how to build a resume when changing careers

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Switching Careers? Here’s How to Write a Strong Resume.

• Benjamin Laker,
• Vijay Pereira,
• Abhishek Behl,
• Zaheer Khan

Start with a personal statement.

When you’re switching career paths, there’s one essential thing you need to focus on: updating your resume. Crafting a smart resume is key to showing your potential employer why you wish to make a change. While there’s no one right format to write a resume, here are some tips you can follow:

• Begin the resume with a personal statement. This is a short description about who you are, your reasons for changing your career, your new goals, how your previous experience can be transferred to the new industry, and why you’re perfect for the job.
• Next, instead of highlighting your work experience first, showcase the skills you’ve learned throughout your career. That’s because when changing careers, the hiring managers reviewing your application may not always be familiar with the roles and responsibilities of a different industry.
• Below your skills, you can include a more traditional description of your relevant work history. You don’t need to include every job you’ve ever had, especially if you’ve held a number of positions that don’t highlight any essential skills required for this role.
• Finally, end with a chronological list of your educational qualifications. You can also include details about any certifications or courses that you may be undertaking that may be relevant to the position you’re interested in.

Switching career paths and trying something completely new can open you up to exciting opportunities, help you learn new things, and even earn you more money. But it’s not always easy — especially if you’re looking to move into an entirely different field. Apart from doing your research and unearthing opportunities, there’s one essential thing you need to focus on before you make the leap: updating your resume.

• Benjamin Laker is a professor of leadership at Henley Business School, University of Reading. Follow him on Twitter .
• Vijay Pereira is a professor of strategic and international human capital management at NEOMA Business School.
• AB Abhishek Behl is an assistant professor of information management at the Management Development Institute Gurgaon.
• ZK Zaheer Khan is a professor in strategy and international business at the University of Aberdeen.  

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11 Career Change Resume Examples [& Templates]

Marketing Manager

Best for senior and mid-level candidates

There’s plenty of room in our elegant resume template to add your professional experience while impressing recruiters with a sleek design.

Resume Builder

Like this template? Customize this resume and make it your own with the help of our Al-powered suggestions, accent colors, and modern fonts.

• Career Change Resumes
• Changing Careers To Resumes
• Changing Careers From Resumes
• Career Change Resumes for Teachers

Noah breathed a sigh of relief as he found a few accounting job descriptions that intrigued him. After spending years in various financial roles and racking up some impressive creds as a financial analyst, he felt confident in this career switch. But was he as prepared to  make a resume as he was for his career change?

Noah’s confidence went up when he found our library of career change resume examples and time-tested hints. Plus, he knew he’d be able to expand upon his career objective and add even more value by making a cover letter ! The notes he took while preparing his application materials even helped him navigate a victorious interview.

Whether you’re looking to change careers in accounting, teaching, or any other profession, check out our handy resources to build your own success story like Noah did!

Career Change Resume

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• A summary merges your background with the opportunities you’re seeking. In other words, a summary demonstrates how your experience has prepared you for your new field. However, you should only use a summary if you’ve had  at least 10 years of experience.
• Choosing a  professional resume template  and  resume format  can help make your resume look professional and cohesive without much effort.

Multiple Career Resume

• The keywords you include will help tie your expertise together and prove that you have the right abilities for the job. 
• Start by listing hard skills (aka technical, learned skills) listed in the job description. If you don’t have a lot, then simply use soft skills like “analytical” and collaboration.”
• Whatever jobs you’ve held, find a common thread between them and the new job, then sew that thread into every job experience. It’ll be a subtle but powerful tool to increase credibility despite multiple career changes. 

Career Change To Accounting Resume

• If you’re applying to be an accountant but it wasn’t your most recent role, be sure to add a certifications section highlighting that you are a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Career Change To Administrative Assistant Resume

• Enhance your career change to administrative assistant resume with a short summary that shows recruiters where to draw parallels between your past experience and target title.

Marketing Manager Career Change Resume

• There are numbers everywhere; look for percentages relating to your skills, like how you boosted efficiency or increased sales from last quarter. The sky’s the limit!
• If you can’t find (or don’t have access to) percentages, then use plain numbers relating to how many team members you worked with, how many clients you took on, or how many referrals you gained.
• Things like only using active verbs and avoiding personal pronouns might seem minor, but they make reading your resume easier, which is huge for recruiters and hiring managers.
• And speaking of details, always  double-check your resume  for proper grammar, punctuation, and overall flow.

RN Career Change Resume

• An objective is only two to three sentences, so make sure each word packs a verbal punch by showing off your years of experience, skills, and desire for the role you’re seeking.
• For example, mentioning your adherence to HIPPA guidelines can demonstrate to hiring managers that you will stick to the rules. On the flip side, explaining how you used active listening to assist patients will show your compassion and customer service skills.

Journalist Career Change Resume

• Start by keeping your resume to a single page. Otherwise, you’ll overwhelm hiring managers (who will likely toss your resume into the recycling).
• It’s best to use reverse-chronological formatting on your resume to keep your most relevant job history at the top. While other formats are necessarily wrong, they aren’t standard, and they’re harder for hiring managers (and the ATS) to read.
• In your contact header, include your email address (make sure it’s a professional email), your phone number, and your location. 
• Consider adding a hyperlink to your LinkedIn profile if you have a LinkedIn account.

Mechanical Engineer Career Change Resume

• Consider asking a friend, relative, or even a career advisor from your alma mater to scan your resume for errors and discrepancies.
• Nothing tells a recruiter you’re not the right person for the job like saying you’re great at “time management.” 
• Put color in your section headers (or company titles) and your contact header. This will add visual interest without being overwhelming.
• If you’re applying to work at a conservative financial firm, you may want to stick to traditional colors rather than pastel pink or lavender.

Teacher Career Change Resume

• Look for ways to connect your previous duties to the responsibilities listed in the job description.
• Many skills  indirectly  transfer from one job to another. Consider your collaboration skills: your ability to work well with fellow teachers will help you work on team projects at your next job.
• Of course, if you have any skills, projects, or experience in your new field, include them, and explain how you’ve mastered them in your career change cover letter .
• Using a  resume template  is invaluable here, as you can easily scooch sections to the side, adjust your margins, and fix your font type to give you some extra wiggle room.

Teacher to Project Manager Resume

• The work experience bullet points to occupy the largest share of your CV—no more than four bullets for each role. As for your contact info, education, skills, hobbies, and certifications, a side column will do the trick. The cherry on top is restricting the entire resume to one page.

Teacher to Human Resources Resume

• But more importantly, mention the relevant transferable skills you bring to this entry-level role, a requirement Elijah executes well in his teacher to human resources resume. Better yet, let your bullet points show how you used these proficiencies in previous teaching roles.

Related resume guides

• Engineering

• Youth Program
• Wharton Online

How to Write a Career Change Resume [With Template]

Starting a career in a new field is exciting, but getting your foot in the door often presents a challenge. If you’re worried about your application being overshadowed by candidates with more experience than you, don’t underestimate the role that a well-written resume can play in the hiring process. Even if you don’t have the work experience an employer is looking for, your resume can effectively convey why you’d be a great fit for the job. 

According to iHire’s 2020 Talent Retention Report , 66% of survey respondents have recently considered changing careers. The report also found that not knowing how to write a career change resume was a commonly cited roadblock for would-be career switchers. 

In this guide, we explain what a career change resume is and how to write one. We’ve also included a free template, so you can get to work on crafting a resume for your dream role.

How to Write a Resume for a Career Change

In general, most best practices for writing a resume also apply to career change resumes. However, there are a few areas you’ll want to be sure to emphasize when writing a resume for a new career path. While a traditional resume focuses heavily on work experience, career change resumes focus more on transferable skills.

In terms of how your resume is structured, a combination resume format may be the way to go. This type of resume places an equal emphasis on both skills and experience. Instead of starting the resume with your work experience, combination resume templates typically begin with an objective and a summary of relevant skills. 

The steps listed below can help you adapt your existing resume into one that is tailored for career switching. 

1. Craft a resume objective  

A resume objective is a short summary of your professional experience, skills, accomplishments, and career goals. 

Resume objectives and summaries are often considered optional, especially if you are trying to save room on your resume, but this section is crucial for those looking to change careers. The hiring manager may not make an immediate connection between your experience and the role you’re applying for, so your resume objective is essential for helping convey why you’re interested in this industry. 

Your objective should be no longer than a couple sentences. If it takes up more than two or three lines on your resume, try to shorten it.

2. Include a skills summary 

If you’re in the midst of changing careers, you’ll want to feature your skills prominently on your resume. In fact, we recommend listing them above your work experience. 

In the skills summary section, list a few skills you want to highlight, and add bullet points underneath each skill that provide examples of when you’ve used this skill. 

Not sure what type of skills to include in this section? Scan the job description for the position you’re applying for and use some of the required skills as your starting point. Some soft skills—such as leadership skills —are applicable for almost any job. Including some of the same keywords as the job description can help ensure that your resume makes it past automatic review filters.

In some situations, you might also choose to make a separate section for “Technical Skills.” In this section, you can briefly list your proficiency with various industry tools or software. This can be a great way to capture additional keywords from the job description, without having to list full examples of when you’ve used each tool. 

3. Focus on the most relevant work experience 

For a career change resume, the work experience section is all about transferable skills. You don’t necessarily need to list all of the responsibilities you had at your old job. Instead, focus on the responsibilities that are the most relevant for the new position you’re applying for. For example, if you’re a customer service representative hoping to land a job in digital marketing, you may choose to narrow in on your ability to find creative solutions for your customers. 

Here are a few tips for describing your work experience:

• Connect your work experience back to the skills listed in your skills summary section
• Focus on achievements, providing numbers and data whenever possible
• Tailor your descriptions to each job you apply for, working in keywords from the job description

If you’re running out of space on your resume, keep in mind that you don’t need to list every job you’ve ever had. Stick to your most recent two or three jobs, and leave older, irrelevant jobs behind. 

Related: How to Successfully Navigate a Midlife Career Change and Avoid a Crisis

4. Highlight your education (including certificates) 

Whether or not your education is directly related to the job you’re applying for, it’s still important to include this section on your resume. If you have limited professional experience, you can bolster your resume with some descriptions of your academic achievements, such as your GPA or relevant coursework you’ve completed. 

For example, imagine you have an undergraduate degree in history and are applying for a role as a business analyst. If you took any courses in business or analytics during college, be sure to mention them. They might not have been a part of your degree, but they show that you’ve had an ongoing interest in understanding how businesses operate. 

If you’ve earned any certificates outside of a degree program, be sure to list these, too. Online programs and certificates offer a way to expand your knowledge in a specific subject area, without the time commitment of a full degree program. They can show employers that you are serious about your professional development and would like to gain more experience in a particular industry. 

Related: Top 10 Most In-Demand Online Courses from Wharton Online Right Now

5. Add in notable projects and accomplishments 

Dedicating a section of your resume to projects and accomplishments isn’t always necessary, but if you’re changing careers or do not have much work experience, this can be a valuable way to round out your resume. You can use this space to highlight any personal achievements that are not directly related to work or school—for example, personal projects, volunteer work, or involvement in industry-related clubs or organizations. 

If you choose to include a section for projects or accomplishments, make sure that everything you list ties back to a key skill or characteristic that is relevant for your desired career path.

Career Change Resume Example 

Now that we’ve covered some tips for creating a resume tailored to a career change, let’s explore an example. We crafted this resume for a customer service representative who is applying for a digital marketing specialist position. 

Name and Contact Information 

Abigail Jacobs 

Philadelphia, PA

267-555-0176 | [email protected]

linkedin.com/in/abigail-jacobs-example

Driven and hardworking professional with a proven track record of increasing customer satisfaction levels. Looking to leverage my problem-solving skills and build upon my 3+ years of customer service experience by transitioning into the digital marketing space.

Professional Skills 

Problem Solving

• Developed creative solutions for unsatisfied customers at Platinum Auto Insurance and Accelerate Call Center
• Lead brainstorming sessions with team members to improve customer satisfaction metrics

Communication 

• 3+ years of experience in customer services roles, frequently communicating with customers both on the phone and over email 
• Completed a B.A. in Communications and was an active member of the Public Speaking Club while in college 

Organization 

• Used Excel to organize and track customer service metrics, and compiled these metrics into weekly reports for management 

Technical Skills 

• Microsoft Word
• Google Suite 
• Google Analytics 
• Google Search Console 

Work Experience

Senior Customer Service Advisor

Platinum Auto Insurance | Sept 2019 – Present

• Resolved over 100 customer complaints per week, communicating with customers via phone and email 
• Tracked KPIs for each ticket and delivered weekly customer satisfaction reports for management, consistently exceeding target satisfaction ratings by 5-10%
• Collaborated with team members to identify creative solutions for customers

Customer Service Representative 

Accelerate Call Center | Jul 2018 – Sept 2019 

• Responded to 50+ calls per day, answering questions from customers and redirecting to other departments as needed 
• Demonstrated written communication skills by revamping customer service phone scripts, resulting in a 20% increase in customer satisfaction ratings 

Bachelor of Arts in Communication

University of Pennsylvania | Jun 2018

• Completed courses in advertising and social media

Digital Marketing Certificate 

Wharton Online | Mar 2022

• Completed a six-week program from The Wharton School
• Learned about topics such as marketing analytics, customer relationships, social media, and e-commerce marketing 

Personal Projects

Marketing Assistant for Public Speaking Club 

2017 – 2018

• As a member of the Public Speaking Club at University of Pennsylvania, assisted the club with creating a monthly newsletter
• Managed social media accounts for the club, consistently posting content and engaging with followers 

Marketing Consultant 

2020 – Present 

• Assisted a friend with the creation and management of photography business website
• Used Google Analytics and Google Search Console to measure the performance of website content 

Career Change Resume Template

We’ve adapted this example into three different template formats, with the hope that it can serve as a jumping off point for your own career change resume. Click on the links below to download the template:

• Microsoft Word .DOCX
• Google Docs (click on “File > Make a copy” to save to your own Google Docs folder)

Stand Out From the Crowd With Wharton Online

If you’re looking to switch careers in the near future, an online certificate program can help set you up for success. In addition to gaining valuable insights into a specific industry, you’ll be able to list your certificate on your resume and LinkedIn. This can give you a competitive edge during your job search. 

Wharton Online offers certificate programs in subjects such as leadership and management, asset and portfolio management, and digital marketing. All of our courses are conducted 100% online, giving you the flexibility to complete coursework on your own schedule. Explore our online programs today , or reach out to us with any questions. 

For more tips on how to navigate a career change, download our free guide, “ The Career-Switching Handbook for 30‑Somethings .”

Download our eBook: The Career-Switching Handbook for 30‑Somethings

Job-hopping is a growing trend among young professionals, and for many good reasons. Download our free eBook, “The Career-Switching Handbook for 30‑Somethings,” for the latest career-switching tips, strategies, and data.

Download the eBook

The Wharton School is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU.

Career Change Resume for 2024 [9+ Examples]

Thinking of switching careers?

It might feel a lot like taking a leap of faith. 

You’re stepping into the unknown - that alone takes a lot of courage and determination.

You might even feel like a recent graduate all over again.

You have 0 experience, entering an entirely new field, competing with people who’ve been doing it forever!

That sounds pretty scary.

But here’s the thing:

As long as you’re armed with the right resume, the transition can be a piece of cake.

And luckily, we’re here to help and guide you through the process.

So, if you’re thinking of breaking into a new career industry, be sure to read on.

• How to pick the best resume format for a career change
• How to create a skill summary and wow the recruiter
• How to show off transferable work experience
• 3+ other ways to impress the recruiter (even if you have 0 relevant work experience)

Choosing the Best Career Change Resume Format

A big part of creating an effective resume is choosing the right resume format to tell your story with.

You need to structure your resume in a way that best shows your transferable skills and experience.

And when it comes to switching careers, the combination resume format does that best.

Here’s why:

This format places equal emphasis on skills and important work experience . 

This way, you can show you have the right industry transferable skills , even if you haven’t had the actual job title.

The format is ideal for people:

• Making a career change with transferable skills or work experience.
• With some employment gaps.
• With a diverse range of skills and experience .
• Applying to both creative and traditional roles.

And here’s what you include within this format:

• Contact information
• Resume objective or summary
• Skills summary
• Work experience
• Certification

Now, we’re going to go over each of those sections and explain how to write them step-by-step.

Here’s what you need to know:

How to Add Your Contact Information the Right Way

Your contact information is arguably the most important part of your resume.

Even if you’re the most qualified person in the world, it’s not going to matter much if you misspell your email and the HR manager can’t contact you.

So, here’s what you should include in this section:

• First name, last name 
• Phone number - Make sure to include your country code if you’re applying outside your country.
• Email address - Something professional like [[email protected]].
• Location - The company needs to know if you’re located in the region or if they may have to sponsor your relocation.
• Title - Either your current professional title or your new desired one. We’d recommend including the job title you’re applying for word-for-word.

Once you’re done, we’d recommend that you double-check, even triple-check everything. You wouldn’t want to miss your chances of landing the job because of a typo, would you?

• Got an online portfolio? You can also mention the links here. For example, if you’re a developer, you can include a link to your GitHub profile. If you’re a writer, a Medium link, and so on...

All clear? Good!

Now, let’s cover how to write a successful career change resume objective or summary.

Impress the Recruiter With a Career Change Resume Objective or Summary

So you’ve got your contact details down.

Now, you need a reason for the HR manager to continue reading the rest of your resume.

So, how do you get the recruiter to stop and read your career change resume when they only look at resumes for 6 seconds on average?

The answer: by using a resume objective or summary.

Both of these sections explain why you’re the best person for the job and act as a preview to the rest of your resume.

Here’s how the two differ:

Your resume summary shows your best accomplishments that are relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Your resume objective highlights how your current skills are relevant and will transfer to your new position.

As someone going through a career change, you can include either one.

But as a rule of thumb, if you were working in a related field and have some transferable skills, go for a resume summary.

On the other hand, if you were working in a completely unrelated field, go for a resume objective.

Check out these examples to get a better idea of what both of these might look like:

Career Change Resume Summary Example

• “Customer support specialist with over 4+ years of experience in over-the-phone technical support looking to leverage communication skills as a Sales Agent at Company XYZ. Excellent track record of delivering quality support, with an average rating of 4.6/5 over the past 2 years.”

A career change resume summary helps the HR understand how your skillset from your previous job can translate into your new one.

In that case, it’s best to mention:

• Your current relevant skills or experience.
• How your background can help you excel at the current job.

Career Change Resume Objective Example

• “Organized and hard-working employee looking to join XYZ as a marketing assistant. Looking to take advantage of my skills in Photoshop, graphic design, and creative copywriting to help XYZ with their marketing efforts.”

See the difference here?

Even though the person doesn’t have any relevant work experience, their resume objective still shows how their skill set is relevant to the new job.

Show Off Your Know-How With a Skills Summary Section

Your resume summary / objective is only an introduction. Now, you need to show the HR what you’ve got.

To do that, you need a good skills summary section.

Skills summary is a must-have section for just about any career change resume.

It puts more emphasis on your skill-set, as opposed to your work experience. This allows you to show how you’re a qualified candidate, even though you haven’t done the job before.

Here’s what a sample skills summary section might look like for a front-end developer.

Career Change Resume Skills Summary Example

• Built an online personal portfolio and resume website using HTML, CSS, JS.
• Created an online JS/jQuery quiz game that takes multiple answers and shows results to the user.
• Built a beautiful weather app with Angular 8 from scratch, designed UI with Sketch.
• Created responsive website templates (that are also mobile friendly) using modern CSS techniques and JS libraries.
• Worked with design and development groups to create applications from mock-ups in Sketch, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
• Familiar with Git, XDebug, and Chrome Developer Tools.
• Debugged over 10 JS web apps for a SaaS project.

Simple enough, right?

You list out each of your key skills, and then back it up with how you’ve used it in the past.

Now, you might be thinking, “what about the work experience section?” Do I just skip it, and use a skills summary instead?

Nope - you still need to list your work experience.

In this case, though, you’d want to use it to show off your transferable skills. Here’s how:

Use Your Work Experience to Show Off Transferable Skills

Let’s take a different example and say you’re moving from a job in sales to copywriting.

A resume you’d use for sales compared to a more creative field like copywriting is probably going to be a bit different.

But what do both of the roles have in common?

Well, for one, they both require you to have excellent communication skills. You also need to be good at understanding your target market and conveying complex information in simple language.

And that’s the common thread you want to focus on in your work experience section.

So, when listing your previous jobs, think of some transferable skills that you bring to the table that are going to be relevant.

Even unrelated jobs have some universal skills that are helpful everywhere.

To give you a better idea of what we mean, let’s look at some examples:

Sales Executive

Company X - 11/2016 - 04/2019

• Created and presented pitch deck that secured a $500,000 deal - largest for Company X to date.
• Boosted sales for the most underperforming product by 40% by developing helpful and instructional material for prospects.
• Created and edited sales materials, scripts, and technical documents for accuracy and consistency.

Here’s what’s done right:

• Shows transferable skills and achievements.
• Highlights only the parts from the experience that are related to the new role.

While the above example doesn’t talk about product descriptions or ads, communication materials and sales scripts do show that the candidate can write.

So, for a copywriting position, it’s going to be relevant and worth mentioning.

Now, compare that to the career change work experience below:

• Cold-emailed 100+ prospects daily.
• Closed 14+ deals in 2019 so far.
• Hit and exceeded company KPIs for the past 2 years in a row.

Sure, this example is good. But only if the candidate is applying for a sales job.

For copywriting, though, none of the skills mentioned are going to come in handy.

So, when listing previous job positions, you should focus only on what’s relevant.

Now that you know how to properly list work experience, let’s move on to the next section: Education.

Make Your Education Section Shine

Your education section is going to be an important requirement for just about any position above entry-level.

Listing education on your resume is pretty straightforward.

All you have to do is list your latest educational entry (e.g. college degree), and then include all the important stuff below it.

For example, you can include things like:

• Name of degree (Minor - optional): e.g. B.A. International Business Administration.
• Name of educational institution: e.g. University of Groningen.
• Years attended: e.g. 2015 - 2019.
• Location of the program (optional): e.g. Groningen, Netherlands.
• GPA (optional): 3.84 (only include if you excelled).
• Courses that are relevant to the job (optional): e.g. Advanced Business Finances.
• Exchange programs (optional): e.g. exchange program in Florida, U.S.

Here’s what the full listing for this educational entry might look like:

You might be wondering, what if I don’t have the right education for the job? Maybe, you have an M.A. in Philosophy, but you’re applying for a job in marketing. Do you still list it?

The answer is a definite yes.

Even if the degree is not relevant at all, it still shows that you’re passionate about learning and education.

In some cases, you might even be able to show off some transferable skills with your degree.

Let’s say, for example, you have a B.A. in English Literature , and you’re applying for a job in marketing. 

You could stress on how your degree gave you amazing writing skills (a must-have for most marketing roles), like so:

B.A. in English Literature.

University XYZ - 2014-2018

• Excelled in creative writing courses
• Part-time as a reporter for the university website

PS - Do you still have some questions on how to list your education section? Maybe you’re wondering what else you can include? Check out our full guide on how to list education on a resume with 13+ real-life examples.

Done with your education section? Awesome!

This brings us to the next section on your career change resume.

How (and Why) to List Skills On a Career Change Resume

When it comes to the skills section, what most recruiters want to know is if you can actually do what the job ad asks for.

And like with the other sections till now, relevance is key.

You should only ever list skills that are appropriate to the job you’re applying for.

To find out what’s relevant, start by scanning the job listing.

Most job ads usually include a list of requirements or skills they expect for a good candidate to have.

So, all you have to do is mention those exact skills on your resume.

Let’s take a look at an example.

Career Change Resume Skills Example

Assuming the job ad is for a junior front-end developer who has:

• 2-4 Years of professional experience using JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.
• Up to 1 years of visual design experience focusing on strong UX/UI.
• Good communication skills and team-player

You’d want to list the following skills:

• Communication Skills
• Team-Player

So, all you have to do is mention these skills, and you’re good to go!

• Not sure which skills are a must-have for your role? Check out our complete list of all must-have skills for any given field or position!

Showing Career Certifications on a Resume

When you’re switching careers, certifications are an amazing way to show you’re serious about your craft.

This shows you’re willing to put in the work and that you’ve already taken the first steps.

When listing certifications though, make sure they’re relevant to your field.

For a marketing role, here’s what that might look like:

• HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certified, 2019.
• Google Analytics Individual Qualification, 2018.
• SEMrush Content Marketing Toolkit Course, 2018.

And here’s an example done wrong:

• TechCamp Python Bootcamp, 2019.
• Udemy JavaScript 101 Course.

For a marketing role, those certificates are completely irrelevant and aren’t even in the same field.

While they might be impressive on their own, that doesn’t mean they make you a better marketer.

Listing Personal Projects

Another great way to show that you’re the right person for the job is to list personal projects.

This can be just about anything:

• Founding a sports team in university
• Project you did for business class
• A Part-time online store you created on Etsy
• Passion-project for wood-working
• And whatever else you love (that’s relevant for your new career)

Pretty much anything that can make up for your lack of experience in the field counts.

But of course, keep in mind that your projects should be relevant to your new job.

Getting into coding? Here’s what your projects section could look like...

Make sure to stick to relevant projects, though.

The HR manager cares about your CODING experience, not about the fact that you started a basketball team in college.

Now, compare that to:

• Excelled in Anthropology and Archaeology classes at University X.
• Self-taught knitting pro.

You shouldn’t list projects just for the sake of standing out or filling up space. 

The more irrelevant information you mention in your resume, the more likely it is for the recruiter to accidentally skip out on all your must-have sections.

• Still have some space on your resume? You can also include the hobbies & interests section. Check out our guide to learn how (and why)!

How to Write a Career Change Cover Letter

Done with your resume?

But wait, before you get too excited - you’re still not done.

You need to back up your resume with a career change cover letter.

And no - it’s not like the usual cover letter you’re used to writing. 

When you’re switching careers, you want to use your cover letter to highlight WHY you’re switching fields and WHY your skills are a good match for the new role.

To do this, make sure you bring up a ton of examples and call out any key statistics or measurable results to draw upon, if possible.

To help you craft the best career change cover letter, check out the example below:

Here’s what’s done right with this cover letter:

• Addresses the reader (i.e. “Dear Doris” or if you can’t find their name, “To Whom it May Concern.”).
• Makes it clear they want to transition into a different career (from marketing and retail sales into public relations in this case).
• Shows they’ve done the research and the letter is tailored to the company's products and brand.
• Provides specific examples and achievements (“raised more than $ 10,000 for the event.”).
• Ends on a confident note and provides a call-to-action (and where to contact them).

Think your cover letter game is lacking? Check out our complete, step-by-step guide on how to write a cover letter.

If you're thinking about a career change, and want to join a community of global professionals who are also re-designing and reframing their careers, then consider Unsettled’s Lifestyle Incubator.

Unsettled’s Lifestyle Incubator program is a 4-week highly interactive “virtual retreat” for professionals seeking to redefine their career trajectory and be more intentional about designing their next steps.

Through original workshops, weekly live sessions, practical tools, frameworks and peer-to-peer conversations with a global and diverse community of professionals, they will help you identify the core tensions between the lifestyle you want and the career trajectory that aligns your values, interests, and skills.

Key Takeaways

To recap, going through a mid-career transition probably sounds intimidating. 

But if you craft your career change resume focusing on transferable skills and experience - then you’re good to go!

Just make sure you follow these main key tips while working on your resume:

• Use the combination resume format to highlight your transferable skills and work experience.
• Include all the essential career change resume sections - contact information , resume objective or summary , skill summary , work experience , soft and technical skills , certifications and personal projects.
• And while doing so, highlight only what’s relevant to your new position.
• Finally, make sure you attach a tailored cover letter to your resume and mention WHY you’re switching fields and what unique skills you’re bringing with you.

At Novorésumé, we’re committed to helping you land your dream job, every step of the way. Be sure to check out our career blog to stay up to date with the industry-leading advice and more actionable tips.

Suggested Reading:

• How to Get Your Resume Layout Right [3 Free Templates]
• How to Write an ATS Resume
• 20+ One-Page Resume Templates [Free Download]

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How to Write a Career Change Resume (Guide, Templates, & Examples)

Customers Interviewed by:

Quitting your job and switching careers can be one of the most unsettling moments of your life. It is scary, intimidating, and sometimes overwhelming. 

But changing careers could also be one of the bravest and most fulfilling things you can do if you are willing to put in the work. A critical asset in your big move is a career change resume that focuses on all the right things.

In this guide, we will help you craft your career change resume and gain more confidence as you take that next big step in your career.

Table of Contents

• How to write a career change resume
• Career change resume templates
• Career change resume examples

Key Takeaways

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Career Change

Need help in deciding whether to do a career pivot? Try our career change tool today!

How to craft a resume for your career change

Doing a career pivot means you are starting over. With this, you need to convince recruiters and hiring managers that you have what it takes to do the new job well. And one way to prove your value to recruiters is by creating a career change resume that will grab their attention. Here’s how you write one.

1. Study the job description to match up your transferable skills

First things first: you need to carefully read the job posting and understand how your past accomplishments and transferable skills can help you succeed in your desired new role.

Transferable skills are any skills that you can take with you from one job, field, or industry to another.

For example: A job seeker with a background in journalism might recognize the keyword “writing” in the job description for an advertising position. While this job seeker doesn’t have advertising experience, they do have expert-level writing skills that would make them a great candidate for the new role. 

Writing, in this example, is a transferable skill. Transferable skills include both hard skills and soft skills , like leadership , time management , multi-tasking, communication , organization, emotional intelligence , listening, research, and many more.

Pro Tip: Include these skills in your work experience section, focusing less on duties and more on the skills you have developed, as these will be of the most interest to the hiring manager. 

2. Choose a career change resume format that highlights a logical connection in your career change

Oftentimes, job seekers choose a functional resume for career change job searches. A functional resume can be appealing because it turns the focus away from work history and toward skills and accomplishments. However, it can make it look like the job seeker has something to hide. 

A better option for most job applicants making a career change is the hybrid resume (also called a “combination resume”), which still showcases skills and accomplishments but includes a traditional work history in the second half of the document.

Here’s the bottom line when it comes to resume format when changing careers: if you’re staying within the same industry, a hybrid resume will work great for you. If you’re changing careers and industries, you can consider a functional resume format, though the hybrid resume is likely still a better choice.

3. Write a resume objective or summary that frames your career change as a strength

Your resume objective or resume summary sections are a great way to convince recruiters that your past experience sets you up as the perfect candidate for the new role. These statements tie in your experience and skills with what your new career demands.

When writing your resume objective, focus on the skills that you’ve picked up throughout your current career and other previous roles and explain how you plan to use them in this new industry. 

For example:

Accounting professional with over 10 years of experience looking to transfer my skills to the finance industry. My proven mathematical and money management skills make me an ideal fit for the Finance Assistant position.

Passionate sales representative with over 5 years of experience working with customers and selling software. Looking to leverage my proven skills in seeing our customers’ pain points and providing solutions to whatever I write as an aspiring Content Manager.

Kerianne Burke , a tech recruiter at Segment in San Francisco, recommends that job seekers provide recruiters with insights into how they have gained knowledge about this new category and role. “Have they taken classes? Completed extensive independent research? Be very specific here!” 

Second, Burke said that job seekers need to show that they would be able to make an impact in the role they are applying for.

4. Use keywords

Resume keywords prove to recruiters that you have what it takes to succeed in the new role. These keywords also help you get noticed by recruiters who use search functions in their applicant tracking system (ATS) to filter candidates by what’s on their resume.

You can find relevant keywords in the job description or job posting. Take stock of these keywords and incorporate them into your career change resume when possible.

Tailoring is key to a career change resume

Even in a field that is brand new to you, you can find keywords that relate to your past experience. As Burke explains, “Look closely at the qualifications in the job description and tailor some of your first few bullets on your resume to highlight that applicable experience. It’s always great to tie your impact to data when possible!”

Read our full guide: How to Tailor Your Resume to the Job Description

Jobscan makes it easy to identify the most important keywords in the job description, so you know what to focus on. Try it below:

5. Add training and certifications to your career change resume

Adding training and certifications to your resume is another way to show off relevant skills during a career change. List down all the relevant training, courses, and certifications under your belt and show recruiters how these could help you in the new role or career.

A word of encouragement here: You don’t have to go back to school and take extensive training in order to make a career change. In many cases, the skills you’ve honed over your career will be enough!

As Monica Fochtman , a career coach who specializes in career changes put it: “Going back to school is the last thing that I suggest to people. Especially now, with so much on-demand learning like LinkedIn and Coursera and Teachable…there’s no shortage of places to get on-demand training. There are other ways to get those skills and demonstrate that you have those skills without going back to school.”

You don’t need the certification; you need to demonstrate that you have what the certification represents – the knowledge. The important thing is to choose a career that fits your already developed skills. That doesn’t mean your duties will be the same. It just means you’ll be able to use the same skills.

Learn more: Read our full guide on how to make a career change , with tips and insights from Monica Fochtman, PhD.

Career Change Resume Templates

1. hybrid resume.

The hybrid resume or combination resume is ideal when changing careers as this format highlights your skills and accomplishments while still detailing a chronological format of your career trajectory.

Here’s an example:

The hybrid format draws attention to your most important skills, accomplishments, and values and so recruiters and hiring managers can see what you bring to the table quickly.

2. Functional Resume

When you are switching to a career in a different industry where you have limited or zero experience, you can use a functional resume. It puts the spotlight on your transferable skills while downplaying your limited work experience.

Here’s what a functional career change resume looks like:

You can find more sample career change resume templates on Jobscan’s Resume Templates page, which you can use for free.

Career Change Resume Examples and Ideas

Here are career change resume examples to get your resume writing juices flowing:

1. From project management to a job in sales

This career change resume highlights Mindy’s robust experience in Project Management under her work experience section. In her resume summary, she relates how she can use her project management skills in her new role in sales and proves to the hiring manager that she has the necessary skills and experience to excel and succeed as a Sales Manager.

2. From administrative work to writing

In his resume, James mentioned in his resume objective statement that he is passionate about solving customer problems. Having worked in various fields, his empathy and problem-solving skills make him an effective content writer who can relate to the readers’ struggles but is also able to share tips and insights that work. He also mentioned writing as one of his skills.

3. From accounting to a project management role

In this career change resume example, although the job seeker is an accountant by profession, she showed that she had relevant experience in leading teams and managing projects which makes her a good candidate for the new job. The resume summary also states her desire to use her skills as an accountant to run projects effectively and see them through to completion.

You can check more resumes for any job to help you with your career change resume in our Resume Examples Page.

Pro Tip: To supplement your career change resume, include a cover letter to provide context for your past achievements and build a strong case as to how your accomplishments and skills can help you with the new position.

Read our full guide: The Career Change Cover Letter: How to Get it Right

Changing careers can feel scary and intimidating. But it is also a great opportunity for you to discover more about yourself and grow into the best person you can be.

Here are some key takeaways to help you with your career change:

• Craft a powerful career change resume that will prove to recruiters that even when you are jumping into a completely different career, you have what it takes to do the job and do it well.
• Use the hybrid resume (combination resume) format when creating your career change resume. It highlights your top skills while detailing your work experience and career trajectory.
• Proactively seek opportunities to upgrade your skills and pursue professional development through training, courses, and mentorship.

Save your time and get more career change insights with Jobscan’s career changer tool !

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are 5 questions to consider before making a career change: 1. Why do you want to switch careers? 2. Why are you dissatisfied with your current role? What do you hate about your job? 3. What are your career goals? What is your dream job? Is your current career aligned with your passions, skills, or interests? 4. How much does it pay? Can you live on it comfortably? If not, are you willing to take the risk? 5. What type of company do you want to work for?

Here’s how. 1. Choose the best format for your resume. 2. Write a resume objective or resume summary explaining how your previous roles will help you succeed in the new role. 3. Include relevant keywords (especially those found in the job description.) 4. Tailor your resume for career change to each job you are applying for. 5. Showcase transferable skills and include certifications and relevant training when possible.

A resume objective for career change bridges the gap between your previous role and your new role. A good objective would clearly and briefly provide your relevant experience and explain how this will help you succeed in your new career. For example, an accountant wanting to land a job in sales would write: “ Certified Public Accountant with 10 years of experience writing accurate and timely financial reports, reducing costs, and improving overall efficiency. Looking to leverage my analytical skills and attention to detail in crafting sales systems that will streamline all sales processes and increase profitability. “

Here’s how you share about your career transition: 1. Provide a brief description of yourself: who you are, what you value, and what you want to achieve. 2. Share about your most recent and significant work experience. 3. Explain how your skills and experiences make you the best fit for the new job. 4. Stress why you want to do a career change and the value you can add to the company.

Focus on showing recruiters and hiring managers what you bring to the table, even as someone who is switching careers. Here’s an example of a career change resume summary. For example: “ Customer-focused cashier with 5+ years of experience serving different customers and creating a warm and friendly store environment. Has raised sales by 5% through strong communication and interpersonal skills. Looking to bring my leadership and organizational skills to an executive assistant position. “

Transferable skills are critical when you are switching careers because these show recruiters, hiring managers, and potential employers that you have the skills that they need for the new job position. To showcase these on your career change resume: 1. Include them in your resume summary or resume objective. 2. Add skills to your work experience section. 3. Clearly write transferable skills in your skills summary section. Pro tip: Check the job description for specific skills and work those skills into your resume for career change.

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Career Change Resume: Examples and Tips from Experts

By Biron Clark

Published: November 8, 2023

Biron Clark

Writer & Career Coach

If you want to change careers, you’re going to need a great resume to show employers why they should take a chance on you.

You need to convince them that you’ll succeed in their role, even if you’ve done different work in the past.

And while you can do some of this convincing in the job interview, you aren’t going to get interviews if your resume or CV isn’t great , too, so it all starts here!

Don’t worry if this sounds intimidating – this article has everything you need to write an effective resume for career change…

I spoke to multiple professional resume writers, coaches, and other experts and put together this list of resume tips for career changers, as well as real-life examples of resumes that got interviews.

Here’s what you need to know…

Career Change Resume/CV Format

The best resume format for a career change is the chronological resume (also known as “reverse chronological resume”). With this format, your resume or CV lists your work experience in the order it happened, starting with your most recent or current position at the top.

This is what most hiring managers and recruiters are used to seeing and prefer to see, so it’s the best format to use when switching careers (or in any job search, for that matter).

So the first thing to do with your resume is to make sure you’re using this format. Put your most recent position at the top of your “Work Experience” section , and then go backward from there. You’ll see examples of this coming up – don’t worry.

The bottom line is: You aren’t going to hide something or “sneak” through the process by using a less-common (and more confusing) resume format like a functional resume.

This will just confuse and frustrate the hiring manager or recruiter .

So rather than trying to hide gaps in your experience, you should tailor your experience to be as relevant as possible for the job you’re applying to. That’s how to approach resume formatting as a career changer.

Career Change Resume Objective (And Why NOT To Include This)

You should not include a resume objective when changing careers (or on any resume, in fact). A resume objective is an outdated section that should be replaced with a resume summary section – a brief intro summarizing your experience, skills, accomplishments, and anything else you’d like to share.

Coming up next, we’ll look at examples of how to write this “summary” section as a career changer.

Writing Your Resume Summary for Career Change

Rather than a resume objective, you should include a brief Summary section to show employers what you’ve accomplished and how you can help them in their role.

I asked multiple experts for tips and examples of how to write a resume summary for a career change, so here are some tips from coaches, resume writers, and other experts.

Career Change Resume Example: Switching Careers from Business Development at a Skilled Nursing Facility to Medical Device Sales 

This section is contributed by: Virginia Franco – Executive Resume Writer at Virginia Franco Resumes

When writing a summary section for a career change, think about what you bring to the table that aligns with the role you seek, and what makes you less of a hiring risk for the hiring manager or interviewer.

In the example above, my client wanted to pivot from a business development role at a skilled nursing facility into medical device sales. In writing his summary, I:

• Chose a headline that contained some keywords related to the role he currently held AND the role he was targeting.
• Created a tagline that spoke to his success in Skilled Nursing using language that was industry-neutral.
• Identified a few differentiators that would make him appealing to a hiring manager and help outweigh the fact that he was new to the role and industry.

In this case, the fact that he:

• Knew lots of key players meant he could hit the ground running and build a sales funnel fast
• Was multilingual but raised in the U.S. meant he could interface well with many cultures – important in the area where he lived, and in working with surgeons that are often from other countries.
• Kept abreast of the industry and trends meant he was passionate about the industry and that he embraced continual learning.
• Established trust by working to overcome obstacles in a creative fashion meant that he was a problem solver – a trait that would make him attractive to a hiring manager.

In other words, I worked to make him seem like a candidate that was a risk worth taking!

Career Change Resume Example: Changing Careers from Medical Device Sales to Advertising & Technology

This section is contributed by: Austin Belcak – Founder at Cultivated Culture

When your changing careers, one of the biggest resume challenges is getting visibility on the transferable and relevant experience that you have.

Maybe you worked on a relevant project two jobs ago, maybe you took a course that’s buried in your education section, or maybe you’ve been working on a side hustle but are worried about leading with that vs. your current job.

Using resume objectives is a good way to combat this issue.

Resume objectives allow you to cherry-pick the most relevant work experience from your career, education, and side projects and feature it right at the top of your resume. This gives you the chance to lead with the most relevant transferable experience so you make sure it’s seen instead of getting lost in the mix.

This is the exact tactic I used when I was switching careers from medical device sales into advertising/tech.

My day job was in healthcare, it didn’t offer much in the way of traditional skills, but I had been spending nights and weekends learning digital marketing. I took courses, got certified, and even started doing a bit of freelancing. I wanted that to show at the top of my resume so I used an objective to highlight that ahead of my current role:

Tip: Target Everything for the Role You Want

This section is contributed by: Sarah Johnston – Former Recruiter, Executive Resume Writer, and Job Search Coach at BriefcaseCoach.com

When writing a resume for a career change, it’s important to target your resume for the role that you want. I recommend finding a few job descriptions that interest you and scanning for keywords and themes. Use the target job title or skill set in the header to frame the resume.

The Ladders did an eye tracking study that found that recruiters and hiring managers only spend 7.4 seconds scanning a resume before deciding to pass or read more. The heat map showed that better-performing resumes have keywords at the top to immediately draw the eye.

Attached is the top of a career changer sample resume. This hypothetical job seeker is wanting to transition from an account manager role to being an executive assistant . The resume plays up her transferable skills and includes a header that references the job that she wants.

As a former corporate recruiter, I am not a fan of functional resumes. Recruiters are taught to scan resumes chronologically. When you take the experience out of context or “order,” it often gives the recruiter the impression you are trying to hide or fudge experience.

Tip: Use Bullets to Stand Out

This section is contributed by: Madeline Mann – Human Resources Leader & Career Coach, Creator of Self Made Millennial

Consider writing your resume intro or summary in bullet format, as this makes it easier for people to quickly scan it.

The first couple of bullet points should emphasize the most important keywords from the job description.

Get creative with how you integrate these terms into your summary. For example, use phrases like “experience with” and “knowledge of” to indicate tasks that you have become familiar with inside or outside of your job.

Personal projects, volunteering, and education should all contribute to what you describe here. If the most prominent keywords in the job description are tasks and concepts that you are unfamiliar with, that is a sign that you need to build those skills on your own time. Here is a video on how to build these important skills without getting hired.

The next couple of bullet points should focus on the most relevant accomplishments to the role you are pursuing, which may not be from your most recent role.

This is where the magic of the summary section comes into play. Pull in early-career achievements, side projects, and unpaid work where you did tasks that are more closely aligned with your new career. For example, if you are a Psychology Lab Assistant, and you want to be a Building Manager, many of your lab tasks won’t translate.

But, five years ago you were the treasurer of your sorority (budgeting is a keyword), and you handled many contractors to ensure the house was renovated and maintained (knowledge of the trades is a keyword). While that experience may be buried due to it being 5 years ago and not a paid position, it can hop to the top of your career change resume as a highly relevant accomplishment in the summary.

The summary section is an opportunity for you to truly spell it out for the hiring manager where your transferable skills will be too well-matched to ignore!

Editor’s note: Bullets are also a great way to make your resume work history section stand out. This article explains how to do this with 22 resume bullet examples. 

Career Change Resume Work History Section: Samples and Tips

After a brief summary or intro paragraph, you’ll need a powerful employment history section to continue to impress the recruiter or hiring manager. Use the tips below to help you write yours.

Write Your Resume by Working Backward from the Job Description

This section is contributed by: Kyle Elliott – Career & Life Coach and Resume Writer at CaffeinatedKyle.com

The key to a successful career change resume is to work backward from the job posting. I encourage clients to literally pull language from the posting of the job they are targeting, then massage it until it truthfully reflects their experience. You really want to speak the language of the industry you are moving into.

In the example below, my client was targeting sales roles. However, she has several years of impressive experience from working in higher education that we wanted to include on her resume. So we repositioned her earlier experience as a “customer experience manager” role, pulling language directly from the job postings she was targeting.

Add Keywords to Get Past the ATS

This section is contributed by: Susan P. Joyce – Publisher of Job-Hunt.org

When your goal is a career change, be sure that your resume contains the relevant keywords for the career you want. Without these keywords, your resume will not be found in a recruiter’s search of the applications and resumes stored in the applicant tracking system (ATS).

Analyze the job description and pay attention to the job’s requirements as well as the nice-to-have skills. Make a list of the skills and other job requirements you meet. Those terms are typically the terms that will be used most often when the employer is searching for qualified job candidates.

If you have acquired skills or experience outside of work, don’t be afraid to include them, too. These include skills you have acquired while volunteering or participating in other non-work activities, especially if those skills are required for this job (and, thus, important keywords).

One of the best places to start including keywords on your career change resume is your “Skills” section.

The Skills section provides a quick way to show employers that you have the skills they’ve listed on their job description.

For example: Assume the job requires hard skills like QuickBooks or SQL, and you have experience with them or have certifications from training you have taken. Include the appropriate term in your Skills section, like “QuickBooks” or “QuickBooks Certified”.

Then, in the “Experience” section of your resume , include those skills in the descriptions of your past jobs (or volunteering) where you acquired and/or used those skills. This will show the employer when and where you demonstrated your skills, which they always want to see!

Repetition of keywords is usually a good thing when the repetition is natural, relevant, and appropriate. So, having these important terms in both the Skills and Experience sections of your resume will help your resume be found.

However, simply repeating keywords at the bottom of your resume is not smart or useful.

Career Change Resume Templates

You should now have a general idea of how to format and write your resume or CV for a career change.

If you need a great starting point and don’t want to create your resume from scratch (or if your existing resume is outdated and doesn’t look great) then this job search resources page has multiple free resume templates that are great for changing careers.

After clicking the link above, scroll down to the section titled: “ATS-Compliant Resume Templates.” All of the templates on that page are free to use and download.

Recap: How to Write a Resume for Career Change

If you’re planning on switching careers, you should write your resume to make your experience seem as relevant as possible for the job you want next.

Always think of the employer’s perspective when deciding what to put on your resume and what to leave off.

Write your career change CV or resume based on the employer’s job description and you’ll be much more likely to win the interview.

That’s how to get a new job in a new field. Employers want candidates who can step into a role, learn the position quickly, and succeed. They want low risk.  The more you can show similarities between what you’ve done and what the employer needs for this job, the better!

To summarize: Your CV or resume for a career change will be most successful if you start with the employer’s needs in mind, work backward, and think carefully about how to position your own experiences – both professional and personal – to make yourself seem capable of stepping into their job and being a success!

About the Author

Read more articles by Biron Clark

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10 best free resume builders, what to put on a resume: 9 things to include, sample list of accomplishments for resume (35+ examples), top 14 resume skills to add on your resume + examples, does a resume need an objective, resume summary with no experience: examples for students and fresh graduates, resume keywords: 80+ verbs and power words to use, previous work experience examples for a resume, 24 resume summary examples that get interviews.

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The ultimate guide to writing a career change resume.

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Changing careers doesn’t have to be difficult. It all starts with a resume crafted to highlight your ... [+] transferrable skills.

Your resume is one of the most critical tools during a career transition. Crafted thoughtfully, a career change resume can effectively highlight transferable skills and experiences from your old career to the new one, showcasing you as a prime candidate for your dream job .

Career change resumes offer a different narrative of a person’s experience versus someone looking to advance in their current industry. Transferrable skills are the most important to highlight.

What Success Looks Like In A Career Change

A successful career change doesn’t necessarily mean starting over. It can involve leveraging existing skills in a new context or applying knowledge from one industry to another. Success is about finding a role where you can make a meaningful contribution, and it often requires a blend of determination and strategic planning. The story you tell so far in your career that paints you as the right person for the job is vital to your resume being seen by the hiring manager.

Step-By-Step Guide To Writing Your Career Change Resume

It’s a fine line between highlighting what makes you unique and ensuring your document aligns with industry expectations. Here’s how to do it right.

Identify Your Transferrable Skills

Before opening a Word document or choosing a resume template, the first step is to take stock of your skills. Begin by closely examining your previous roles and jotting down the skills they entailed. Try categorizing them into hard skills—like technical skills and software proficiencies—and soft skills—such as communication and leadership abilities.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, brainstorm your narrative.

What is your career change story? Who’s the audience that will be listening to it? These are the overarching questions that will guide your resume writing process. You’ll want to combine your reasons for changing careers with your past experiences and future aspirations.

When crafting your career change narrative, consider these critical questions to create a cohesive and compelling story:

• What motivated your career change? Reflect on the reasons behind your decision to shift careers. Was it a pursuit of passion, a need for a new challenge or an inevitable industry change affecting your previous role?
• How do your past experiences contribute to your new direction? Evaluate how your previous roles have equipped you with unique skills and perspectives that will benefit your target industry or role.
• What accomplishments in your career thus far can illustrate your suitability for this new path? Identify specific achievements that demonstrate your capability and readiness for the change.
• How have you prepared for the transition? Consider any additional training, courses or self-led learning you’ve undertaken to bridge any skill gaps.
• What are your long-term goals in this new career? Define what success looks like for you in this new field and how you plan to achieve it.

Choosing The Right Resume Format

The format of your resume is dependent on your career trajectory. A functional resume may be the best way to draw attention to your skills if you’re making a big career leap. A hybrid resume, which combines elements of both the chronological and functional formats, can also work well for career changers, as it allows you to detail your skills while still providing a job history.

Elements Of A Stand-Out Career Change Resume

The typical resume sections are still relevant: Skills, competencies, accolades, experience, volunteer work, education and training. For career changers, add a snapshot of who you are and what you bring to the table. Think of a snapshot as your elevator pitch. Instead of explaining what you are looking for, you highlight your top accolades, position and projects you’re currently working on; it shouldn’t be any longer than three sentences.

For example, “I’m Jane Doe, a marketing professional who brought the newest Target campaign to 100 million Instagram accounts. I’ve excelled in connecting influencers with top brands and have hosted over 150 brand activations.”

Make sure to include all the important elements on your resume to make you stand out. Having a short ... [+] story or narrative of who you are also helps.

Words and Phrases To Include In Resume

When it comes to the actual writing, it’s essential to use language that speaks to both your old and your new career. Choose words and phrases relevant to the job you’re applying for, but also aim to include industry-specific terms from your previous career to highlight the breadth of your experience.

• Cross-functional expertise: Demonstrates the ability to work across various departments, enhancing team synergy and project outcomes.
• Quick Learner: Indicates your capacity to rapidly acquire new knowledge and skills, reducing the learning curve in a new role.
• Innovative Thinker: Shows your capability to think creatively and bring new ideas to the table, driving progress.
• Versatile Professional: Indicates a broad skillset and flexibility, positioning you as a candidate capable of handling various responsibilities

Do’s And Don’ts Of Resume Etiquette

• Do focus on your achievements and how they demonstrate your capabilities, not just the tasks you’ve performed.
• Do quantify your accomplishments with numbers or percentages whenever possible to add weight to your claims.
• Don’t include unrelated job experiences that don’t align with the position you’re targeting.
• Don’t gloss over any employment gaps resulting from your career change. Instead, use these gaps to explain how you spent that time productively, such as through continuing education or volunteer work.

Your career change resume aims to get your foot in the door for an interview. Invest time in perfecting your career change resume, and you’ll find that employers will be more than willing to listen to the rest of your story.

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How To Update Your Resume for a Career Change in 2024

A guide to writing and updating your resume for a career change in 2024, with a Google Docs template and actionable advice from experienced hiring managers who hire career changers.

3 years ago   •   12 min read

If you’re looking to make a major career change, you might have all kinds of questions about how to pull it off. What if you’re a law enforcement officer looking to pursue an IT career or a high school teacher dreaming of becoming a pastry chef?

One of the biggest mistakes career changers make is they reuse their old resume for new job applications. The problem with this is that your old resume is tailored to the very career you want to get out of! It highlights different skills and accomplishments, most of which aren't relevant to the job you're moving into. The result? Hiring managers think you're not a good fit for the new career, role or industry.

Recruiters are going to have questions if your experience doesn't align with the traditional career path they're used to. Does this applicant have relevant experience? Do they have the right skills? Can they do the job? It's your job to answer these questions.

In this guide, we will talk you through how to optimize your resume for a career change, highlight transferable skills, and tailor your resume to your new industry to give you the best chance at success in your new career.

How to write a career change resume

Writing a career change resume isn't exactly the same as writing a regular resume. There are a few extra steps you'll need to consider when revamping your resume to prepare for a career change:

• Add a job title at the start of your resume. This signals to recruiters that you're specifically targeting their industry and can also help get your resume past automated resume scanners (ATS).
• Highlight transferable skills that are relevant to the industry you're changing to.
• Tailor your resume to the new position by including relevant hard skills and keywords.
• Optimize your work experience to highlight relevant accomplishments.
• Use numbers and metrics to show that you can make an impact with your work, regardless of industry.
• Emphasize promotion and career growth.
• Tailor every section of your resume to your new industry. This might mean tweaking your education section to list relevant courses or qualifications, or including any projects or volunteer work adjacent to the industry.
• Address the career change in your cover letter .

Let's take a look at what a career change resume looks like in action.

A resume example for career changers

Before we dive into exactly what recruiters want to see in your resume, here's a sample template for your career change resume that you can use as a foundation to get started:

You can download this career change resume template in Google Docs or as a PDF from our resume templates page.

Pro tip: Include a resume summary

Although we don’t always recommend including a summary on your resume, it can be a smart strategy for career changers. A well-written resume summary will help explain your career change by providing more context and background information about your history and goals, and will help recruiters connect the dots between your prior work experience and the new type of work you want to do.

What should your summary include?

So how do you write a summary if you are changing careers ? Your goal is to provide an overall picture of your background and experience in two to six lines of text. Use a tailored job title and mention one or two of your most notable achievements, especially if they’re relevant to the job you’re seeking. Browse our list of resume summary examples for inspiration.

Resume summary template

If you’re new to writing a resume summary, you can model yours after the following template or use our resume summary generator . Just remember to personalize the blank fields with your information:

Former [Current Job Title] transitioning into a [Desired Job Title] position after [earning relevant degree or certification]. Proven track record of doing [X, Y, and Z transferable skills]. [Summarize a major achievement in the format of Action Verb + Accomplishment + Metric].

Here’s an example of how this summary template would look on a real resume:

If you want to find out if your career change resume highlights your transferable skills and relevant accomplishments, upload it to the tool below — it’ll let you know if you’ve shown enough transferable skills and achievements.

Read More: How to write a resume summary if you're changing careers

How to optimize your work experience section for a career change

Your work experience is one of the most crucial parts of your resume - and the first section recruiters oftusuallyen want to read. Here are a few ways you can maximize your work experience section as a prospective career changer :

• Decide what previous experience to include on your resume
• List quantifiable accomplishments in bullet point format
• Use keywords to tailor your resume
• Focus on accomplishments that are relevant to your new career

1: Decide which past work experience to include

When you're navigating a career change, figuring out which past work experiences to include on your resume can be challenging. Should you include everything or just the experience that is relevant to your new career path?

The answer lies in the transferability of your skills. If you've had past experiences where you developed skills directly applicable to your new career, you definitely want to include them. For instance, if you're moving from marketing to sales and you've had a past job where you worked closely with a sales team, it's relevant and should be included.

However, showing progression and continuity in your career is also important. So, even roles that are less relevant to your new job can still be included. You can condense these into an "Other Experience" section, focusing less on the role duties and more on the transferable skills you developed.

2: Use bullet points to explain your experience

On any resume, when writing about your previous work experiences, you should always include brief bullet points that illustrate your accomplishments. Provide specific examples of what you achieved in your past roles, and quantify those examples with specific numbers, as in the examples below:

• Implemented new training initiatives for retail associates that increased quarterly sales by 35%
• Wrote and published 10 articles on the company blog, boosting company website traffic by 50% over 6 months

Bullet points make it easy for recruiters to scan your resume and find the information they’re looking for. For maximum impact, they should include details and data to support your claims about your abilities.

Read more: How to write resume bullets that get interviews

3: Tailor your experience with keywords

A brilliant way to target your resume to each specific job application is to include relevant keywords and skills that recruiters in that field are looking for. But how do you find the right keywords for a brand-new job?

• Read the job posting thoroughly and note the skills they mention. Aim to address each skill with a separate bullet point on your resume.
• Use our skills and keywords finde r to browse the industry you're interested in, or type a specific job title into the search bar to get a targeted list of keywords for your resume.
• Upload your resume to our Targeted Resume Tool. This will analyze your resume and the job description you're applying to and tell you what your resume is missing.

Once you have a list of essential keywords, list those skills in your skills section (if they're hard skills like a specific software or programming language), and show how you've used those skills in your work experience through quantified examples and results-orientated phrases.

Read more: How to tailor your resume to a job

4: Emphasize accomplishments that relate to your desired position

One mistake career changers make frequently is to highlight achievements or skills that aren't relevant to the industry they're trying to break into.

Always spin your bullet points to highlight skillsets that your new role or industry is looking for, e.g. if you're breaking into marketing from a customer support role, highlight your experience creating marketing materials or communicating with customers to improve sales.

Here are some examples of how to "spin" your resume accomplishments for different industries:

The field you want to break into : Business analysis

Skills to highlight : Business strategy and data analysis

Old accomplishment : Identified steps to decrease rates of returns and frauds, resulting in 75k in cost savings.

New accomplishment : Implemented new procedures that resulted in annual cost savings of $75k by developing an analysis of current business processes and identifying areas for improvement.

Here's another example:

The field you want to break into : Digital marketing and social media

Skills to highlight : Advertising and customer outreach

Old accomplishment : Sold over 65 company credit cards as part of promotions by answering questions and directing customers to the website, increasing sales by 8%.

New accomplishment : Promoted the company’s marketing programs and digital advertising, resulting in 8% increase in sales and 15% increase in web traffic.

Read more: How to list your work experience on your resume

How to optimize your skills section for a career change

When you're changing careers, it's not just about having skills; it's about showcasing the right skills and demonstrating quantifiable achievements tied to those skills in a way that the hiring manager can't ignore. Your skills section is vital to any resume, but especially for career changers, to show a recruiter that you understand the skills required for the new position and ensure your resume gets past ATS. Here are some tips on creating a competitive skills section:

1: Identify competitive skills

Start by listing your skills, but don't limit yourself to the ones you've used in your old job. Think about your personal qualities, hobbies, or even skills you've developed during your free time or through additional education.

2: Match your skills to the job description

Once you've got your list, pull up the job posting and identify the skills they specifically mention in the job description. Match your skills and their related achievements with those listed in the job description. Remember, even if your experience is in a totally different field, there is always a transferable skill hidden somewhere.

3: Focus on hard skills, not soft

While soft skills are always important, hard skills take center stage in your skills section when you're making a career change. These are the tangible, technical skills that directly relate to the job you're applying for.

Your soft skills , like ' good communicator ' or 'team player ', should not be listed in your skills section. Instead, use your work experience section to demonstrate these skills through concrete examples, metrics, and quantifiable achievements.

4: List your skills by industry

As your skills will likely cover a range of industries, it is best to organize your skills section by industry or category, so a recruiter can easily pick out your relevant skills. Here is an example of how to list your skills by industry:

5: If you’re missing an essential skill

If you find you're lacking a crucial skill, consider enrolling in an online course or professional development program to bridge the gap. Demonstrating your initiative to learn and adapt will make a positive impression on potential employers, and you can always include an ‘in-progress’ qualification on your resume to show your continued education.

How to tailor your resume to your new industry

Diving into a new field can be daunting. But fear not! By strategically emphasizing transferable skills and relevant qualifications, you can make a strong impression on potential employers and show dedication to your new field.

1: Emphasize transferable skills

Transferrable skills are not specific to one industry and can be 'transferred' to another. Unlike the hard skills mentioned earlier, transferable skills aren't generally keywords you want to list at the end of your resume, but instead, should be illustrated through specific bullet point examples.

Transferable skills will form the backbone of your career change resume. Unlike technical skills, which you might not have mastered yet, or industry-specific experience, transferable skills are always relevant.

Here are some examples of bullet points that demonstrate commonly required soft skills:

• Leadership : Led the transition to a paperless practice by implementing an electronic booking system, resulting in cost savings of labor by 30% and office overhead by 10%.
• Teamwork : Collaborated with community outreach team to organize monthly fundraising events, raising over $50,000 in donations within three months.
• Communication : Collaborated with a team of 10+ remote developers and senior leadership team to assess project outcomes and prioritize future features.
• Initiative : Overhauled service delivery processes, leading to a 70% increase in customer satisfaction.‌‌

2: List relevant courses and qualifications

It’s wise for career changers to list relevant education or certifications on their resumes. You may not need to go back to school, unless you’re trying to enter a specialized field (such as law or medicine), but it might be beneficial to take a quick class or two to give you a jump start in your new career.

Certain fields, such as project management, IT, or finance, might require a specific certificate. If you complete these qualifications before applying for jobs, potential employers can see that you’re serious about your new choice of career and that you’ve already taken steps to make it happen.

Here is an example of how to list certificates and qualifications on your resume:

Example of how to list your certificates and qualifications on a career change resume.

Read more: How to list certifications on a resume

3: Include projects and volunteer work

If your work history is more sparse than you’d like, or if your job experiences don’t adequately reflect your relevant skills, you can also showcase other projects and volunteer work . Projects are an excellent way for career changers to show hiring managers that they have practical skills for the new role and allow you to include keywords for the new job on your resume.

Let’s imagine you are seeking a job as a software developer, and you spent one month last summer developing a phone app. Here’s how you might showcase this project on your resume:

InstaGrub Developer - Technologies used: Python, Redux, PostgreSQL, Express.js - Designed architecture and user interface of mobile app for grocery delivery - Enabled users to purchase food from 15+ grocery store chains

The same can be said for volunteer positions. Volunteering may not always be financially realistic, but you can build experience and get your foot in the door in a new area of interest. It also shows recruiters that you are committed to your new chosen field.

Read more: How to list projects on a resume

Pro tip: Address a career change in your cover letter

A cover letter is a great way to make a strong first impression on a hiring manager and provide background on your career transition.

When addressing a career change in your cover letter , start by openly discussing your transition and connecting it to the desired new role. Then, highlight your transferable skills, express your passion for the new field, and reassure the employer of your commitment to this career path.

Read more: Sample cover letters

The best format for a career change resume

Reverse chronological order is the most common format for your resume, where you detail your most recent work experience first. Recruiters prefer this format as it shows clear career progression and makes your most recent experience easy to find.

However, for a career change, you may want to rearrange your work experience into two sections, titled "Relevant Experience" and "Other Experience", to better highlight your transferable skills without leaving gaps in your resume.

Functional resumes, which focus on skills over chronological experience, are typically not recommended due to their lack of clarity and potential to appear vague.

Do employers care about previous unrelated experience?

Yes and no. If you have some experience (including volunteer work, projects, or education) related to your new field, it's okay to leave off older work experience that is no longer relevant. Remember that your resume doesn’t have to provide a complete picture of your work history, just your most recent accomplishments.

If you lack any relevant experience or qualifications, then yes, it's a good idea to include all of your work history on your resume to show your career progression and focus on the more relevant parts by splitting your work history into "Relevant Experience" and "Other Experience".

What if my skills aren’t directly relevant to the new career?

If your previous skills don’t directly apply to your new career, don't panic! First, look beyond the obvious. It's easy to underestimate the transferability of your skills. For instance, you might not think that your time management skills as a project manager would matter much in a sales rep career, but managing multiple leads, follow-ups, and deals at once requires good time management. Most jobs will have at least one transferable skill you can highlight on your resume.

If you genuinely feel you lack any relevant skills, consider taking additional training (like online courses), starting a side project, or participating in an internship.

How do I make myself stand out amongst candidates who have direct experience?

To stand out, focus on your transferable skills, major achievements, and willingness to adapt. Show how your unique experiences bring a fresh perspective. Include instances where you've excelled or driven results in past roles, even in different industries, and remember to mention any relevant training or certifications that equip you for the new position.

What other information should I include?

We’ve covered the essential sections that your resume needs: your summary, work experience, relevant education and hard skills. Some job seekers like to include other sections, such as language proficiency ; feel free to include this information as long as it relates to the job and enhances your application. If it’s not relevant, it’s best to leave it out.

I'm struggling to get started – do you have any other tips for career changers?

In a word: Networking! Take time to reach out to people you know in your new field. Find events and ways to meet new people, connect with them on LinkedIn, or set up informational interviews . The more people you know, the easier and faster it will be to launch your new career.

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Career Change resume examples & templates

Choosing the right resume format for career changes

Include your contact information, make use of a summary, outline your career change work experience, include the relevant key skills needed for your career change, detail your education & relevant career change certifications, pick the right resume layout and design for a career change resume.

If you’re ready for your next professional challenge, you’re in good company—a recent study found that more than half of workers are looking to make a career change! 

There are a lot of decisions that come with a career change, but one thing’s for sure: you’ll need a strong resume that highlights your transferable skills and shows why you’re the right candidate for a new industry.

Luckily, we’re here to help. This complete guide will help you understand the best ways to approach your career change resume and will provide plenty of adaptable sentences that you can modify for your own application.

Resume guide for a career change resume

Accelerate success with Resume.io. Our guides and resume examples cover over 500 professions, and our resume builder makes creating a compelling resume easier than ever.

This resume guide and corresponding career change resume example will cover the following:

How to write a career change resume

• How to add your contact information
• Using summaries
• Adding your relevant experience
• Listing education and qualifications
• Picking the right resume design/layout

The very first step in writing your career change resume is understanding what sections to include. Your resume should contain the following elements:

• The resume header
• The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section
• The resume skills section
• The education section

Every person’s career change will be a unique journey, but we have some general advice to help you navigate this pivotal moment. The first step is to research and make sure you have a complete understanding of your new career. 

Decide where you want to go before you jump into the job market. Maybe you already have a dream career in mind. You should still investigate both the skills you need to embark on your new career and the state of the job market. 

If you are ready for a change but aren’t sure what direction to head in, some basic research will help. Think about careers that have overlapping skills with your current position. You may be able to take a step in another direction while using the abilities you already have. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the jobs with the highest growth potential through 2030, median salaries, and information on skills and education needed to enter the fields. 

Consider the reasons you want to change careers as well. Are you burned out ? Is your industry waning? Do you want more flexibility? Are you looking for a higher salary? Make sure your new targeted career will offer the opportunities you seek. One great way to do this is by connecting with professionals already working in the new field and asking them about the realities of the industry.

Optimize for the ATS

Almost all HR departments use ATS software to evaluate candidates and filter out resumes that don’t contain enough keywords from the job description. If you’re applying to jobs online, make sure to consider these three tips to increase your chances of beating these automated software scans: 

• Read the job description carefully and place skills and qualifications important to the employer throughout your resume.
• Use common section titles like “ Education ” or “ Employment History ” which can be easily parsed by the ATS.
• Choose a clear and easy-to-read layout without any complicated images which could confuse the ATS.

For most career changers, the reverse chronological resume format remains the go-to choice. This format focuses on your professional journey, listing jobs in your employment history section from newest to oldest. Recruiters find it easy to scan and see your most relevant experience up front. Each position should have descriptive bullet points highlighting achievements.

However, if you're a recent grad or truly lack experience in your new field, consider exploring the functional and combination resume formats. These offer more flexibility, allowing you to showcase your skills or education above your work history, making them well-suited for emphasizing transferable skills over traditional experience.

Every career change resume should contain a well-organized header that makes it easy to find your name and contact information. As you’ll see on our adaptable career change resume sample, there’s no need to go overboard with fancy colors or formatting. 

The most important goal is that your contact information is easily accessible. You should adapt the style of your header to the job you’re applying to. Here are the essential points to include:

• Full name & title . List your first and last name. Use the title of the new role you are pursuing instead of your previous career.
• Professional email address . Use a clean format like [email protected] . Don’t use a quirky, unprofessional email address.
• Phone number . List a number where you can be readily contacted, with a professional voicemail greeting.
• Location . List only your city and state . Don’t list street address or zip code. It’s both outdated and unsafe. Note 'Willing to Relocate' here if applicable.

Don’t include:

• Date of birth : Not necessary and could potentially lead to age discrimination .
• Personal details : Marital status, social security number, passport number , etc.

Jessica Anderson

Digital marketer

201-000-0900

[email protected]

Jess Anderson

Career changer

A summary is one of the most important sections on your career change resume as it will allow you to speak directly to the employer and explain how your previous career has set you up for this move.

These 3-5 sentences should highlight your biggest accomplishments and tell recruiters how that will translate into your new chosen field. In either case, make sure you are attentive to keywords and phrases . Do not force them into your summary but use them appropriately. Be proud and show off your professional personality and passion without exaggerating.

Remember to use as many powerful action verbs and job-specific information as you can. Highlighting your key attributes and talents that prove your qualifications and accomplishments is crucial. 

Need inspiration for your summary? Check out our related resumes: 

• General resume example
• Self-employed resume example
• Traditional resume example
• Freelancer resume sample

You can find adaptable career change resume example summaries below:

Highly motivated project manager with 5+ years of experience in managing complex software development projects seeking to leverage analytical skills and problem-solving abilities to transition into a data analyst role. Proven track record of data collection, analysis, and reporting to optimize project timelines and budgets. Eager to contribute data-driven insights to inform strategic decision-making.

Results-oriented marketing manager with 7 years of experience developing and executing successful marketing campaigns. Seeking to leverage strong communication, relationship-building, and negotiation skills to excel in a sales manager role. Proven ability to understand customer needs and translate them into actionable strategies. Passionate about exceeding sales targets and building strong client relationships.

Compassionate registered nurse with 10 years of bedside experience seeking to leverage clinical expertise and patient advocacy skills to make a broader impact on public health. Highly motivated to transition into a public health specialist role and contribute to preventative healthcare initiatives. Proficient in data analysis, communication, and community outreach.

Your employment history or experience highlights your biggest professional successes and accomplishments. Each bullet point should tell of a challenge, your actions to solve it, and the results you achieved. Use data and details wherever possible. 

Start by creating subheadings with your previous role, the employer’s name, dates worked, and location. Underneath, add 4-5 bullet points that describe your professional responsibilities, achievements, and transferable skills needed for your career change.

If your new career overlaps your current career, use the employment history heading and focus on the transferable skills you can demonstrate through your jobs. Recruiters want to see a pattern of growth in expertise and responsibility, so think of your employment history as the story of your professional development. 

When your career change takes you in a completely different direction, the experience heading may serve you better. Here you can include your involvement in activities that are not work-related but are relevant to your new career. In either case, keep the ATS in mind. Use strong action verbs that describe you as a go-getter. 

Take a look at these bland bullet points:

• “Responsible for completing assigned tasks.”
• “Developed skills in various areas.”
• “Worked on projects with a team.”

Now check out these more engaging options:

• “Increased team efficiency by 20% through implementing a new project management system, reducing task completion time by an average of 1 day.”
• “Developed proficiency in 3 new programming languages (Python, Java, C++) within 6 months, increasing personal coding output by 40%.”
• “Successfully led a cross-functional team of 5 in developing a new marketing campaign, resulting in a 15% increase in customer acquisition.”

Here's the employment history section from our career change resume example:

Preschool Teacher at Little Seed School, Seattle  August 2012 - June 2019 

• Created developmentally appropriate lesson plans and activities for students ages 2-4.
• Worked to create and maintain a welcoming and stimulating environment for students.
• Maintained excellent communication with parents regarding their child's progress.
• Addressed any concerns from parents in a professional and courteous manner.
• Actively participated in school events and planned the first Spring Auction for the preschool.
• Attended workshops to learn about different educational approaches and tools.
• Recorded observations as written assessments of student performance.

HR Receptionist at Maxwell Publishing House, Seattle  July 2009 - July 2012 

• Assisted the head of HR with all clerical and administrative duties.
• Provided employees with forms and proper insurance applications.
• Answered calls and recorded messages.
• Made copies and handled incoming and outgoing mail.
• Assisted with the purchasing and arranging of supplies.
• Maintained confidentiality of employee files.
• Scheduled and confirmed interviews and appointments.

Administrative Assistant at TV Guide, Seattle  September 2007 - July 2009 

• Served as a reliable Administrative Assistant in the Editorial Department.
• Answered calls and recorded and reported messages.
• Maintained a neat and organized working environment.
• Maintained conference room calendars and scheduled meetings.
• Coordinated travel plans and scheduled appointments.

How to write a career change resume with no experience

It’s likely that you will be attempting to make a career change with limited experience in the new field. Here are a few tips to help you write a more effective career change resume:

• Focus on transferable skills . Show how your previous experience has set you up for success in your new career. You shouldn’t be embarrassed of your past jobs; instead, show how your fresh perspective can serve as a strength and help propel the employer forward.
• Gain new qualifications . You can’t make a successful career change without the basic qualifications needed for the new job. Spend some time in online courses and make sure you have the required certifications listed on your resume .
• Network . Meet with current employees of companies that interest you and research the demands of your new career. These connections could help open doors but can also give you a better understanding of the skills to highlight on your resume.

The skills section is a straightforward catalog and should be tailored to your new career. It is designed as a quick method of getting your top abilities in front of recruiters. Create a Master List of all relevant abilities and choose five or six that best align with the employer’s needs.

Be honest here. Because you are changing careers and may not have as many matching skills as a candidate already in the field, you may be tempted to list skills you are not truly adept at. Avoid this. Recruiters see hundreds of resumes and they are not easily fooled .

Make sure to include any hard skills from the job posting to show that you have the technical knowledge needed for the job. Your soft skills can also be a secret weapon during a career change. Communication , efficiency, and organization apply to nearly every industry and show that you're a well-rounded candidate.

Here's the skills section from our career change resume example:

• Self Starter
• Interpersonal Communication
• Organization Skills
• Presentation Skills
• Leadership Skills

List any degrees, certifications, or licenses you have earned in the education section . As with your employment history, make sure to list degrees from most recent to oldest and include the program name, school, dates attended, and location. 

If you have several certifications or licenses, consider adding a separate section so that they stand out. Drop your high school diploma if you have a master’s degree or higher.

Your skills section is also a great place to include training, certifications, or new qualifications needed for your career change. If you're a few years out of school, consider dropping any academic achievements to make space for professional awards, memberships, or publications if relevant to your field.

Here's the education section from our career change resume example:

Bachelor of Communications, University of Washington, Seattle  August 2005 - May 2009

Your professional look should be neat and clean. The layout and design of your resume are just as important as the text. Why? There are several reasons:

• Recruiters want to be able to scan for your contact information, current job, and other data quickly
• Your resume’s design is a representation of your image
• The all-important ATS may not find data that is incorrectly formatted

But, what makes a good layout? This may seem counterintuitive, but the simpler, the better! You want recruiters to be able to read every word. That means no big text blocks, no fancy fonts , and just a dash of color if any. 

Your accomplishments are what distinguishes you, not any overly fussy design. Legibility takes priority. If recruiters can’t find what they are looking for, they will move on, especially if they would be taking a leap by giving a career-changer a chance.

One way to quickly create a professional layout that stands out to recruiters is by using an expertly designed resume template which can easily be updated as you apply to new positions.

• Make your contact information stand out.
• Vary the lengths of descriptions
• Create a balance of white space to text.
• Have another person proofread for grammar, spelling, and clarity.
• Put information into headers or footers—the ATS can’t read them.
• Downsize the type to gain space.
• Send files in a format other than PDF—different programs may alter your formatting (Word files are notorious for this issue, don’t use them unless the online application system doesn’t give you a choice).

Career change text-only resume example

Self-motivated and enthusiastic worker with vast experience in many different fields. Bringing forth a proven track record of achievement and a reputation for positive collaboration. Confident, hard working, and committed to seeing results in whatever position I am in. Reliable and dedicated to finding a place that will benefit from my superior skill set and energetic drive. 

Employment history

Key takeaways for building a career change resume

When crafting a resume for a career change, showcase how your existing skills translate to your desired field. Focus on transferable skills like communication and project management, and tailor them to the new role's requirements. 

Highlight relevant achievements from past experiences, using data to quantify your impact. Your resume should tell a compelling story of how your transferable skills and experiences position you for success in your new career path.

An online resume builder can make it easy to format a professional resume that puts you on the path to making a successful career change!

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How To Write A Successful Career Change Resume (With Examples)

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Find a Job You Really Want In

So you’ve decided to change jobs. After all, the average salary increase when making the switch is 14.8% (the wage growth while staying put is only 5.8%). Of course, to land that high-paying new job, you’ll need a successful resume . This is especially true in a career change situation, where you’ll have to compete with more experienced applicants. In many ways, your resume is like your first interview, as it will provide a crucial introduction and first impression to a hiring manager . Knowing that it’s easy to see why nailing it is your first and potentially last opportunity to outline what makes you an ideal candidate. This article will discuss what makes a successful career change resume, as well as provide examples and other valuable tips. Key Takeaways: You’ll want to showcase your accomplishments, skills, and qualifications without sacrificing readability. Sections that you should include are: Prior work experience Education Relevant skills and qualifications Accomplishments Hiring managers are looking for relevancy, positivity and readability when looking at career change resumes. In This Article    Skip to section What to Include in a Career Change Resume How to Edit and Update Your Old Resume What Hiring Managers Are Looking for on a Career Change Resume How to Structure a Career Change Resume Career Change Resume Examples Additional Career Change Resume Tips Sign Up For More Advice and Jobs Show More What to Include in a Career Change Resume

We know you know the rodeo, but it’s always good to get a refresher. Just in case you don’t have access to one of your old resumes, it’s good to know how to start from scratch.

First and foremost, never underestimate the power of a good resume summary . Regardless of how much experience you’ll have in your new field, a clever resume summary will still pull the hiring manager in. That way, you can avoid being added to the discard pile.

Here are some other crucial elements to include in your resume:

Contact information. What good in any job application if the employer doesn’t know how to reply to you? When writing your resume , always be sure to include your full legal name, email, phone number, and other relevant contact information at the top of the page . This will ensure that the employer has several methods of contacting you.

Accomplishments. Briefly mention what makes you the best candidate for the job. Employers love a simple outline of your accomplishments because it’s fast and easy to read.

Highest level of education. Often, one of your best ways of landing a job you don’t have experience for is through your education.

Regardless of whether you only graduated high school or have a Master’s Degree, you should include any relevant classes you’ve taken, your major, your GPA (if sufficient), and any other educational achievements you can think of.

Prior work experience. Whether or not your current career is relevant to the new one you’re after, be sure to include information about it. Briefly mention what you do and a few of your accomplishments (preferably in bullet notes). If you can make your experience and accomplishments relevant to the new career, even better.

Volunteer work and other activities. Similarly to work experience, it can be valuable to include any volunteer work you’ve done. For instance, if you’ve volunteered at an animal shelter, school, homeless shelter, or food bank, employers will be interested in your ability to serve your community.

Personal projects. If you’ve ever had your own small business or made something that’s relevant for the job you’re applying to, you can include that in your resume. For example, if you started up an Etsy shop last year and are starting to turn a profit, that experience will show your employers that you can be a creative, savvy business owner .

Relevant skills and qualifications. Overall, the more relevant skills and qualifications you can include in your resume, the better. From personality traits to languages and computer programs to medical certifications. Think of anything useful you can add.

Keywords. Hiring managers typically don’t have a lot of time to review your resume, so including keywords can be an easy way to catch their eye. When you read a job description , be sure to analyze the position requirements so you can use similar language in your resume.

For example, if there’s a position that requires you to have experience using Microsoft Word, you should mention that you have experience using Microsoft Word in your resume.

How to Edit and Update Your Old Resume

Now you might be thinking, “well, I already have a resume,” and while that is a good thing, you should still make some changes. After all, you may have a lot to update if you haven’t touched your old resume in a while. That’s why it’s important to review the entire document, even if you were satisfied with it in the past.

When it comes to revising your old resume, here are our top tips:

Specialize your intro. Changing careers means you might have to hone in on a different skill set. Do so effectively. It’s a good idea to alter your intro. For instance, if you’re moving to a career that requires more interpersonal skills , you can edit your intro to include a sentence about your ability to communicate.

Update job descriptions. If you have a new, impressive accomplishment to include, you should add it to your job description. This is also a good time to refresh the dates and times you have listed for your current job.

Add relevant skills. You might be surprised to learn that less can be more. If you find that you have a lot of skills listed that are completely irrelevant to your career change , you should update them. Only focus on the skills that will show promise to a potential employer.

Cut out unnecessary info. While you’re updating job descriptions, you should look over some of your older jobs and remove anything that seems outdated or irrelevant. That also goes for anything else on your resume.

Spelling and grammar. You’d be surprised what you can miss. Re-read your old resume and keep an eye out for spelling and grammar issues. Plus, if you feel like you can improve the wording of a sentence or two, go for it.

What Hiring Managers Are Looking for on a Career Change Resume

In general, being able to base the information in your resume around what a hiring manager wants to hear will bring you one step closer to landing the position. Just think of it as looking at things from their perspective.

One of the biggest frustrations when making a career change is beating out the competition that has years of experience in the field. To do so, you’ll need to know what the hiring manager is looking for.

With that in mind, here are some of the major things that will catch a hiring manager’s eye:

Readability. Hiring managers are busy people, and therefore, they don’t have endless time to review your resume. Typically, the average employer only spends less than ten seconds reviewing your resume, so making all of your key points easy to read can be a crucial part of making anything stick.

When in doubt, use keywords, stick to streamlined formatting and keep your word count low.

Positivity. While there are several personality traits employers look out for, positivity is one of the most important ones. Your ability to make light of any situation, stay motivated, and bring good vibes to the workplace cannot be understated.

Try to radiate positivity when you craft your sentences, so the employer will sense that you’d have that same energy in the workplace.

Leadership and Teamwork. While leadership and teamwork may seem like opposing forces, having both is a crucial part of any workplace. When possible, use examples to outline why you’re an effective leader and a thoughtful team player. Generally speaking, these two skills come down to confidence and adept communication.

Relevancy. If you’re applying to a new career, employers want to know why exactly you applied in the first place. Show why you’re interested in the position and include as many relevant skills, experiences, and qualifications as possible.

How to Structure a Career Change Resume

When you begin writing or updating your resume, you should try your best to perfect the formatting. As mentioned previously, be sure to list your contact information at the top of the page, and then a brief summary about yourself. The more you can specialize your intro for the career change, the better.

Divide in sections. As you may know, resumes are split up into sections to make them more digestible. Common sections include:

Accomplishments

Experience Highlights

Certifications or Projects

While you can add more sections if you choose, you should be mindful of your resume’s length and readability.

Use Bullets. Another effective way to maintain flow is to organize the information in your sections as bullet notes, so any employer can simply take a glance and receive all the information they need. Any section written in sentences should be no more than a short paragraph.

If you’re looking over an old resume and you notice a lot of blocky paragraphs or long-winded descriptions, find ways to trim those sections down.

Use the right font. Remember that as a professional document, your resume should also pull from a group of acceptable font types, which are sized and spaced appropriately. If you don’t know or don’t remember, here is a list of ten potential fonts you can use:

Times New Roman

After you select a font, you should choose your font size based on the same logic as the font type. Therefore, select the smallest size that is still easily readable — typically between ten and 12. The font type you chose may alter the size slightly, but be sure to avoid oversizing your font, as your resume may appear unprofessional.

Keep it simple. Overall, pay attention to the simplicity of the style. If a font seems simple and easy to read, it is probably acceptable. Simple fonts are preferred in part because heavily stylized fonts might be difficult for someone to read, and ideally, the reader should be able to skim the most important information from your resume quickly and efficiently.

When in doubt, don’t go overboard. Keep everything simple, and to the point so you can retain the employer’s attention.

Career Change Resume Examples

Put together, all of these tips culminate in creating easy-to-read, relevant, and effective resumes. Here are a few examples:

From In-Home Caregiver to Teacher resume.

Jane Hindsdale Portland, ME 04101 | Cell: (555) 555-5555 | [email protected] SUMMARY Experienced State Employee with nearly six years of In-Home Caretaking experience. HCC graduate with a degree in Early Childhood Education. Enthusiastic and hard worker with unparalleled devotion to assignments, tasks, and clients. Complimented by adept communication and patience gained from years of caretaking and customer service experience. ACCOMPLISHMENTS Has managed four different individuals with mental developmental disabilities while alone on shifts, keeping everyone on schedule and taking care of. Successfully de-escalated a situation where a client intended to harm himself through adept and careful communication skills. Decreased food costs by 25% using effective meal plans, grocery lists, and staff scheduling. Increased client’s abilities to complete tasks on time by 40% through communication and organization initiatives. SKILLS De-escalation Communication Babysitting Critical thinking Patience Caretaking Microsoft Word and Office Problem-Solving Customer Service Team Leadership Extremely organized Time management< Ability to Work Under Pressure WORK HISTORY Developmental Service Worker, 09/2015 to Current State of Maine (DDS Portland Service Group) — Portland, ME 04101 Responsible for managing four individuals with mental developmental disabilities. Provides individuals with engaging educational activities and community integration services. Organizes and conducts effective group activities that keep everyone engaged. Maintains the community living space through cleaning, organizing, and performing other related tasks. De-escalates arguments and other potentially harmful situations through adept communication. Babysitter, 09/2017 to Current Care.com — Portland, ME 04101 Has successfully cared for over 50 different children between the ages of three to 12. Has aided in homeschooling lessons to help children and parents achieve their goals. Organizes activities to keep children entertained and engaged. Compiles daily reports for parents to review and for effective communication purposes. Waitress , 03/2014 to 12/2015 Smokey’s Pub N’ Grill — Portland, ME 04101 Provided professional and positive customer service at registers and on the sales floor. Mediated interpersonal difficulties between store managers and customers. Checked and counted inventory. EDUCATION Bachelor of Education: Early Childhood, Graduated University of Maine – Portland, ME 04101 Final Project: Served as a TA in a kindergarten class for three months. Successfully created presentations and worked as a team with the teacher to conduct group activities. Wrote a thesis about attention and childhood development, with an emphasis on how to keep children with disabilities engaged. High School Diploma: General Studies Portland High School – Portland, ME 04101 Distinctions Passed EAS test MAP Certified CPR Certified ME State Driver’s License American Red Cross Babysitting Certification

From Graphic Designer to Web Designer.

James Parker Pittsfield, MA 01201 | Cell: (555) 555-5555 | [email protected] SUMMARY Creative and results-driven Graphic Designer looking to bring those skills to the web. Exceptionally strong work ethic outlined by a 98% customer service and satisfaction record. Adaptable worker with the ability to function well independently and effectively coordinate within a team of other professionals. ACCOMPLISHMENTS Has successfully used Canva, Photoshop, and Flash to complete over 150 projects for clients. Earned a 98% customer satisfaction record from over 100 different clients. Has designed graphics and formatting for 37 different websites. SKILLS HTML JavaScript Microsoft Word and Office Digital Design Logo Design Project Management PowerPoint Adobe Creative Suite Advertising Communication 2D/3D Modeling SEO Optimization WORK HISTORY Graphic Designer , 05/2018 to 06/2021 Marston Media — Boston, MA 02101 Worked with over 70 clients to create thoughtful, customized, and optimized designs. Finalized over 100 different client projects with a 99% customer satisfaction rate. Designed over 280 images including, logos, web advertisements, banners, and more. Freelance Graphic Designer, 02/2016 to 04/2018 CanvasWeb — Amherst, MA 01122 Created over 100 images to pair with online articles and blog posts. Designed digital displays and media used in online advertising, which increased business revenue by over 15% for five different businesses. Customer Service Representative , 08/2013 to 04/2016 TradeCo. — Pittsfield, MA 01201 Reduced customer churn by 7% by developing an improved digital customer follow-up system. Tracked customer feedback trends and used the information to determine the cause of various issues. Surpassed team goals by over 15% through achieving a 99% average customer satisfaction rate. Communicated effectively with customers and co-workers alike on a daily basis. EDUCATION Bachelor of Fine Arts: Graphic Design, Graduated University of Massachusetts – Amherst, MA 01122 High School Diploma: General Studies Amherst High School – Amherst, MA 01122 Distinctions Fluent in Spanish Adobe Certified Expert MA State Driver’s License

Additional Career Change Resume Tips

Now that you know how to write an effective career change resume, here are some additional tips to keep in mind when you draft your first copy:

Keep it short and to the point. Hiring managers have lives too, so it’s important that you limit the length of your resume and only include the most important information. Ideally, your resume should only be around a page long. Doing this will help maximize readability and retain the potential employer’s interest.

Thoroughly proofread. It’s critical that the spelling and grammar of your resume are on point. Given that, you should spend a considerable amount of time proofreading, so you have a better chance of catching these errors.

Avoid first-person pronouns. First-person pronouns have a way of killing professionalism . In general, avoiding them will improve the quality of your resume. For example, instead of saying, “I increased sales by 22%”, simply write: “Increased sales by 22%”.

Professionally label the .pdf File. If you’re sending your resume to a potential employer via email, it’s important that you label the document appropriately. One of the best ways you can label your resume is by titling the document with your first and last name, followed by the word “resume.”

Quantify when possible. The more specific you can make your achievements on your resume, the better. Instead of writing that you “have a lot of experience,” it’s better to say that you “have five years of experience.” Accurate numbers, dates, and percentages will improve the quality of your resume.

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Jack Flynn is a writer for Zippia. In his professional career he’s written over 100 research papers, articles and blog posts. Some of his most popular published works include his writing about economic terms and research into job classifications. Jack received his BS from Hampshire College.

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How to write an effective career change resume (with examples)

By Tomás Battaglia March 7, 2024

Updated June 27, 2024

The average person changes jobs an average of nine times during their career, and there are many reasons why someone might want to change the role that they work in. They might want to pursue a more challenging career path, be looking to earn a higher salary, experience a better work-life balance or simply want to explore new interests.

In today's dynamic job market, a career change demands more than courage; it requires a strategically crafted resume showcasing your transferable skills, relevant experiences, and determination. 

Whether you're stepping into a new industry or seeking a different role within your current sector, this guide is designed to equip you with the knowledge and tools to create a compelling resume that captures the attention of hiring managers. More than just wanting to change, it is crucial to adapt. There is no point in crafting a different CV if it is not tailored, especially for this moment of transition in your career.

We'll walk you through every step of creating a resume that not only highlights your past achievements but also shines a light on your potential. Get ready to transform your career aspirations into reality with our expert tips and actionable advice.

Feeling stuck? Consider your options and make an industry change

Transitioning to a new industry can be overwhelming, especially when skills development is necessary to align with your desired role. Securing the ideal job opportunity necessitates a dedicated level of effort and commitment. If you want develop more soft skills and expertise, stretch assignments can be a valuable approach to take.

 Taking gradual measures to evaluate your alternatives and potential career paths is beneficial. This approach lets you gain insight into your capabilities and establishes a coherent understanding of how they align with your chosen industry.

Consider your reasons for a new career 

Before you begin the process of looking for a new job, give yourself some time to assess why you want to do that:

• Boredom or lack of satisfaction. If you don't find satisfaction and meaning in what you do during your working day, your thoughts will most likely wander to other employment opportunities.
• Money and benefits. Salary and benefits are often the primary reasons many people start a job search. Perhaps through communications with peers within your industry or after reading articles on the internet, you've determined more lucrative opportunities do exist.
• New interests. Many people make career changes throughout their lives as new interests, values, and passions develop. 
• Job sustainability. You may have noticed that technological advancements could potentially phase out your current role or even lead to the closure of the company you work for.

How should I write a specialised career change resume?

Embarking on a career change is a significant life decision that necessitates a tailored approach in every step, especially regarding your resume objective. Here are a few ways to prepare your CV for a career change and pursue your dream job.

It's all about the transferable skills

In a career change scenario, your previous experience in the new field might be limited. While this can be daunting, it’s also an opportunity to make your case. This is where transferable skills come into play. These universal skills you've acquired in your current or previous work experiences are relevant to a wide range of positions, such as leadership abilities, communication skills, project management, and problem-solving capabilities. 

Shifting focus from titles to talents

Traditional resumes often emphasise job titles and specific industry experiences. However, in a career change scenario, the focus shifts from past job titles to the talents and competencies you bring to the table. Often, different industries have their way of referring to the same skills or expertise. Researching CVs from professionals in the job market you want to migrate to can help with that. It's not about lack of experience, it's about showing potential employers what you can do for them, not just what you have done in the past.

No elephants in the room

Employers might have reservations about hiring someone without direct experience in their industry, and that is justified. Your job here will be to show the recruiters that you can be a jack of all trades and change careers with ease. By carefully aligning your skills and experiences from the previous role with the requirements of the new role, you can alleviate doubts and highlight why you are a strong candidate, despite your unconventional path. This includes using strategic positioning and persuasive language to draw parallels between your background and the needs of the potential employer.

Showing that you can adapt fast

Making a career change is a bold move that requires adaptability and a willingness to learn. A resume objective tailored for this transition demonstrates your commitment to your new career path and objectives. It shows employers that you have not only recognized your passion for a new field but have also taken concrete steps to prepare yourself for this shift. This can include relevant training, certifications, or projects you've undertaken to gain the necessary skills and knowledge.

Optimise for Applicant Tracking Systems

In today's job market, many resumes first need to get past an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) before they reach a human reader. A specialised career change resume is optimised with relevant keywords and phrases that match the job description. This ensures that your resume passes through these systems and increases your chances of getting noticed by hiring managers.

Key elements when writing a career change CV

Creating an effective career change resume involves more than just listing your job history. You could do a series of things to enhance the chances of a recruiter noticing you and your CV. Here are some do's and don'ts to remember as you craft yours.

1. Objective statement or professional summary

The goal here is to capture your career goals while also explaining why you are transitioning to the new field. All of this should be done in a way that feels natural to the reader, with a brief statement combining transferable skills, career aspirations and how you plan to bring value to the desired new role.

A great tip here would be to customise this section to each job accordingly. Making every CV directly address specific needs for the role and the employer can make a huge difference and go a long way.

A marketing specialist aiming to transition into the tech industry might say, "Driven marketing specialist with over five years of experience in developing successful brand strategies, seeking to leverage analytical and project management skills in a product management role within the tech sector. Eager to apply my background in market analysis and team leadership to drive successful product launches and innovation."

A teacher looking to move into corporate training could write, "Passionate educator with a decade of experience in curriculum development and student engagement, aiming to transition to corporate training. Skilled in creating compelling educational content and fostering a productive learning environment, I am excited to apply these skills to help your organisation develop its talent and enhance employee skills."

2. Skills section

In this section, the main objective should be highlighting your current abilities that are relevant to the new career you envision. Hard and soft skills are your bread and butter here. Having a great mix of key skills that are valuable to the new industry can have a major impact on how the recruiter will receive your CV. Think beyond technical skills to include leadership, communication, problem-solving, and other adaptable skills.

As mentioned in the previous element, you should always tailor your CV to each job opportunity you want to apply for. That being said, use the job description as a guide to identify which skills to emphasise and ensure they align with what the employer seeks for that role.

For someone transitioning from finance to data science, the skills section might highlight: "Analytical Thinking, Financial Modeling, Python, Data Visualisation, Strong Communication, Problem-solving, SQL." This showcases a blend of hard and technical skills relevant to data science alongside transferable soft skills.

A retail manager moving to customer success in a tech company might list: "Customer Relationship Management, Team Leadership, Conflict Resolution, Salesforce, Strategic Planning, Empathy." Here, the emphasis is on transferable soft skills and some technical knowledge relevant to the new role.

3. Professional experience

This is the part of the resume that needs to show (with examples) how your previous job roles have prepared you for this career change. A good way to do that would be to focus on achievements and responsibilities from past positions most relevant to the new job. Describing the experience while emphasising the results, relevant achievements and how they relate to the potential role can be a good way to do that.

Bring numbers and results where possible to show the direct impact of your work. Growth, gains, increases, and revenue incomes are always welcome to add colour to your CV. You can also use action verbs to pack a punch on your achievements. Great examples are: converted, applied, developed, operated, solved, and constructed.

A project manager in construction looking to move into software project management might detail: "Managed a team of 20+ to deliver projects on time and within budget, achieving a 15% reduction in costs through efficient resource management. Looking to apply project management expertise and collaborative skills to lead software development projects."

An HR professional aiming for a career in UX research could illustrate: "Conducted comprehensive employee satisfaction surveys and implemented feedback mechanisms, increasing employee engagement by 25%. Eager to apply my understanding of user needs and feedback analysis to enhance product usability and customer satisfaction in a UX research role."

4. Education and other certifications

This is often an overlooked section of resumes, but it sure can make you stand out from others. The goal here is very straightforward of showing your formal training and qualifications. Degrees, courses, workshops and other certifications that are relevant to your new field have to be displayed well here. Don’t forget to list the most important ones first. Keep in mind that the range of time a recruiter spends reading a resume is not long, so you have to make sure the main information comes first.

If you’ve taken courses relevant to your new career, list them here, even if they didn’t lead to a degree or certification. This shows your commitment to your professional development and learning and growing in your new field.

An individual transitioning to digital marketing from sales might list: "Bachelor of Science in Business Administration; Google Digital Marketing Certification; Course in SEO and Content Marketing from Coursera." This shows a mix of formal education and self-directed learning relevant to the new field.

Someone moving into the cybersecurity field from a non-technical background could highlight: "Bachelor of Arts in Psychology; CompTIA Security+ Certification; Cybersecurity Fundamentals Course (edX)." This demonstrates a commitment to acquiring the technical skills needed for the new career path.

5. Additional sections

This is optional, but also a good way to show some characteristics about you in an indirect way. Here you can display that you are a team player, your volunteer work experiences (that can demonstrate your commitment to the community), projects you’ve been involved in (either personal projects or professional ones that can demonstrate skills in the desired new field), and languages that you master (multilingual abilities can be a significant asset in many industries).

Crafting a career change resume is about painting a picture of yourself as the ideal candidate for your new field, despite not following a traditional path. Thinking outside the box and mentioning different projects and endeavours can be a great way to start the conversation and catch the eye of the recruiter.

A software developer transitioning to environmental science might include: "Volunteer Work: Regular participant in local river clean-up projects; Developed a community app for reporting illegal dumping. Languages: Fluent in English and Spanish, Intermediate French." This section showcases a personal commitment to environmental issues and relevant projects, plus multilingual abilities.

An accountant moving into the non-profit sector could mention: "Projects: Led a fundraising campaign for a local animal shelter, raising over $10,000. Volunteer Experience: Treasurer for a community food bank, managing finances and budgeting." This illustrates skills and interests that align with the values and needs of the non-profit sector.

Do's and don'ts when writing a career change resume

Transitioning to a new career involves presenting yourself in a way that highlights your relevance and fit for the new role, despite lacking direct experience. A career change resume requires a strategic approach to emphasise your transferable skills, adaptability, and readiness for the challenge. 

Here are some essential elements to include in your career change resume to make a compelling case for your candidacy.

Focus on transferable skills:

We can’t stress this enough. Highlight skills and experiences that are relevant to your new career path. This shows you’re versatile, experienced and willing to adapt to the new position.

Customise your resume for every job:

Tailor your resume to each job posting description, emphasising the most relevant skills and experiences. While you’re at it, search for the appropriate keywords for each. This takes some time to do, but it definitely will make a difference in the hiring process.

Include a cover letter:

A career change cover letter gives you additional space to explain and express your enthusiasm for the new field. You can also detail why you’re making the change and how you plan to achieve your goals with the company.

Avoid the temptation to explain all the reasons for your career change or justify any employment gaps. You can discuss it in the cover letter , but don’t extend yourself too much. Keep your resume focused on your skills and qualifications.

Ignore your achievements:

People often overlook their previous achievements if they aren’t related to the new desired field. Even if your past work doesn’t directly translate to your new career, your achievements can still demonstrate your ability to succeed. Don’t be shy!

Underestimate soft skills:

Soft skills ultimately can make a difference . Things like communication, teamwork, and adaptability are highly valued in all fields. Make sure to highlight those and, if possible, bring cases where you demonstrated them in your past experiences.

Embrace your next career chapter with Airswift

Embarking on a career change is a bold step towards fulfilling your professional aspirations. As you step forward into this exciting new career phase, remember you don't have to do it alone. Airswift is your dedicated partner in this journey of transformation. With over 35 years of experience in pioneering workforce solutions globally, we specialise in turning career aspirations into reality. Our deep industry expertise and unwavering commitment to your success make us the ideal companion as you explore new horizons. Our extensive network and comprehensive job board offer various opportunities tailored to suit your new career direction. We invite you to leverage our resources, expert guidance, and support services to empower your career transition. At Airswift, we're not just helping you find a job; we're helping you build the future you envision.

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Career Change Resume: Examples, How to Write, and Other Tips To Support Your Career Transition

When you make the difficult choice to look for a job in a new industry, it’s important to write a career change resume.

Your old resume, tailored to your old career, won’t suit your new field. For your job search to succeed when you make a career change, you have to make sure that your resume is tailored to the right positions and highlights the right skills.

Important steps for writing a career change resume include:

• Picking the right resume format
• Highlighting transferrable skills
• Tailoring your resume to suit your new industry
• Emphasizing your most relevant experience

Anyone can reach a crossroads in their profession and decide that it's time to make a change. Maybe you've developed new skills, run out of opportunities, or realized that your current career doesn't motivate you like it once did. Whatever the reason, if you want to change jobs, you will need to know how to write a resume for a career change.

• What is a Career Change Resume?

A career change resume is a resume specifically designed and written to explain a career transition. From the objective to the mentioned skills, everything highlights the transferability of past experiences and skills to a new job.

Let’s say, you are a marketer who is trying to transition to a project management position. If you send over a generic resume that lists your marketing skills and experience - it would leave the hiring manager confused to see your resume.

If there’s no explanation of why you are even applying for a job, you would be rejected as the hiring manager would assume you are randomly applying for jobs.

• Why Write a Career Change Resume?

A career change resume better connects your professional work experience and skills to a job when you are applying for either a new job or entering a new industry. You stand out as an applicant as it makes it extremely easy to see relevant past experience and skills that you have is relevant to the job you are applying for.

In our example of marketing to project management career transition, without a career transition resume a hiring manager would not understand:

• Why do you want to apply for this role?
• What relevant skills do you bring to this role?
• What past experience do you have that’s relevant to this role?

Now, some assume that the HR or hiring manager is going to read through their resume and extract the right information. But that in 2023 is a big mistake. No one is going to take the time to read through your resume when there’s no explanation to support the questions above.

But let’s say you did the following to show your marketing management skills are relevant to the project management skills:

• Highlighted how you did planning, organizing, and execution of projects along with timeline management and
• Showcase how your collaboration skills for marketing project management required you to foster collaboration with stakeholders and other employees.
• If you practice agile, scrum, etc highlight that and show how you improved project management through tactical changes (e.g. story points to iteratively improve epics).

The career change resume tips alone make a big difference. But, the real difference maker is how you show relevance for the role through each individual section and your resume layout as well. A good starting point would be to understand how to write a career transition resume.

• How to Write a Career Change Resume

To write a career change resume and explain your career transition better, follow these steps:

• Select the right career change resume format. Reverse chronological isn’t the best choice here. We recommend selecting either a functional or a hybrid resume format.
• While writing your resume header, instead of your current job title, write something like “Entry-level {job title}” to show relevance.
• Write an objective instead of a resume summary and mention that you are changing careers in it.
• While listing your work experience, reduce the focus on non-relevant job responsibilities and achievements. Increase focus on relevant responsibilities and achievements. Go as far as removing irrelevant ones. Do this for each job you apply for.
• The skill section of your resume should be changed based on what skills the job actually needs. And, do it for all jobs.
• Highlight relevant education or certifications in your resume.
• At the end, your resume should support your intent to transition in the new role from top to down.

Now that we have looked into how to write a career transition resume, let’s look into each of these in depth.

• The Right Career Change Resume Format

There are three resume formats that you can consider for a career change resume.

• Functional : This format emphasizes skills above work experience, and groups past positions by topic rather than chronologically.
• Combination : This format emphasizes your skills, but still uses a reverse-chronological work history section.

The third resume format is reverse chronological resume format, but we don't advise to use it for you career transition.

We recommend using a combination format for a career change resume. This resume format allows you to showcase your skills while maintaining a clear timeline of your career.

To write a combination resume , create a Skills section near the top of your resume, above your Work Experience section. This is where you can highlight and explain your most impressive and most relevant skills. Your Skills section will be the focus of your resume, as this section is where you can make the case for your skill set, even if your past positions were in a different field.

Your Work Experience section will follow your Skills section. This section can be shorter than in a typical reverse-chronological resume, with less detail than your Skills section, but it should still have a clear timeline. Even if you are changing industries, hiring managers will be interested to see how your career has progressed. A reverse-chronological work experience section allows you to clearly tell that part of your story.

Of course, these aren’t hard and fast rules. You can use a typical reverse-chronological resume format if you prefer. Just make sure you can highlight the right skills and experience for your new industry.

• Selecting the Right Career Transition Resume Template

Any resume for changing careers needs a great template.

Your resume won’t do you any good if it’s difficult to read, no matter how well-targeted your skill set is. Make sure your resume is easy to read, with simple organization and clear headings.

Additionally, ensure that you choose a resume template suited for the industry you want to work in.

If you want to move into a more formal industry, like law or accounting, find a traditional resume template with simple formatting and no colours. If you are moving into a more creative field, like marketing or design, you can look for a more modern template, with pictures or colours.

To find the perfect resume template for your new career, check out these VisualCV resume templates .

• What to Add in Your Career Change Resume Header

Your career change resume should begin with your name and contact information. The hiring manager needs this information to contact you, so you should make it easy to find.

Your resume header should include:

• Prospective job title
• Phone number
• Email address
• City of residence

You can also include hyperlinks to your professional online profiles, such as LinkedIn or Twitter. If you’re applying for a software development position, you can link to your GitHub profile. If you are moving into a creative field, you might have an online portfolio to link to.

You may also want to include a headline or job title in this section. However, if you are changing careers, this could confuse the hiring manager. Avoid using a job title that isn’t supported by your resume.

• Write an Objective instead of Summary for Career Change Resume

A resume summary fails to explain career transition.

For example, consider this resume summary below of a marketer applying for a project management role: Results-driven marketing professional with extensive experience in developing and implementing successful marketing strategies. Demonstrated expertise in brand management, digital marketing, and campaign execution, driving revenue growth and customer engagement.

The candidate would be rejected right away as the hiring manager would find it difficult to understand why this candidate is even apply for a PM job.

Now, let's use an objective instead of summary to better explain career transition.

Career Change Resume Objective Example

Aspiring project management professional with a proven track record of successfully leading and executing complex projects. Skilled in strategic planning, cross-functional collaboration, and delivering results that drive business growth and exceed client expectations.

Notice how this objective better explains career transition here by:

• Clearly stating that the applicant is aspiring to become a project management professional.
• Shifting the focus towards past work experience and achievements relevant to project management.

This would compel a hiring manager to read further dive deeper into your past work experience and skills.

• Highlight your transferrable skills

Your Skills section is the key to your career change resume. Your past roles may not be directly relevant to positions in your new industry, so your Skills section is where you will need to demonstrate that you have what it takes to succeed.

To identify the skills you will need in future roles, study job postings in your new industry, network with professionals in that field, and learn as much as you can before you start applying.

Then, look back on your career and think about the skills you've developed. Some of them will be relevant to the new industry, and will be perfect for your career change resume.

By reading as much as you can about your target profession and brainstorming your existing skills, you should be able to figure out which transferrable skills to highlight. These may be soft skills like leadership, teamwork, creativity, or problem-solving, or hard skills like writing, software expertise, or bookkeeping. Identifying transferrable skills is the key to a successful career change resume.

Once you’ve settled on the right transferrable skills, think about the best way to showcase them. It may be that a simple list will do the trick. If this is the case, create a simple bulleted list for your most relevant and impressive skills.

To really sell your skills, however, you may want place more emphasis on the skills section. Make each skill in the list a heading, and then provide evidence for each skill in bullet points below. The best way to do this is to give concrete, measurable examples of achievements relevant to that skill.

For example, if you count Leadership as a transferrable skill, provide examples of projects you have led, teams you have managed, or decisions you have been responsible for.

Clear, concrete examples are the best way to showcase your skills. When your skills are the focus of your resume, as they will be in a career change resume, it’s important to give your Skills section the attention it deserves.

Career change resume example skills section

• Time Management
• Problem-Solving
• Adaptability
• Communication
• Project Management

How to Support Career Change through Resume Work Experience Section

• Use numbers and measurable successes as much as possible. For example, if you worked in sales in a previous job, give your sales revenue or the number of clients you gained. This approach makes your claims more concrete and impressive.
• Use action words to describe your duties. Terms like accelerated , spearheaded , generated , centralized , and mentored can add some energy to your work experience section and make your roles sound impressive.
• Emphasize any transferrable skills. Your resume should be focused on your next job, including when you describe past ones.
• Make it clear to the hiring manager that you have the skills to succeed in the new industry.

In each job description, be sure to focus on the accomplishments that could be relevant to your new industry. Think about the requirements listed in the job posting, and consider what employers in your new field are seeking. Every job may not be perfectly relevant, but it’s important to show that even though you are changing careers, you have what it takes to be successful in a challenging role.

Career Change Resume Work Experience Example

Researcher ABC Labs, New York Sept 2018 - Present

• Instrumental part of a team that completed government-funded research on Alzheimer’s Disease, resulting in a second phase project funding of $5 million
• Managed and coordinated a 200-person volunteer research program that examined neurological diseases
• Conducted in-depth research to understand the current state of medications and their efficacy for Alzheimer’s Disease
• Collaborated on data analysis and contributed to research paper on progressive neurological disorders
• Presented findings at three annual conferences
• Wrote monthly press releases to update the public about our work and findings

How to List Education on a Career Change Resume

Your education is an important part of your career story. You should list your any degrees, diplomas, and certificates in your resume, even if they aren’t immediately relevant to your desired field. It’s important to show that you can work towards a goal and complete a degree, even if that degree is in an unrelated field.

If your education is completely irrelevant, simply listing your degrees and the institution name is sufficient.

If you would like to give your education more emphasis, however, you can give more details. For example, you may want to give your GPA, list academic awards, or describe relevant projects or areas of study.

Example of a Career Change Resume Education Section

MSc in Mechanical Engineering University of Iowa

• New Product Development
• Advanced CAD
• Advanced Static Analysis

BSc in Mechanical Engineering University of Iowa

• Engineering Concepts
• Systems modelling
• Material analysis
• Customize your Career Change resume for every application

You should customize your resume for every application.

While this is true for any resume, it is especially true for a career change resume. Your resume has to be perfectly targeted to prove that you have the right skills not only for a new job, but for a new career.

To do this, study each job posting and identify the specific keywords that the company is using. They will be looking for specific skills and experience. Then, look at your own background and identify the skills that overlap, and use the same words or phrases to describe your skills. This will ensure that the keywords match, and get your resume to the next round.

• Career change resume example

Experienced accounting professional and recent Bachelor of Education graduate seeking a role in education. Proven ability to communicate clearly to all levels of an organization, including legal, technical, and executive, to ensure objectives are met. Versatile mentor with experience teaching and training new hires. Several years of experience in financial analysis, accounting, and auditing. Excellent financial reporting, budget forecasting and team management skills. Experience closing leads and building and maintaining a client base. Established track record of successfully managing and executing multiple projects under tight deadlines to achieve successful results.

• Team Management
• Financial Analysis and Reporting
• Client Education
• Financial Statement Analysis

Bachelors of Education State University

Master of Business Administration University of Northampton

Work Experience

Financial Accountant Andrew Industries Limited

• Manage and oversee the daily operations of the accounting department.
• Hire, train, and mentor new employees.
• Meet accounting financial objectives by forecasting requirements, preparing an annual budget, scheduling expenditures, analyzing variances and initiating corrective actions.
• Educate department heads regarding important accounting processes.
• Analyze and interpret financial information that corporate executives need in order to make sound business decisions.
• Communicate with other departments by researching and interpreting accounting policy.
• Recommendations courses of action in plain language.
• Monitor and analyze accounting data.
• Produce financial statements and reports.
• Confirm financial status by monitoring revenue and expenses.
• Preparing special reports for Banks, creditors and for investors.
• Maintain accounting controls by establishing a chart of accounts, defining accounting policies and procedures.

Senior Accountant Ambition UK

• Prepared individual and consolidated financial statements and other accounting reports as per defined policies and applicable accounting standard.
• Prepared monthly and quarterly management reports with evaluation of divisional performance.
• Developed and implemented in the effective internal control system to enhance the company financial performance.
• Set policies for transferred pricing and critical success factors for divisions & branches and relevant financial key performance indicators to align the division’s goals with the organization.
• Monitored and controlled the costs of activities under different projects. Monitored revenue growth and margin.
• Monitored the liquidity in banks accounts, management of Daily working capital & liquidity planned.
• Letter of Credit, Bank Guarantee, Performance bound & other banking transactions.
• Ensured the maintenance of day to day financial records & transactions as per Group policies and procedures.
• Ensured the arrangement of funds for timely Processing of payroll.
• Ensured the proper recording of inventories and monthly adjusting entries.
• Finalized financial statements, Trail Balance, & formulated various analyses of general ledgers & other documents for submission to external auditors.
• Participated in various internal audit reviews in the Group as directed by Group Chief Financial officer.

Community Success Manager & CV Writing Expert

Ben is a writer, customer success manager and CV writing expert with over 5 years of experience helping job-seekers create their best careers. He believes in the importance of a great resume summary and the power of coffee.

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Here’s How to Get Your Resume Ready for a Career Change

Want to change careers? You’re definitely not alone. That’s why we’ve partnered with Squarespace to create this special four-part series on how to navigate the transition, complete with worksheets to guide you every step of the way. Read on for Part 1, then check out Parts  2 , 3 , and 4 .

Whether you’re working from home or have been furloughed or laid off because of the pandemic, chances are good you’ve spent some time lately thinking about your career—and realizing that you may be ready for something new . Maybe you want a job that gives you more flexibility or you’re eager to work remotely from now on. Or perhaps you’ve realized you want to turn something that was a side hustle or a hobby a few months ago into a full-time career.

Whatever your motivation, if you’re considering a career change, you’ll need to tweak your professional materials to reflect your new path. Here are some strategies to get you started.

Create a Resume Website

Your resume is likely only one page long —or up to two, if you have a lot of experience. Online, however, there’s really no limit to what you can include. A resume website gives you a chance to expand on your experience and qualifications and can help set you apart from other candidates. A few things to consider when designing one of your own:

Start With a Template

You’ll want your resume website to look clean and professional. Squarespace makes it easy by letting you search by template type , including “personal and CV” and “portfolio,” for example.

Write About What You Want to Do

Don’t just use your website to discuss your past work experience. Rather, use it to talk about where you want to go in the future. Create an “About” page or put this information front and center on the landing page.

Make a Page for Each Part of Your Resume

The beautiful thing about a website is that you have the space to expand on different elements of your work and personal history. Take advantage and add details that may be missing from your paper resume due to space constraints—especially anything that shows why you’re qualified to make the career change.

Highlight Transferable Skills

One of the hardest parts about making a career switch is showing a recruiter or hiring manager why you’re right for the job—especially if you have little to no actual work experience within the field. That’s where transferable skills come in. These are typically soft skills such as written communication, project management, and the like that you can adapt to the position you’re applying for—versus a hard skill like being an expert in a particular type of software.

Not quite sure which skills to focus on? Do some research by checking online postings for the type of jobs you’re targeting. “Job descriptions should tell you exactly what the employers are looking for, and that’ll give you a good idea of what you need to have,” says Charlette Beasley, a workplace and careers analyst at  FitSmallBusiness . Then, consider your own skill set and how you might rewrite your experience (on both your resume website and your regular resume) to match the requirements.

That said, hard skills count, too. If you notice that many employers are looking for a particular skill that you don’t have, bridge the gap by taking classes or getting a certification that you can then add to your resume. For example, if you’re applying for jobs as a social media manager and all the companies you’re interested in require you to have experience with Hootsuite, you could take a Hootsuite certification course and add that credential to your resume.

Pick the Right Format

When updating your regular resume, the first step is deciding which format to use. As a career changer who might be lacking all of the right work experience and/or skills, the traditional reverse chronological approach isn’t necessarily the only way to go.

You could use a functional resume , also known as a skills-based resume. Instead of having a section for each job, you would create sections for areas of expertise, with bullet points explaining how you have used them in previous roles. However, many recruiters and hiring managers don’t recommend them because they tend to bury important information. “Employers want to see how much experience a candidate has in each role and how long they have stayed in each of their jobs,” says Nancy Spivey, a career strategist at ReadySetResumes.com .

A better option for career changers is a combination, or hybrid, resume , which blends the traditional and functional formats. It has a shorter section focused on skills at the top, with a detailed section covering work experience right below it. “They still show the work history, but also focus on what skills you bring to the table,” Spivey says.

Write a Resume Summary

Regardless of which resume format you choose, consider including a summary statement at the top of your resume. This sounds just like what it is: a short paragraph or set of bullets that summarizes your experience and skill set. For career changers, it can be a powerful tool for explaining to a hiring manager or recruiter why you are qualified for your desired role or industry. 

Think of your summary statement as your elevator pitch. Who are you, what’s brought you to this point, and what skills and strengths would you bring to your new role? For more inspiration, check out these examples .

Add Important Keywords

When researching your desired role, pay attention to the exact language used in job postings. Many of the requirements will also be keywords that applicant tracking systems use to screen resumes. The more you can pepper your own resume with those keywords, the greater chance it will get into the hands of a recruiter or hiring manager.

This is where some of those classes or certifications will come in handy—because if a job description calls for someone with specific technical skills or credentials or proficiency in certain tools or programs, you’ll be able to include those exact words in your resume.

One caveat: Don’t add keywords or experience that you don’t actually have; that will come back to haunt you in the interview.

Not sure what keywords should go in your resume, or what transferable skills you have? Our handy worksheet will help you identify them! Download the worksheet here.

Align All of Your Content

With so many different ways to present yourself, it’s important to be consistent across platforms. “Make sure the message and type of work you’re looking for is mirrored across your resume, website, and LinkedIn so you’re not telling a conflicting story,” says Debra Boggs, a career coach with D&S Professional Coaching .

That means the About section on your website should match your LinkedIn and resume summary statement, and the same keywords should appear in all three places.

Making a career leap can be daunting, but it’s not impossible—as long as your resume and resume website have been created with a pivot in mind. Highlight transferable skills, additional training, and the right keywords, and you’ll be on your way to successfully making a switch.

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Resume Writing Tips for Changing Careers

Madeleine Burry writes about careers and job searching for The Balance. She covers topics around career changes, job searching, and returning from maternity leave, and has been writing for The Balance since 2014.

Identify Your Transferable Skills

Write a resume objective.

• Determine Which Format Works

Add a Skills Section

Leave out unnecessary information, watch for jargon, sample career change resume.

Maritsa Patrinos / The Balance

Changing careers means that you'll need a fresh, revamped resume to accompany your job search in a new field. While creating a resume isn't the easiest task, take heart in knowing that much of your experience, even if it's in a completely different industry, will still be relevant.

That's because so many skills, especially soft ones , are transferable . If you're shifting from a production manager role at a publishing company to event planning in the wedding industry, for instance, your organizational skills, leadership abilities, and strong Excel and budgeting background are all going to be applicable.

In your career change resume, you have to tell the story of your transferable skills to a hiring manager, explaining how qualifications from your previous career are still applicable and relevant. Whether it's because of a shift in the industry or a shift in your interests, there are lots of reasons to make a mid-career transition . Here's how to get started developing your new resume.

Start by getting to know your new industry. Read job descriptions and industry news to gain a sense of the skills that employers require. Print out your current resume with your job history to date, and write a list of all the skills you've gained and used throughout your career. Some of these may be listed on your resume directly, but others may not. Then, list out the skills commonly required in your new industry and look for matches.

Think creatively: Say you're moving from sales to teaching. What are the things these roles have in common? Well, both jobs require the ability to hold the attention of the room, give a strong presentation, and convey potentially complex knowledge using language that is easy to understand and remember.

And don't forget that you can include non-professional experience on your resume, too. Are you on your condo's board? Do you organize bake sales for the Parent-Teacher Association? Volunteer work , and potentially even hobbies (your Etsy store, your weekly style post on Instagram), can all be mined for evidence of your skills and experience.

Just be careful not to overreach: A following of 300 people on Twitter does not make you a social media expert. But, it is reasonable to say that you have social media knowledge, have built a Twitter following, and engaged with industry thought leaders.

Use your resume objective , which appears on the top of your resume, to highlight what type of job you're seeking. The objective, just like the rest of your resume, is all about you. But the true purpose of the objective is to sell hiring managers on your candidacy. (That's also true for the whole document!)

In your objective, connect the dots for hiring managers. You can use this space to make it clear how your former career has provided you with the skills you need in your new field, and for this job in particular.

Determine Which Resume Format Works Best for You

A chronological resume , which lists experience from most recent to eldest, may be the most commonly used resume format, but that doesn't mean it's the only option out there. A functional resume is often the best choice for someone switching careers since it puts the focus squarely on your skills and experience (rather than where you worked, and when). This type of resume helps highlights the most relevant parts of your work.

If you are transitioning from sales to teaching, to continue our example from above, a functional resume allows you to showcase your relevant presentation abilities, instead of listing out sales jobs, which wouldn't feel meaningful to a school district. A combination resume , which mixes the functional format with the chronological one, is also a good option if you're shifting careers.

When hiring managers scan through your resume, they might not see familiar job titles or responsibilities from their industry. So whichever resume format you choose, use the skills section to highlight that you have the soft and hard skills required for the job that you're applying for.

Your resume does not have to exhaustively list every position held, a task completed, and programs used. Think of your resume as a greatest hits album: Include only the highlights that will help your resume seem relevant to hiring managers in your new field. This can be particularly important if you're switching job levels, as well as shifting careers.

New career industry, new jargon! When you work in a field for a while, jargon becomes second nature. If you're in publishing, the CMS is the Chicago Manual of Style; if you work online, it's your Content Management System; and if you're in healthcare, it's the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The point is that while jargon can help you seem like an insider in your original field, it can confuse and alienate the hiring manager in your new field. Explain job titles, programs, and job-related tasks and achievements in clear language that anyone can understand. Better yet, translate those skills and responsibilities into your new field's insider-language and shorthand.

This is an example of a resume for when changing a career. Download the career change resume template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online) or see below for more examples.

Sample Career Change Resume (Text Version)

Jason Jobber 180 Cooper’s Landing Virginia Beach, VA 23540 555-555-5555 jjobber@email.com

Skills Summary

Charismatic and engaging marketing professional leveraging superb “real world” knowledge of global markets to excel as an Adjunct Instructor of Marketing. 

Superb communications and presentation talents, underscored by 10 years’ experience in technology sales team training, marketing management, market data analysis, marketing strategy, operations management, financial management, and strategic management.  

• Successfully directed global marketing operations for a fledgling technology company, driving an 85% surge in international sales growth within one year of hiring.
• As Market Analyst, guided international technology corporation to penetrate untapped markets in China and western Europe.

SALES TRAINING:

• Developed highly effective online sales training modules adopted across corporation sales offices.
• Trained more than 100 sales managers in technology sales strategies across the U.S. and in Canada and western Europe.

COMMUNICATIONS AND PRESENTATION:

• Dynamic communications skills and interpersonal strengths, easily motivating success through multimedia presentations, discussions, and one-on-one advising.
• Frequent contributor to trade publications including Tech Marketing Today and Global Marketing News.

TECHNICAL PROFICIENCIES:

• Microsoft Office Suite, Google Analytics, Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Adobe Marketing Cloud

Work History

Global Marketing Manager, ABC TECHNOLOGIES, INC, Arlington, VA, 2010-Present

Market Research Analyst, XYZ SOFTWARE CORPORATION, Washington, DC, 2008-2010

Sales Manager, GLOBAL IT SOLUTIONS, Newport News, VA, 2004-2008

Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing; 3.9 GPA UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, Charlottesville, VA

Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing; 3.78 GPA THE COLLEGE OF WILLIAM & MARY COLLEGE, Williamsburg, VA

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How to Write a Resume If You’re Changing Careers in 2024 (+Example)

• Kaja Jurcisinova , 
• Updated January 16, 2024 6 min read

Changing careers is both scary and exciting. While you're happy about starting a new adventure, you may also wonder where to begin. Well, updating and tailoring your resume is always the best start for a career change. 

At first, the prospect of starting from scratch all over again may seem daunting. But remember that you're not alone in this. People change careers all the time for all kinds of reasons, and they do so successfully. 

What's more, you won't really have to start from scratch, will you? After all, now you have all the skills you've acquired during your career up until now. You just need to be able to demonstrate that you can also make use of them in your new professional path. 

So if you're among those who are brave enough for a career change , we've got tips and advice for how to write about your skills and abilities in your resume so you can land a job in a new field.

Table of Contents

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Are you ready for a career change? 

1. choose the right resume format, 2. open strong with a resume objective, 3. emphasize transferable skills, 4. make your past work experience relevant, key takeaways: career change resume.

First of all, are you really sure that you're ready for a career change? Or are you just temporarily fed up and rather than a new professional calling, you need a nice long vacation (or a sabbatical )? 

There are some “signs” that can help you determine it.

Take a look at these four common reasons why people decide to make a career change :

• Low career satisfaction. There's nothing really wrong with your workplace, but you just know that the job you do now isn't your calling. 
• Low salary. Half of the respondents would be willing to change a job if they were offered a higher salary, according to a FlexJobs survey . And you may be among them. After all, a good salary can easily make you feel satisfied in a position that you otherwise wouldn't consider staying in long-term.  
• Bad work-life balance. Do you have enough time for family, friends, and hobbies? Or do you have to work constant overtime and long weekends? We should work to live and not the other way around, right? 
• Bad workplace relationships. There's a difference between not being friends with your colleagues, and dreading coming to the office every morning because of that one mean colleague, or a rude boss.

Are any of these reasons on your list as well? If yes, it truly may be the right time to move on. 

Here's how to do that:

Introduce yourself with a BANG!

Create a new resume for your new career right now.

Once you've truly made up your mind about changing careers, it's time to take concrete steps. 

In this case, you should start by tailoring your existing resume to the needs of your newly chosen career path.

Most likely, you'll have to re-arrange your resume sections in such a manner that you'll be able to make your transferable skills shine through and push less important information towards the same end of the document.

What will help you do this is choosing the most appropriate resume format . 

Generally, there are three common resume formats: 

• Chronological resume format. This is the standard type of the resume. The work history is the primary section of this resume format. Simply list your current/most recent job first and then continue in reverse-chronological order.
• Functional resume format. This format lets you put more emphasis on your skills and most important accomplishments. The reverse-chronological list of your work experience is seen as less important. Place it at the bottom of your resume and describe it in less detail.
• Combination resume format. The combination of the previous two types. You still want to place your work experience below skills and accomplishments, but you describe it in bigger detail (as you would in the chronological resume).

At the end of the day, the functional (or the combination) format is the best choice for your resume if you're switching careers.  

These two resume formats will let you highlight the skills you've developed over years of hard work, while putting less emphasis on the fact that they have been gained in a different industry. 

After you've successfully chosen the right resume format, let's see what else you can do to impress the recruiter at your new workplace. 

HR managers are busy people. They don't have much time to go through each resume in detail, as they receive dozens or hundreds of them. 

What's more, many of these resumes may come from people who, unlike you, have plenty of industry-related experience.

Because of that, you want to catch the hiring manager's attention from the get-go. This will allow you to take control of how they interpret your lack of experience .

Do so by putting a well-written resume objective at the very beginning of your resume .

However, your resume objective should do much more than just make the recruiter pay attention to the rest of your resume. 

A good resume objective can also help you to:

Explain your lack of experience in the industry

Address the elephant in the room before they even notice it's there. As a career changer, you need to take control of your story as soon as possible. Otherwise, they might see you simply as someone who lacks the necessary skills — and you know there's more to you than meets the eye. After all, you've gained success in your previous career. There's no reason why you should be less successful in the new one.

Communicate your motivations 

Why would anyone want to change careers? In the end, employers are going to ask you about your motivations at some point. The sooner you explain your "why", the better. Just like everybody else, hiring managers are more inclined to trust those candidates whose motivations they can understand and relate to. However, never say anything negative about your past employers . Rather articulate your reasons in a way that emphasizes future growth and opportunities.

Emphasize your transferable skills

You need to look for intersections between your old and new career. Take a look at the job advertisement and emphasize any points where the two overlap. Even if you're transitioning into a completely unrelated field, you should be able to fall back upon your soft skills like leadership, communication, or even your language skills.

Show that you've already embarked on a new career

Chances are you've already come in contact with the field you want to transition into. Ideally, you've even acquired several related hard skills. Emphasize them in your resume objective to show you're serious about pursuing your new career.

How does this advice translate to reality? Take a look at this resume sample below: 

Career Change Resume Example

This resume was written by our experienced resume writers specifically for this profession.

Now, let's take a closer look at the resume objective and see if it follows the guidelines we've just outlined:

Career Change Resume Objective Example

Certified Human Resources Associate aiming to leverage an extensive background in experience in digital marketing to develop a career in human resources.

Knowledge of multiple HR software programs, such as Bamboo HR and Zenefits.

Results-oriented and self-driven professional with exceptional communication and leadership skills, and the ability to adapt quickly to change.

Looking for a human resources-related job within a company that offers flexibility and opportunity to grow both personally and professionally.

Here's a rundown of the strongest points made in the resume objective above:

Pros: 

• Engracia ' s background in digital marketing and her goal to transition to HR is clearly presented right at the beginning.
• The focus is on relevant hard skills and certifications, such as being a certified human resources associate and proficiency in HR software such as Bamboo HR and Zenefits. 
• The last two points highlight the soft skills and personal motivation for a career switch. Both of these bullet points are extremely important when trying to move into a different field, so if applicable, you should include them in your resume objective as well. 

Cons:  

• The resume objective may be a little too long. If the text was divided using bullet points, it would have been easier to read. 
• Placing the “Skills” section right after the resume objective instead of “Work experience” may have worked better for a career change resume.

This brings us to the next point.

As you probably know, there are two types of skills : hard skills and soft skills. 

• Hard skills can be: computer skills, writing skills, management skills, technical skills.
• Soft skills can be: leadership, time management, listening, problem-solving.

In your previous career, you probably gained (or perfected) skills from both categories. But unlike hard skills, most soft skills are easily transferable. 

This will come in handy once you're changing careers, as most of your earned hard skills may no longer be relevant. 

However, there's no need to worry. Despite the name, hard skills are usually easier to learn than soft skills. 

Also, 67 percent of HR managers said they'd hire a candidate with strong soft skills even if their technical abilities were lacking.

Career Coach Advice

“When re-positioning your work history for a role in a different industry, focus on describing how you used your soft skills and the results you achieved by applying them. Your soft skills will be the most transferable, and often transcend niche industry specific experience, making you attractive to hiring managers in other industries.”

Naomi Rothwell-Boyd, Accredited Career Coach and Founder of  Tribe and Seek

How should you include the transferable skills on your resume?

1. First, take a look at the job advertisement . Have you acquired any of the listed hard skills in your previous career? If your answer is yes, bingo! Make sure you include them in your resume.

2. Second, think of any soft skills that could be useful in your new career. Even in more technical jobs, dealing with people is a necessity. Because of that, leadership, negotiation, and communication skills are in high demand in every industry. If you have them, they for sure belong on your career change resume. 

3. Third, avoid buzzwords at any cost . Everybody is flexible. Everybody is hard-working . Today, it's hard to find a single person who's not an out-of-the-box thinker . Unless these words were used in the job advertisement you're responding to, don't use them. Rather focus on skills that are listed in the job ad or skills that are highly relevant for the specific job position.

3. Finally, complement your “ Skills ” section with a strong work experience section . Anyone can say they have leadership skills. But if you tell them about how you've already led a team in your previous job, they'll have one more reason to take you seriously.

Here's an example of a career change skills section:

Career Change Skills Section Example

Languages: Spanish, English, French

Computer skills: ActiveCampaign, Moz, Hubspot Marketing, BambooHR, Zenefits

Interpersonal skills: adaptability, communication skills, change management, leadership skills, negotiation skills, project management, team work, time management

So — what did Engracia do right here? 

First, she divided her many skills into various sub-sections. This always increases readability and can help you to draw attention to more important information that you want to highlight. 

Second, the hard skills that she has included are relevant to the HR field. Therefore, she's demonstrating that although she's never worked in the field before, she already possesses the abilities necessary for succeeding in it. 

Don't disregard your past accomplishments just because you've decided to transition into a different field. 

Your past work experience can say a lot about who you are and your work ethic. 

Let's take a look at the career change resume example from before and see how Engracia included her work experience:

Career Change Work Experience Example

Online Marketing Specialist 09/2017 – 11/2019 APPR Group, Inc., Barcelona, Spain

– Recruited, trained, and coordinated 5 summer marketing interns and maintained relevant documents and files. – Co-managed the annual digital marketing budget and completed detailed reports on the performance of existing online promotional campaigns. – Awarded employee of the month for completing all assigned tasks and projects ahead of schedule. Special recognition for team work and leadership abilities.

As you already know, Engracia sought to transition from digital marketing to HR. 

Because of that, she first mentioned how she recruited and onboarded summer interns in her previous position. This way, they demonstrated that they already know how to employ the skills necessary for the job they sought to transition into.

Additionally, Engracia was well-aware that HR involves plenty of administrative work. So, she didn't forget to mention that in her past position, she "maintained relevant documents and files" and "completed detailed reports" .

All that remained was to convince potential employers that she's dependable and has a way with people. She did that by including the fact that she was awarded an employee of the month for timeliness and teamwork. 

Pro tip: Ultimately, you want to make use of your past experience to show that you’re already familiar with some aspects of the new industry and that you’re a reliable and proactive employee who’s eager to learn. 

Now that we've covered the basics, let's see the final things that you can do to ensure that your career change resume will land you an interview: 

• It's a good idea to do some work related to your new career before actually transitioning into it. Attend related courses, take a part-time job, or try job shadowing and volunteering in the desired field. Then include it in your resume. 
• A good place to start are these 30+ best online courses to get a job which include courses provided for free by institutions like MIT, Harvard University or top companies like IBM (e.g. AI Chatbots without Programming course by IBM ).
• Tailor each resume to a specific job opening. Sending a generic resume rarely leads to success. 
• Double-check, proofread , and avoid typos. 
• Use bold text. Highlight any essential and the most impressive parts of your resume information that needs to get noticed by the recruiter. 
• Be critical when deciding what's relevant. You don't have to include everything that you've ever done. Focus on the most relevant things and the biggest achievement of your past career. 

And that's it! If you'd like more general tips on how to write a resume, refer to our complete guide . 

Not a fan of writing?

Kickresume’s AI writer tool will write the first draft of your resume for you.

So, for a quick recap let's look at how to write a resume if you’re changing careers.

The functional resume format is the best choice for your resume if you're switching careers. It places your skills to the forefront and will, thus, let you highlight the skills you've developed over years of hard work, while putting less emphasis on the fact that they have been gained in a different industry. 

A well-written resume objective can help you 1.) explain your lack of experience in the industry, 2.) communicate your motivations, 3.) emphasise your transferable skills, and 4.) show that you've already embarked on a new career.

In your previous job, you probably gained both hard and soft skills. Lucky for you, unlike hard skills, most soft skills are easily transferable. This will come in handy once you're changing careers, as most of your earned hard skills may no longer be relevant. Hard skills are, however, easier to learn.

Highlight specific achievements, tasks, or experiences that demonstrate how your previous roles have prepared you for success in your new field. Connect the dots between your past and future roles to showcase your adaptability and the value you bring to the table in your career transition.

This article was recently updated. The original article was written by Martin Poduska in 2019.

Kaja Jurcisinova is a junior copywriter at Kickresume. Kaja completed her undergraduate degree in Art History at the University of St Andrews in 2018 and graduated with a Master’s in Arts and Culture from the University of Groningen in 2021. She was an intern at multiple cultural institutions across Europe, including the Dutch Museum Association in Amsterdam, the Matter of Art Biennale in Prague, and the European Cultural Centre in Venice. At the moment, she resides in Visby on the Swedish island of Gotland.

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