Seeking the perfect job for you can become one of the most challenging tasks if you don’t have an effective Curriculum Vitae or a resume. More than just a sheet of paper, a CV is a document presenting the academics, working experience, accomplishments and any other personal details that are crucial for any employer to know to hire any candidate as their employee. In case, you are planning to change your field of work and moving on to a different role altogether, the first thing to do is update your resume. The following article discusses about how you can give your resume a face lift and land interviews.
Make Changes According to the Requirement
Since there is no set way to format a CV, you can always be flexible and alter the layout. Let the job description pinpoint what must remain most prominent in your resume. Carefully go through what the company wants and pen down your words accordingly. It is suggested that you use words related to the profile, rather than writing down the talent you want to showcase.
Also, avoid using industry-specific jargon that may not be understood in another industry. It is best to write explanatory sentences following field-specific terminology.
The Modification
While modifying your CV for change in career, it is important to tone down the direct revelation declaring absence of direct experience. It may be a challenge to make your application convincing, but you can always highlight the common skills and abilities required for both your past and potential profile. This way you will be hinting that you have what is required for the given role.
You should aim at creating a skills-based resume. A functional CV stating your soft skills and other abilities in detail will help you get noticed. The skills should then be followed by only a brief experience section. Such a layout will allow the reader to focus on your transferable skills and delay the surprise element of your work history. If you do not wish to forgo the standard layout of information in chronological order, you could opt for a hybrid CV that entails a detailed profile with skills section, and employment data in a chronological sequence.
Be Employer Focused
In this section you should briefly discuss your skills and how you plan to use them. By doing this your resume will be more employer focused, as they look for what you can do for them. This might be more beneficial than having a self-focused CV, by just listing what you intend to do.
Many employers prefer to have employees that are focused on their goals and motivated to achieving them. A well-presented objective can be just the high-impact tool that can get a hiring manager’s attention from the start.
It helps if you see your career history through the eyes of your potential employers. Work hard to avoid giving an impression that you wish to hop jobs without having any clear direction. Your resume should be able to reflect how your career path has been consistent and that there has been a natural progression of your interests and talents that led you to making the next move.
The CV must establish the fact that you have acquired the knowledge and potential over the years. For instance, if you wish to assume a marketing role in the future, highlight any elements or activities from your previous role that reflected your marketing skills. If this can happen, then half the battle is won!
You can then confidently sell your strengths by showcasing voluntary, temporary, part-time work or community service to support your candidature. Make sure you add any sort of qualification or achievement related to the desired profile. However, only give out information that will bring you closer to your new goals, otherwise the recruiter will get confused.
Tips for Writing an Effective Resume:
- You should make more than one CV
- Choosing an appropriate format.
- You should make a Brief Bullet Point Summary.
- Qualify and quantify your experience.
- You should concentrate on the relevant and most recent job information.
- You should place your certifications, key credentials and educational experience sections in an obvious place.
- You should also list associations, organizations and affiliations of which you are a member or a volunteer.
Finally…
There is nothing wrong in changing your career and it certainly does not imply that it is a disadvantage. You simply need to demonstrate how your employment history, even though unrelated to the job you wish to pursue, is relevant enough. Always apply for those jobs that are of your interest and seem to be just at your level. That’s how you grow.
Trust the process.
Author Bio:
A writer by profession, Kunal Chhibber is currently focusing his writing on the extensive domain of job search, resume writing, cover letter and many more. She has written various articles, news stories and blog posts for the employment sector. The above article is a compilation of latest facts and discusses about social media.
