Tips on switching career? Resume and cover letter help!?

Question

I am trying to go into a different line of work, but I am having trouble doing so. I think the main reason is that my resume reflects my experience in my current field, and I am not sure how to go about highlighting the fact that I can do other things. How can I change the focus of my resume and cover letter to say that I am capable of switching careers/doing something else? Thanks!

Answer 1

What you need to do it to create a skills based resume rather than one that just lists the work you have done.

This is what you do.  First make a list of all the skills you have gained from the jobs you have done, from things you do outside work, from courses you have studied etc.  Try and get as detailed a list as possible.  Then take a close look at the jobs you are now applying for and identify what skills are important in that field.  Look for the matches between what you have got and what they want.

Then write a resume that has a section near the beginning that is called something like Skills Profile or Professional Skills.  You might include things like customer care, project management, team work, attention to detail, problem solving, working under pressure etc etc. Pick 4-5 that are relevant to your new job.  Under each one, give a short example of a situation that demonstrates that you have used this skill already to good effect.

This means that your potential employer immediately sees evidence of what you can do that is relevant to their needs.

But apart from tweaking your resume, network, network, network!  Talk to people who are in your new line of work.  Ask if you can have 20 minutes of their time so you can pick their brains and ask for advice.  Then ask them to recommend another useful contact for you.  It is often this kind of informal networking that leads to a job in a new area.

Best of luck!