Changing your career can be scary! But, updating your resume doesn’t have to be. Check out our top tips for what to put on your resume when changing careers
Write a resume objective.
The purpose of a resume objective is to express the type of job you’re looking for in just a few lines. Make this section about you and highlight what you’re looking for in a role and what you can bring to the table in your new role. For example, if your background includes 7 years as a brand marketing manager and experience from that role (ex. agency management, design oversight, strategic planning) would be applicable to your new role, mention that!
Be transparent
So you are trying to change careers. Employers respect that! Write a brief blurb on your new career aspirations and any certifications / educational experiences that will help you transition easy.
Highlight your experience with featured skills.
Chances are if you’re changing career paths, you probably have little to no experience in the field you are looking to enter…and that’s okay! You can still share your top 3 experiences that feel the most relevant to your new career and incorporate the type of skills you learned into the description. Skills can be related across industries and career paths.
Make sure your education section is prominent.
Go ahead and show off your degree(s)! It’s not often you get to show off your education, and this is the perfect opportunity. While your degree(s) may not be “typically matched” to the role you are applying for, you can share relevant courses that may help you in your new role. Additionally, you can add any relevant student association positions, volunteer work, work-study programs, or even hobbies that are related to your new career.
Show certifications.
Only add these certifications if they’re relevant to the new role you’re applying to. For example, if you’re CPR certified and applying for a role in Public Relations… not too relevant. But if you’re certified in Google Analytics IQ, that would be relevant and helpful in your role! Feel like your resume is a bit light? Go take some micro courses and list them out once complete. This will show your dedication to learning this new field.