Changing Careers?

Is it time for you to consider changing careers? If so, the ideas below offer some excellent advice for revamping your resume and focusing it on the direction you plan to take in your new career.

As you know, your resume has to be top-notch. Anything else just doesn't cut it. When changing careers, your skills and achievements may not perfectly fit into your new position. How can you make your resume appeal to a prospective employer in your new field of employment? You have to present yourself in a different way that you have in the past. Your resume has to be carefully tailored to the new employer's needs and goals.

First, choose a resume format that highlights your qualifications and accomplishments. For career changers, this will either be a combination format or a functional format. The reason these two formats are better for career-changers, is that they place more emphasis on the work done rather than on the employers, education and dates of employment.

Even though this seems trivial, it isn't. In either format, list your skills and achievements near the top of the page - and be sure they match the employers needs. Let the hiring manager see what you have to offer instead of what your job title was or where you worked. While the company you worked for is important on some level, who you worked for may detract from what you did while you were an employee there. Why?

For example: Let's say you worked for Southlake Marketing as a graphics designer and now you want to re-focus your career in a new direction. Now, you want to be an art teacher. While the two involve artistic abilities, many of the tasks and responsibilities will not be the same. Placing those skills and aptitudes where the prospective employer can see them first, is critical, especially when you remember that your resume gets scanned, not read. You only have a limited amount of time to make a great first impression.

When considering the skills you should put in your resume, remember that there are many transferable skills that employers seek regardless of where you work. Every employer wants someone who takes initiative and is a problem-solver.

They transfer from position to position.
Consider this list and how each one might apply to you:

• communication skills (written and oral)


• team player


• negotiation skills


• leadership abilities


• solving problems


• motivating others

Of course there are many more possibilities, but you should be able to understand the concept by those presented here.

For more information about changing careers, look here: Career Planning

Transferable skills

What are transferable skills? Transferable skills are the skills you have learned or utilized which can be used to enhance your future job experiences. They are the abilities and talents you possess which can be employed in an array of work related positions.

When you understand how many transferable skills and abilities you have, you are better prepared to market yourself to employers. It's difficult to explain to others what you are capable of when you haven't taken the time to figure it out yourself. The more time you take to identify your skills and abilities, the better prepared you will be to create an excellent resume – and perform well in an interview.

How do you determine which transferable skills you possess? Make a list of your work experience, hobbies, volunteer work, and positions or offices you hold or have held (in various associations, committees and/or clubs). Have you played any sports? Have you worked on programs at your church? This will help you start to realize just how much you have done in the past. In a little bit, you will see how those experiences can be related to your future employment.

Here is a list of possible transferable skills:

Communication skills
Negotiating ability
Creativity
Listening skills
Teaching ability
Leadership skills
Editing ability
Organization skills
Taking initiative
Management skills, etc.
Goal oriented
Conducting research
Motivational skills
Planning ability
Cooperative attitude
Math Aptitude
Providing constructive feedback
Computer literacy
Work well under pressure

Making a list of the transferable skills you possess (accomplishments and skills) is very helpful. It is important especially when you do not have a wealth of real world experience from which to pull.

Here is something else you ought to consider: Have quantifiable examples of each of your transferable skills so that you truly stand out to the prospective employer. It is one thing to tell an employer that you are a good facilitator. It is another thing entirely to be able to back that statement up with solid measurable examples. It’s especially important when you have some concrete experience in a given field.

To be able to make these transferable skills work for you, some research may need to be done to determine the exact needs of the employer for the position you are interested in. Find out what is required and then tailor your skill set to that one position.

Job duties may change from job to job, but there are a great many skills that transfer well from one position to another. Being able to recognize and clearly relate those transferable skills to a prospective employer is a huge benefit to both you and the employer.



Written by Carla Vaughan, Owner of Professional-Resume-Example.com

Professional-Resume-Example.com is a web site devoted to assisting candidates in the job-search process. Carla holds a B.S. in Business from Southern Illinois University and has authored several books.