Switching careers is never easy. When you have years of experience in a certain industry and want to make a switch, just think about how much more competition you’ll have. However, sometimes a career switch is necessary from a personal and professional perspective. Writing an effective resume can help ease the transition, but there are several other tips to help you handle a career switch effectively.
Enhance Your Education
Depending on what career you are switching to, you may benefit from taking educational courses. Not only will this give you a deeper knowledge of your new career, but any executive resume service will tell you it will make your resume stand out more. Combining relevant education with your professional experience in your previous career could end up being more valuable than you initially think.
Charge Up Your Networking Efforts
You should have been networking in your previous career already. No matter how much you’ve networked in the past, a career switch is the perfect opportunity to put it into overdrive. Networking can help you improve your c-level personal branding to get you in the career you desire. Recruiters want to meet people with a variety of skills today. Even if you may not be experienced in a particular industry, you may have a skill they are looking for and not even know it until you network with them!
Consider How Current Skills Apply to a New Career
You may not believe your current skills transition into your potential new career, but you could be surprised. An executive resume service can help you highlight these skills on your resume so they will stand out. The key to writing an effective resume is showcasing skills that transition well to other industries. Recruiters look for those types of hard skills and soft skills, so be sure to incorporate them as much as possible.
Be Persistent, But Not Too Persistent
Never give up on your career switch efforts. Companies may not be hiring at the time you connect with them, but it doesn’t mean they will never be hiring. Check in with them frequently enough so they remember your name, but not so frequently where your name annoys them.
At Professional Resume Services, we help executives switch careers every day. Whether it’s writing an effective resume, providing tips on improving c-level personal branding or learning how to effectively network, we are here for you every step of the way. Feel free to contact us if you need advice of any kind regarding your career switch.
By Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, BS/HR, a Certified Professional & Executive Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, Inc. She has achieved international recognition following nominations and wins of the prestigious T.O.R.I. (Toast of the Resume Industry) Award. Find Erin at http://exclusive-executive-resumes.com.