow, you may even be able to match this blog post to my voice.
That’s intentional! The best resumes are ones that encapsulate the person from soft skills to writing voice. When you write like you speak, you create a seamless transition when it comes time to interview, which helps recruiters to trust you.
Showcase Volunteer or “Initiative-taking” Opportunities
If you haven’t been busting down doors asking to do work in your new field for free, don’t read any further! You are BEHIND, and those who ARE willing to do that work are beating you!
After you’ve done some work in the field, you’ll want to include those experiences in place of any “irrelevant” experience.
Be painfully honest with yourself about what constitutes “valuable” experience to future recruiters, and replace in your current resume the jobs that won’t impress going forward.
Practice Being Strategically Vague
Navigating a career change introduces a totally new ball game. Where your resume may previously have been made of solid stone, in your new industry it’s held together by scotch tape.
Sometimes, less is more. If you worked inside Microsoft Excel months ago but not recently, this is NOT the time to clarify that point.
As long as your vagueness doesn’t hinder your ability to do that job, you’ll want to stay on the broader side of certain information.
Build a List of References in Your Industry
Technically, a resume and a reference sheet should be totally separate documents, but the value of stacking those references up (ideally, those whose doors you busted down in tip #5) is right in line with building a great resume.
Hiring managers LOVE references when it comes to entry-level jobs. More often than not, they’re dealing with resumes with little to no experience and they love to hear validation from others that you’ll do a good job.
Wait to pass along your reference sheet until it’s brought up by the company. Every time you send it out, shoot a quick email to your references to let them know a call may be coming their way. You DON’T want to make your references mad by blind sighting them on a reference call.
Have Everyone you Meet Review it. Pass it Out Like Candy
Every person you meet from now until you land your next job should get a copy of your resume. Aside from them being an extra pair of eyes, you never know who could help you build your network all the way to a new job!
You should always be open & grateful when revisions are recommended (even if you don’t use them). When people make resume recommendations, it crosses a line to where they’re suddenly invested in your success.
That bond is too valuable to pass up for your own pride.
Revise for Self-promotion
This is the biggest thing resume reviewers miss. Describing yourself and advertising yourself require VERY different sets of language.
Especially if you don’t have a lot of experience, when you write a resume that’s dripping with confidence, you get an edge on competition.
Use concise language to sell yourself as the perfect fit for the job!
10. Revise for applicant-tracking-systems
75% of resumes don’t get seen by human eyes. Your last step in the initial writing process is to adjust your resume to appeal to these systems. Since it’s such an intricate process, I do NOT recommend you do it on your own.
Shoot me a message at kyle@stolengroundmedia.com to get started with my resume review process. This part NEEDS to be done by someone with experience in these systems, so shoot me a message and we’ll get going on it right away.
In the meantime, get some industry-specific keywords together and position them early in your bullets to get them seen easier!
Keep it Up-to-date!
If you’re going through a career change, chances are not a day goes by you don’t do something new to help better that new career.
A resume that goes even a week without an update could be the difference between an interview and a “thanks we’ll call you” from a company. Don’t let yourself off the hook- set an alarm in your phone and get it done!
The Rest of the Hiring Process
Once you have a solid resume for your new career, you’ll need to gather the rest of your marketing materials.
Start with a reference sheet (if you haven’t already built one). This is a separate document that encompasses, at most, your references’ names, numbers, emails, relationships, and a short quote.
Next, add a generic cover letter. You can find templates online or you can email me for one I like to use. You’ll have two body paragraphs: your first showcases interests in the job to which you’re applying. The second showcases past experience where you’ve made changes with good, quantifiable results.
Finally, practice interviewing in the mirror, taking care to look yourself in the eye. Speaking with eye contact is uncomfortable, but this exercise helps it to come more naturally.
You’ll see some rejections, some string-alongs, some interviews that don’t work out, and everything in-between. You’ll experience the full ride on the emotional roller coaster, and you’ll probably feel insane for part of the process.
But you are worth this raise. You’re worth this promotion, and you don’t need to drown in a career you’re unsatisfied with when there’s something else on the table (and it IS on the table).
Get your resume re-aligned and dream that next dream.
References:
https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/nervous-about-new-job-1017
https://www.careertoolbelt.com/you-may-have-employable-computer-skills-you-didnt-know-you-had/
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/should-you-include-references-on-a-resume
