The Top 3 Resume Mistakes of Career Changers and How to Avoid Them
The Top 3 Resume Mistakes of Career Changers and How to Avoid
Them! Copyright 2004, By Rita Fisher, Certified Professional
Resume Writer
1. Lack of focus in the resume
Are you going from a Production Manager position to
Pharmaceutical Sales?
So…why does your resume start with this objective: “To obtain a
challenging position that will provide continued growth,
learning and advancement”
HUH?
What does THAT mean?
I mean, if you are trying to change careers, you should probably
be more specific about it.
Something like this:
“Award-winning, top-producing and dynamic Production Manager
interested in applying proven revenue generation and rapport
building skills in a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
position”
Now, that is specific.
2. Creating a chronological resume
Do you really think a chronological resume will be beneficial
when you are trying to change careers?
I don’t think so.
Let me explain.
A chronological resume starts with your current position.
So, if you are currently a Data Security Administrator but you
are really interested in becoming a Paralegal, do you really
want to start your resume describing what you do on a daily
basis as a Data Security Administrator? I didn’t think so.
Employers looking for a Paralegal don’t really care to read all
that.
Instead, look at your work history as a whole and try to slice
it into different categories. These categories, or skill-groups
will have to be the ones that you can transfer to the new
industry, in this case: a paralegal job. These will be your
transferable skills and your new - functional - resume will be
built around them.
For example, what kind of skills did you use as a Data Security
Administrator?
Research skills Communication skills Client services skills
Now, build your resume around these skills.
This is called a functional resume because these skills
represent a function that you have performed in the past and
will be performing again.
So, center your resume on the above 3 main skill headings and
include RELEVANT information under each heading that you have
pulled from your TOTAL COMBINED work history.
Call me at 812-375-6190, if you have any questions about the
functional resume. I will be happy to answer your questions. Or
e-mail me at resumes@reliable-net.net. (Finding transferable
skills and transferring them for the new job is what I do best).
3. Listing only your duties and responsibilities
Nobody cares what you do on the job. I mean, if you are a
Receptionist or a Sales Broker, you have the same duties every
Receptionist or Sales Broker has, right?
But before you sock me in the head for being rude, let me tell
you this.
Even though companies don’t care about WHAT you do on a daily
basis they do care about the RESULTS of what you do?
What results, you ask?
Like: saving money for the company, earning money, otherwise
called bottom-line results.
So, do you have results like that? Of course, you do!
Just answer these questions:
How did you contribute to the company’s bottom line?
How did you do your job better and / or more efficiently than
someone else might have done it?
Consider the following 2 “job descriptions.” You tell me which
one sounds better:
“Kept files, maintained up to date records.”
Or
“Saved company $10,000 / year by developing and implementing a
new and efficient filing system for all sales transactions.”
See what I mean?
