How to Write a Career Change Resume
Changing careers is relatively common. People get burnt out and overworked, motivating them to seek more rewarding opportunities. When changing careers, it's important to focus on skills. Even if you don't have direct experience in the new career, your skills may transfer. A resume that highlights these skills will prove that you are a good match for the position.
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Instructions
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Use a functional format. Most people use a chronological format, listing previous jobs based on dates the job was held. According to Quint Careers, a functional format resume allows career changers to focus on transferable skills. The resume should be clustered in groups of skills instead of specific job titles.
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Create a qualifications summary. The summary should focus on summarizing skills that relate to the new career. For example, perhaps the new career requires customer service, problem-solving and accounting skills. Summarize each of these skills in three to four sentences. Under the summary, include a bullet-point list of other qualifications. Check out samples of functional resume for formatting in Resources.
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Write a section titled "Experience Highlights." Under this section, include three to four for the most important skills desired by the employer. For example, the first skill might be customer service. Include three bullet points (one to two sentences each) under customer service describing your experience.
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Create a section titled "Employment History" and list your previous four to five jobs. For example, Marketing Communications, ABC Bank, San Francisco, CA.
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Create a section titled "Education and Training." List all degrees obtained. For example, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL (1990-1994), Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
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Create a section titled "Community Service." Include any community service experience that includes skills pertinent to the employer.
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Tips & Warnings
Include a cover letter when sending your resume. In the cover letter, highlight skills and education that transfer to the new position. Highlight internship and other experiences that directly relate to the new career.
Don't forget to ask for help proofreading. Spelling and grammar errors could take you out of the running for a job. Asking for assistance proofreading will help catch these errors.
