How to Change Career Fields
Feel stuck in a job that you don’t like? Feel like you don’t have the right degree for a new career? Feel like you don’t have the right skill set for another career? I’ve been there! It’s possible to change careers! Some careers, teaching, medicine, dentistry/orthodontics, real estate or law you need specific schooling and certifications to be able to change into. Understanding the expectations of the field you are looking to transition to are important because some will have requirements of going back to school or taking certifications. However, if you are looking into business, administrative work, human resources, sales, marketing, software development, design or many other fields you may not have to go back to school to transition your career.
I used to be an elementary school teacher with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, sounds limited! I was very intimated to consider moving into the business world and didn’t think I had the qualifications required. I quit my job teaching having no clue where I was headed and a month later landed in an account management email marketing position. I want to share my journey, so you feel empowered to make the transition yourself!
Read your current resume, or better yet have a friend, not in your current field read your resume. Circle or highlight acronyms, certifications, and other jargon only related to the current industry you are in. If you are planning to change career fields, you can’t be overly specific because hiring managers won’t understand the relevance. Remove anything that someone else not in the field would read and say, “What is that?”
Next, attach percentages or numbers to anything that can indicate performance. Someone might not know exactly what you were doing in your previous role, but to say 100% attainment, retention, or growth will resonate.
Elaborate on your experiences working with others. Highlight leadership opportunities, partnerships with other companies or departments, or mentorships. Across almost any career field, these will be relatable and synonymous with how you engage with others in a work environment.
A skill or job responsibility that you currently have may be a no brainer in your current field, but it could set you apart in the one you want to transition to. For example, in teaching I created lesson plans every day for five different subject areas. If I were applying for a teaching job, I would never put that on my resume since it is 101 of the job, but transitioning to business, this showed that I was creative and could engineer content and train others on it.
Do your research on the industry you are trying to get into. Are there certain skill sets that hiring managers look for? Maybe you have done something similar, but called it a different name. Use the language that is in the job description to show that your current experience can relate to the industry you want to get in to.
Do you know anyone in the industry you are looking to transition to? If you know them well enough and feel comfortable reach out to them and ask if they could give you advice on what is important in the industry and what to include on your resume. If you don’t know anyone specifically check out LinkedIn. Look up a company that does what you are interested in, and then view employees that have it as a part of their network and check out their LinkedIn profiles.
When you get your final resume completed, look over it and ask yourself:
· Would someone reading this resume be able to relate my current skill set to a new job?
· Is it obvious that I’m adaptable and willing and able to learn new things?
Don’t stay in a job that you aren’t passionate about because you think that you can’t do anything else. Find the confidence within and let that shine on your resume! Want to leave it to the experts? ResumeHub can help! Fill out a form for us to get started on your career transition today!