How can you avoid common resume mistakes when changing careers?

Tailoring your resume is important any time you apply for a job! When trying to change careers, it is essential. Remember to focus only on the skills needed for the new job. Demonstrate how you can use those skills in the new career by showcasing accomplishments that match what the new job is looking for. Accomplishments and skills that aren't relevant to the new job tie you to the past, and make those skills and accomplishments seem less transferable.

I've changed careers 5 times and with each change, I've used transferable skills to make the move. Let's say that you are looking to move from engineering to financial analysis. Focus on the skills that you gained in your engineering experience (problem solving, project management, etc) in your resume/LinkedIn profile in order to make the jump. If you aren't sure about what the *right* transferable skills are, talk to folks in your target role to better understand what you need to do to make the move.

Job titles can vary from company to company, but transferable skills are universal. Showcasing them can make you stand out and resonate with a wider range of employers. Always frame your experience around what you can bring to the table.

Would someone add examples of how to do this in a meaningful way if your field/job ISN'T sales or customer service? Almost every example I've ever seen lies heavily on $ metrics or some sort of % of customers.

I will typically start my resume bullet points with the results/numbers first as a way to really catch the reader's eye: Boosted leads by 40% via marketing strategies, customer insights, etc Elevated performance by 25% for team of 10 through ... Lifted traffic by 60% and conversions by 30% via responsive website …

I have pivoted a couple of times with transferrable skills. The first step is to identify hard & soft skills for pivot. I was a hiring manager in corporate and pivoted using transferable skills to employment services non-profit using previous hard & soft skills. My resume had sales targets, internal jargon, business development, outreach, recruitment, sourcing, coaching, event planning, fundraising, and leading career fairs. I also added speaking 3 different languages (based on job posting & demographics/city). My resume was customized 80% based on employer needs. Pivoting is hard if you can't brand it on your resume. I had a cover letter about why there was a change in industry & role. I also networked directly with hiring team.

Most recruiters and hiring managers spend no more than two minutes to decide whether your resume is compelling enough to warrant a phone call. Consider your resume as a 30-second elevator ride with the hiring manager or recruiter. You have 30 seconds to grab their attention and prove that you are deserving of their call. So, keep your resume concise, to the point, and avoid using unnecessary words.

Recruiters and hiring managers are interested in what you can do for them, not in everything you can do or have ever done. Make it easy for them to see how you fit the new role. Use your cover letter and summary statement to talk about not only your value proposition, but why you are choosing to make the change to a new career.