Source https://www.

cv-
library.co.uk/career-advice/cv/cv-
templates/career-change-cv/
CV template: Career change
https://www.cv-library.co.uk/career-advice/cv/cv-templates/career-change-cv/

This template will help you structure your CV so that it showcases your
professional experience in the most impressive way. However, we urge you to
treat this as a template, not a script.

If you need a helping hand with how to write a CV for a career change, check
out our comprehensive guide, or read on for some more insights.

Adapt your personal profile

Since the average recruiter spends 10 seconds reviewing a CV, you need to
impress from the off.  You can do this by tailoring your personal profile to the
job.

When creating your personal profile, you need to disclose who you are and what
you do, what you can offer the company and your career goals. Since you’re
changing careers, you might want to draw upon the soft skills in your repertoire
as they are translatable across every industry and role.

If you’ve gained any exposure to your new desired field, through voluntary work
or courses for example, you should mention this too as it will instantly show the
recruiter that you’re a match.

Be selective with your roles

Your CV is your self-marketing document and should be designed to showcase
your most relevant skills to prospective employers. As a result, you can pick and
choose which jobs you’d like to include on your CV and how much detail to go
into.

As you’re writing a CV for a career change, you can be selective with the first job
listed in your employment history to ensure you show your most relevant
experience first. For example, if your most recent role is irrelevant to your new
sector, feel free to list a more relevant voluntary role or placement first. After all,
first impressions count.

Writing a CV for a career change

Writing your CV is always a mammoth task, but when you’re attempting to make a
career change and enter a new industry, it can be even more challenging than usual.
The biggest issue you face is that you lack the all-important relevant experience that
your target employers are looking for; this will obviously be your biggest hurdle in
landing the interviews you need.

You will also find that you get plenty of calls from recruiters who are eager to
tempt you back into a role in your current profession. Despite these setbacks, it’s
still possible to secure a position in a new field; you just need to adapt your CV
according and be prepared to put in plenty of hard work.
Learn your new industry
Before embarking on a new career, you should endeavour to learn as much
about your new chosen field as possible – not just for the writing of your CV, but
also to ensure you’re making a good, well-informed choice, as opposed to
jumping ship on a whim.

Use as many sources as you can to research your new target roles, such as job
websites, career sites, industry publications and even speaking to people who
already work in the field if possible. You need to know exactly what the work
entails, which skills and qualifications are important, and what the future career
prospects could hold for you.

Remember to investigate the negative aspects of the job to understand the

challenges you may face, rather than just focusing on the positives.

Once you have gathered plenty of information on your new sector, you will have
a much better understanding of the talents that you will need to demonstrate in
your CV to land job interviews.

Career change CV template

Gain some relevant skills and knowledge
No matter how well-written your CV is, you will struggle to attract recruiters if
you have none of the qualities they are looking for. As you probably lack relevant
work experience, you will need to gain some relevant skills and knowledge by
other means to boost your CV’s appeal.

Qualifications are always a great place to start. If you can gain some relevant
certifications or at least start working towards them, then this will show that you
are dedicated to your career change and arm you with some sought-after
vocational knowledge.

Voluntary work is another excellent way to gain some relevant skills and content
for your CV. Nobody likes to work for free, but just a few weeks of voluntary
work within your chosen field will make a huge difference to your new CV.

Personal projects can also make a solid addition to your CV if they bear any
relevance to the roles you are applying for. For example, somebody looking to
move into an IT role may build websites in their spare time; this could potentially
be a strong signal to employers.

Adapt your CV profile

With recruiters taking an average of just 10 seconds on the initial scan of your
CV, it’s important that you make a big impact from the moment it’s opened.
Therefore, it pays off to head up your CV with a punchy profile to grab recruiter’s
attention and show them that you are a good match for their vacancy.

As a career-change candidate, you should take the focus away from your
irrelevant work experience and emphasize your transferable skills and any
exposure you have gained in your new desired field, such as courses and
voluntary work. Also, make it abundantly clear that you’re looking to make a
career change and give some reasons why you will perform well in your new
profession.

Be selective with your first role

As a general rule of CV writing, you would usually start your work history with
your most recent role at the top, to show employers your current capabilities.
This obviously works well when you’re applying for a job in your current industry,
but can often hinder the success of a career-change CV because the role usually
won’t be relevant at all.

When writing your CV for a career change, you can be a little creative and decide
which experience you want to show readers first. For example, you may have
enrolled on a suitable course, or taken on some voluntary work in your chosen
sector – in which case you would be better off including these experiences as
your first role.

This will make your CV appear instantly more suited to the roles you are
applying for and ensure you make a good first impression on recruiters.

Cut down irrelevant info

You may have lots of very impressive experience in your current line of work, but
sadly much of it will not be relevant to employers in your new field. You need to
make space for you newly acquired talents by cutting down on industry-specific
jargon from your current profession.

Include transferable skills that will be helpful in your next role and be sure to
give examples of commonly required workplace skills such as communication,
teamwork and achieving goals.

While you may think these are all you need to market yourself effectively, you
should probably add an introductory profile too. This will give your CV the extra
oomph it needs to secure that job in 2021.
What is a personal profile?
A personal profile, otherwise known as a personal statement, CV profile or
perhaps even a career aim, is essentially the blurb of your career portfolio.

This small paragraph sits at the top of your CV. It concisely and effectively
displays who you are, your skills and strengths relevant to the sector or job role
and your career goals.

Sounds like quite a mouthful, but personal statements are no problem to write,
we promise. They’re actually really similar to cover letters. Except, you’ll be
selling your best points to a potential employer in about four sentences, rather
than an A4 page.

So, if you’ve spent all this time jazzing up your CV to hook, line and sinker that
recruiter in your New Year job search, adding a personal profile ensures they
grab the bait.

Not sure what a personal profile looks like? Check out these  five winning examples.
Is a personal profile necessary in 2021?
Personal profiles are widely debated across the industry. Some experts claim
you need one to sell your skills and others suggest they’re a waste of valuable
space.

The short answer is you don’t need  to have a personal statement. However,

recruiters have to sift through several application to find potential applicants.
This means its vital that your CV is able to stand out right from the start.

There are some genuine reasons why you might not choose to have a personal
statement. But, it shouldn’t be that you can’t be bothered to write one! It actually
depends on your job search status. If you’re applying for a specific job role and
attaching a cover letter to your CV, you may actively choose not to have a
personal statement.

As we’ve already mentioned, your cover letter is going to do a lot of the talking
for you. So, you may feel it’s best not to have another summary. Saying that, the
whole point of a CV is to market yourself. Therefore, if you can include another
piece of advertising, then why not?

If you’re a graduate, then it might be best to leave the professional side of the
personal statement at bay. Only until you’ve gained some more work
experience. Simply highlight the fact you’ve got a degree and outline the career
path you’d like to follow.

While it’s not a bad thing to share your ambitions with recruiters, you’ll probably
find the word count could be better spent discussing your final year project in
more depth. Just when you thought you’d never have to talk about your final
year dissertation again!

If, however, you’ve chalked up strengths and experiences during your time at
university that anchor you to the job you’re applying for, you should highlight
these in your personal statement, and make it clear to the recruiter that you will
excel in this job role.

Personal profiles are also particularly handy if you’re trying to enter a

competitive sector such as PR, advertising, film, music and publishing. As you
can imagine, recruiters from these fields deal with hundreds of CVs on a regular
basis. So, they’ll simply flick past your CV unless they spot that competitive edge.

Personal profiles are the perfect way for you to grab their attention and
persuade recruiters to continue reading your CV because you’re telling them
from the off exactly why they should hire you. Of course, you’ll need to know
how to write an effective statement first, but we’ll get on to that in a bit.

You should also consider writing a personal statement if you’re uploading your

CV to a job board like CV-Library. This gives you the chance to highlight your
career goals and give your CV more context.

While this is valuable information for recruiters, it’s just as important for you to
get it right. Your personal statement will enable recruiters to match you with the
right job and ensure that the role is fulfilling.

If you’re not entirely sure what job you want, or if there are a few sectors you
reckon you could enter with your particular skill set, then it’s probably best not
to include a personal statement.

If your opening statement is too broad, you risk giving the impression that you
haven’t done your research properly. Or even that you’re looking for any old job.
This isn’t the best impression to make on a potential employer!

Check out CV templates

How to structure a personal profile

We know writing a personal statement can seem quite daunting. But honestly,
once you’ve started writing it, the rest will come naturally. Here’s a breakdown of
the basics of creating your statement.

The most important thing to remember is that statements are usually around
four sentences in length, and no more than six. Aim for anywhere between 50
and 200 words, and you’re golden.

Like the length, the grammatical person you’re writing in also has some
flexibility. You could choose to write in the third person which can appear more
objective, for example, ‘Project manager seeking… skills include…’ Or you could
write in the first person which tends to be more personal: ‘I am a project
manager seeking… My skills are…’

It honestly doesn’t matter which person you choose, just pick the one you’re
comfortable writing in. As long as you keep it consistent, you can’t go wrong.

Does my personal profile need a title?

The simpler your CV layout, the better. The last thing recruiters want is to trawl
through a bundle of words trying to pick out your good bits like they’re the
orange ones in a packet of revels.
You don’t really need a title for your personal statement. It sits under your name
and contact info and before the first chunk of your job or education history. So
it’s pretty obvious it’s an introduction to you.

Secondly, make the spacing a little bigger and try increasing it to 1.5. As it’s the
first thing a recruiter will read, you want this to be as clear as possible. It’s often
a real decision maker.
What to include in your personal profile
When drafting your personal statement for your dream job in 2020, split it into
three sections: who you are, what you can offer the company, and your career
goals.

TIP: Bullet point things you might mention under each of these sections,
then list the qualities that position you as the ideal person for the job.

Part 1
In the ‘who you are’ section you might state that you’re:
 A recent graduate with a 2:1 degree in Creative Writing from the University of
Surrey seeking an entry-level position in…
 A highly-skilled mechanical engineer looking to resume a position in…
 An ambitious purchasing manager looking to progress into…
Part 2
In the ‘what you can offer the company’ part, you’re selling your absolute top
skills and strengths. You should also back them up with evidence. If you’re
tweaking your CV for a particular job, use the job spec to create your statement.
For example, if the employer is looking for someone with attention to detail and
you’ve got experience meticulously proofing essays or presentations etc., then
say so.

If you’re crafting a more general personal statement, be sure you include key
achievements that make you stand out. For example, if you’re looking for a
position within graphic design and you’ve got extensive Photoshop experience
working on a major campaign, not only can you claim you have these skills in
your personal statement, but you can back them up too – perfect!

The important thing to remember here is not to litter your personal statement
with a trail of buzzwords. You might well be an ‘extremely driven strategic
thinker with excellent communication skills and extensive experience in
marketing’, but all you’ve really done here is told the recruiter that you’ve
worked in marketing with no proof of your other claims.

To top it off, you’ve also revealed this information in an extremely boring way.
Recruiters will have heard a million times before; when it comes to selling
yourself, you don’t want to write something as bland and soggy as overcooked
rice; you want to lovingly craft a seafood paella.

Try to highlight real, relevant skills and back them up with evidence to make the
statement strong. Try something like this for the middle section:

 During my degree, I have developed an excellent eye for detail, due to the heavy
demands of assignments and research. As a result, I am also able to work under
pressure. Especially when balancing my educational workload with my
volunteering placement at local nursing homes
 Knowledgeable engineer with a wide skill-set, including condition-based
maintenance, through working on automated systems such as…
 Through utilising my communications skills when working in managerial
positions at large corporations, I have developed successful working
relationships and resultantly, an advantageous professional network
Part 3
The final section of the personal statement is to highlight your career goals.
More than anything this shows the recruiter that you’re a professional worth
investing time and money in. Take a look at these examples:
 I am looking for a challenging, fast-paced environment within media to utilise my
written knowledge and develop my creative skill set further
 Looking to re-establish a career in a progressive organisation which requires
engineering expertise, after taking maternity leave to care for a new-born
 I am looking to secure a challenging role in a market-leading automotive
company where I can bring fresh strategic vision and value to the business
Dos and don’ts
Here’s a quick breakdown of the key points to remember when crafting that all-
important statement.
Do
 Get straight to the point – recruiters don’t like to read waffle!
 Provide evidence of your skills and experience, but be brief! Offer just enough to
hook the recruiter
 Remember that you’re marketing yourself
 Make the statement look purposeful – you need show you know what you’re
talking about, without sounding too arrogant
 Reflect the job specification in your statement
  Be real! Recruiters ultimately want to know you as a person and what you can
bring to the table
 Proofread for spelling and grammar
 Read it aloud to make sure it flows properly. Probably best to get someone else
to run an eye over it too
Don’t
 Overuse buzz words – You might want to chuck a few in there. But, a hyperbolic
stream of empty qualities and meaningless words is just off-putting
 Mix the grammatical person – remember either first person or third, not both
 Be boring – you want to sound unique with noteworthy qualities
 Copy from your cover letter or copy your cover letter from your statement –
that’s just lazy
 Ramble!
Complete personal profile examples for 2021
Here are a few final examples of personal statements for you to gloss over.
Hopefully, it’ll spark some inspiration for your own.

‘I am a recent graduate with a 2:1 degree in Creative Writing from the University of
Surrey seeking an entry-level position in copywriting. During my degree, I have
developed an excellent eye for detail due to the heavy demands of assignments and
research. Over the last year, I have also balanced an editing position at Surrey’s
media society. Here, I devised content ideas and managed a small team of writers.
This proves that I have potential to excel within a professional writing field. I am
looking for a challenging, fast-paced environment within media to utilise my creative
knowledge and develop my writing skill-set further.’

***

‘A highly-skilled mechanical engineer looking to resume a position in industrial

construction. Extremely knowledgeable with seven years industry experience.
Possesses a wide skill set, including condition-based maintenance, through working
on automated systems on large-scale building projects. Looking to re-establish a
career in a progressive organisation which requires engineering expertise after a
short career break to take care of a new-born.’

***

‘I am an ambitious purchasing manager looking to progress into a senior purchasing

position within the automotive sector.  Having developed communication skills when
working in managerial positions at large automotive corporations, I’ve nurtured
successful working relationships. As a result, I possess an advantageous professional
network. Due to over 12 years of experience within this industry, I am fully equipped
with commercial awareness and product knowledge. My hopes are to secure a
challenging role in a market-leading automotive company where I can bring fresh
strategic vision and value to the business.’

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Source for below Article

https://www.topcv.com/career-advice/how-to-update-your-outdated-cv

How to write a modern CV in 2021

What do your phone, your laptop and your CV have in common? They all require regular
updates.
If you've been out of the employment game for a while, or if it's been a long time since
you switched roles, chances are your CV out of date. Continuing technological
advancements and shifting priorities have altered the expectations of the CV in the modern
recruitment process.
What impressed once a hiring manager now no longer cuts it. And with high response
rates and applicant tracking systems lurking behind every 'Apply Now' button, it's more
important than ever to send in an updated, modern CV.
It's time to throw the old-school CV rules out the window. If you're having trouble
adhering to the rules of modern CV writing, you may need to seek help from a professional
CV writer. These tips, however, are a place to start your update.

Ditch the objective and replace with a professional summary

Gone are the days of writing a career objective at the top of your CV. Let's face it, the
objective is self-explanatory. You're applying for a role so naturally, your objective is to
obtain that role. It doesn't need to be stated.
With limited room to impress, a modern CV must make the most of this section.
Therefore, remove the career objective and replace it with a concise professional
summary. This should be three to four sentences at most, and it should showcase your
most relevant skills and capabilities tailored to the role you're applying for. Basically, you
want to tell the recruiter why you're the best person for the role.

Take advantage of keywords

A central opponent of the modern CV is the applicant tracking system (ATS), a
technological advancement in the hiring process. Most recruitment agencies and hiring
companies use an ATS to filter applications; the recruiter can have the software search for
specific keywords in CVs and immediately reject candidates deemed 'unqualified' for
(seemingly) not possessing the necessary skills. Sounds like a good thing? Sure, for the
recruiter. But for candidates, it can mean a high percentage of applications often don't even
get read before they are rejected. 
Therefore, it's vital to craft your modern CV with the ATS in mind. An effective way to do
this is to include keywords that the recruiter is likely to search for within your CV. You
will often find these keywords listed in the job description. For example, if a job
advertisement lists project management as an essential requirement, it's likely the recruiter
may look for the keyword 'project management' in CVs.

Utilise your skills section

If you're wondering how to create a modern CV, the section you don't want to miss out on
is your skills section. This is the perfect place to both highlight relevant keywords and
showcase your experience. 
The best way to think of your skills section is like a highlights reel. Pull out all of the most
important skills from your work history ‒ a.k.a. your selling points ‒ and list them in bullet
point format on the first page of your CV, above your work experience. This will ensure
your best skills are among the first things the HR manager will see. Remember to pepper
keywords from the job description within this section to give your CV ATS-appeal.

Remove old education dates

As much as nobody likes to admit it, discrimination in the hiring process can happen more
often than you might think, and it can be based on age, sexuality, gender, disabilities and
more. If you graduated over 15 years ago, most CV writers recommend removing the
graduation dates from your education. Simply listing the school and the qualification
obtained will suffice. You get one shot with a CV so you want to make sure your skills
and experience take the forefront, not your age.

Be mindful when listing work experience

If you've been in the workforce for several years, you may not need to list every job you've
ever had when writing a modern CV. Most professional CV writers recommend going
back 10–15 years at most. Remember, the ideal CV length is two pages, so space is limited.
The recruiter doesn't need to know about the grocery store job you had when you were 18
if you're applying for a finance role 20 years later.

Structure your work experience so it fits the role

The rules have changed for writing a CV to fit modern expectations. If you have a long
work history with skills across different industries, it's more than acceptable to split your
work experience into different categories, especially if it allows you to better highlight
your most relevant skills for the job at hand.
For example, if you have a background in sales and a background in IT, you may want to
use sub-headings to split your experience into the two areas: one section for sales skills,
and another for IT. The easier you can make it for the recruiter to see your relevant
experience, the higher chance you have of receiving that coveted first interview.

Remove personal information

Do you remember what your first CV looked like? It likely included personal information
such as your date of birth, gender, nationality and possibly even marital status, along with
a section highlighting your hobbies.
Well, get ready to hit that delete button, because the modern CV does not have time or
space to waste on unnecessary (and invasive) details like these. Remove your hobbies and
only list your name, phone number, email address and the city you live in. That's all the
recruiter or HR manager needs to see. Everything else is taking up prime real estate that
could be used to sell your skills.
Simplify your CV's appearance
In years past, you may have turned to specialised format and style to make your CV stand
out ‒ a headshot, graphics and images, even a stylised font to add some flair. Expectations
for a modern CV, however, call for a clean and simple look.
This is in part because of applicant tracking systems, which often cannot read these
complex design elements. There's also how recruiters respond to the visuals. Consider
what happens when the HR manager pulls your CV from the stack. The text boxes or
graphics may separate your CV from others in appearance, but when the important
information cannot be easily located because it is hidden amongst fancy styling, your
chances of impressing only decrease.

Final thoughts
Still unsure how to update your CV? No problem. The good news is that you're not alone.
Our expert writers at TopCV are masters of the modern CV. They have the practical tools
and expertise you need to take your CV from bland to grand.

WHAT YOUR CV SHOULD CONTAIN &

LOOK LIKE IN 2020

At the beginning of every year, I usually post a short article on the current CV trends in the
market and what your CV should contain and look like if you want it to catch recruiters'
attention. So here is how to make your CV say to recruiters - "Hey, I am the best
candidate for the job".

1. Overview/Summary: Your CV must begin with a strong

overview/summary. The recruiter should read it and say - "This
candidate fits the profile". This can be done by tailoring your
overview/summary according to the vacancy you are applying to.
Understand what the role entails - and ensure you emphasize those
attributes that show that you will fit the role.
2. Job Section: Your CV must contain a brief history of your
employment. This section has to be in reverse chronological order.
Avoid listing routine job functions in too much detail. Rather, focus
of the functions you have handled that match the job that you are
currently applying for. This will show recruiters that you have the
right experience for the job.
 3. Achievements: In every role you list on your CV - mention your
achievements. Show to recruiters what value you have added to your
earlier employers. Tell recruiters and hiring managers that not only
have you handled routine job functions - but have done your job
effectively and contributed to the company.
4. Length: Your CV must be succinct and to the point. Normally,
recruiters have to sort through hundreds of CVs for each vacancy.
That's why a short CV which is to the point will ensure that the
recruiter doesn't lose interest. Ideally, I always suggest that a CV
shouldn't be longer than two pages.
5. Design: Your CV should be simple and sober. Don't use more than
one colour (other than black and white) on your CV. The colour you
use should not be too loud and bright. Make sure the formatting is
consistent. The font size and the font type should be the same across
the CV. Don't use fancy fonts.
6. Contact Details: Your CV must list your phone number, e-mail and
Skype details at the very top. This allows recruiters to contact you
easily if they think you are right for the job. Your Address and your
LinkedIn can be listed at the bottom of your CV.
7. Personal Information: Don't include marital status, exact place of
residence, photograph, hobbies and religion . It might lead to
unconscious discrimination - and it is unnecessary for the hiring
process.
 ==================================================================
================================================================

A good CV is primarily about highlighting your suitability and personality and making it
easier for the recruiter to take a decision. Ensure it is well organized, logical and the text
points out your expertise.

If you want to know the strengths and weaknesses of your CV you can send it to me for
a FREE professional evaluation and feedback to my email
Id: limasehgal@gmail.com

Also feel free to connect with me on Linkedin for regular CV tips, vacancies, interview
guidelines and advice on how to conduct a successful job search.

Don't forget to hit the "Like" button and also "Share" this article so others can benefit!!!!
7 Simple But Effective Ways To Make
Your CV Stand Out
https://www.topuniversities.com/blog/7-simple-effective-ways-make-your-cv-
stand-out

Guest post: Sophie-Anne Bradley

Studies have shown that on average recruiters spend just seven

seconds looking at a CV before deciding whether a candidate is suitable for
the role. First impressions are therefore critical to success, so here are
seven simple but effective ways that you can make your CV stand out from
the crowd!

1. Start strong
Start with a summary of your skills and key accomplishments. This will
attract the recruiter and grab their attention from the outset. This personal
profile is an important part of your CV and tells the recruiter exactly who
you are, so you want to make the right impression.

Here is an example:

“I am an enthusiastic, hardworking and committed individual with a proven

track record of designing websites and creating databases. I have strong
technical skills, as well as excellent interpersonal skills. I am eager to be
challenged in order to grow and expand on the skillset I have gained through my
experience in the IT sector.”
2. Emphasize results rather than
responsibilities
Instead of just listing your past responsibilities, make your CV stand out by
emphasizing your results, using quantifiable data to show your
accomplishments. So for example, instead of saying “I helped to increase
social media engagement for Company X”, write “I increased social media
engagement by 38% for Company X”.

3. Customize for the job you want

Respond directly to the job description and explain exactly why you are the
candidate for the role. You can do this by relating your accomplishments to
the elements of the job role.

Employers want candidates to understand the role they are applying for,
and the more you can demonstrate this, the more your CV will stand out.

It might take longer for you to write your CV, especially when applying for a
large number of roles, but it if it helps you to find your perfect position then
it is time well spent!

4. Highlight changes and growth

In your CV you should focus on your personal development. Show how you
have grown and changed in your roles, and the accomplishments you have
achieved. This will show the recruiter that you have learnt a lot from your
past positions, and that you are committed to learning and expanding your
skill set.
5. Demonstrate that you are connected 
Whether it be at university or in past job roles, you will have met an array of
different people. Make sure this comes through. Networking displays that
you have strong communication skills and this is something that employers
value greatly.

6. Show industry insight

An awareness of the industry you are applying for will show the recruiter
that you have the ability to stay on top of trends. You will be a lot more
attractive to employers if you are able to demonstrate knowledge of the
industry, so make sure you are up to date with any news and industry
changes. This will also help you if you reach the interview stage.

7. Use power words

Using power words will emphasize your accomplishments and will give your
CV additional impact. Include words such
as adaptable, innovative, implemented and achieved for each of your roles,
and follow up with impressive results or outcomes which demonstrate what
you have delivered.  

Many companies use database software to filter out candidates out who

don’t use certain key words, so make sure you study the job description and
know what the recruiter is looking for.  

Creating the perfect CV can be quite time-consuming, but it is your

opportunity to show off your accomplishments and skills to the employer.
The more you study the job description and the industry, the better
equipped you will be to make your CV stand out. We hope these CV tips
have helped you, and good luck in your job search!

Sophie-Anne Bradley is part of the team at Student Job. Student Job brings you
into direct contact with interesting companies that are looking for temporary,
part-time or full-time employees. Whether you are looking for an internship to
compliment your education or a graduate placement to start your career, we
have a wide range of opportunities.

Source for below article

https://www.charityjob.co.uk/careeradvice/how-to-create-a-stunning-cv/

It’s no secret that applying for a job isn’t easy. Trying to craft a CV and cover letter that
makes recruiters give you a call can be a bit overwhelming. But it’s your chance to leave a
lasting impression and be remembered for the right reasons.
Now, with the internet at your fingertips, there are some online tools that you can use to make
this process easier.
Regardless of what your career path is, you want to stand out from other people on paper.
Your CV is the perfect opportunity to shine in terms of what you have achieved, so why not
jazz it up and make it as eye-catching as possible?
We’ve scoured the internet for the best online CV creators that offer a range of templates
from modern to quirky! Test them out to see which one works best for you during your job
hunt.

Visual CV
VisualCV really takes the difficulty out of creating a fresh CV. With it, you can either upload
a current version of your CV from PDF/Word or use one of their ready made templates. They
have a pretty comprehensive selection based on seniority and industry so you won’t be short
on choice. About one third of their templates are accessible to free users, which isn’t too bad
either! The free version offers enough variety for you to not feel many limitations. But, if you
do want 100% creative freedom, then you can become a Pro member for $12 a month.
PROS: VisualCV offers much more than just an opportunity to create a clean and modern
CV. You can publish your CV online, share the link with potential employers and get
analytics about how often it’s been viewed or downloaded. You also have the option of
creating more than one! So, if you’re applying for a number of roles with slightly different
job titles or descriptions, you can create a CV for each one.
VisualCV also encourages you to prove your results in a slightly different fashion. Instead of
simply listing what you have a achieved in you past roles, you can add charts to show
significant changes. For example, if you have achieved a 15% increase in donations, don’t
simply state it: show it.
CONS: When you download the PDF version of your CV, you’ll see a VisualCV watermark
(which makes it a little difficult to use for all applications). It may not be a huge issue if
you’re applying to a junior or entry level role. But, as an executive or senior manager you
may want to use something that looks more professional.
Canva
Canva started off as a visual creative tool for everything from social media to ads and website
graphics. It has since grown into an incredible platform that has incorporated new features
such as infographics and yes, CVs.
You can choose from a number of free templates or design your own from scratch. Canva has
created a straight forward way of sharing and downloading anything that you’ve created.
Even if you do choose a Premium template, downloading your CV will only cost $1 (about
70p).
PROS: Canva is incredibly diverse and doesn’t restrict free users in the way that other
websites do. You have access to all of the fonts, colours and elements. There are just a
selection of templates and stock photos that, should you want to use them, cost $1.
CONS: There is no way to automatically pull information from a previous CV on Canva. So,
you’ll have to enter all of your information manually. This is primarily because Canva has a
number of design functions beyond CV building.  You may also have to change the
arrangement of your CV if you want to fit everything onto a single page.
Flavors
Flavors is actually a personal website builder that you can turn into a personal CV. It’s an
amazing tool that can help you give employers a greater insight into who you are as an
individual as well as the work that you’ve done. Sort of like a cross over between a cover
letter and CV.
PROS: You have a lot of creative freedom with Flavors! Free users can choose from about
50% of the design templates, backgrounds, colours, fonts and effects. You also have the
option of connecting your professional social networks or websites to your page. That way,
employers can find you elsewhere online. Say you’re a professional writer, you can connect
your blog to your Flavors page so that recruiters can see examples of your work.
The Premium version offers a comprehensive set of stats, a contact form, customisable URL,
and makes your website mobile friendly for just $20 per year. Which is much less than some
of the monthly premium memberships we’ve seen so far.
If you have a real flair for web design, you can also edit the meta descriptions to make your
website more searchable on the web.
CONS: Despite the flexibility of the design, Flavors only huge flaw is that basic analytics
aren’t available to free users. So, even if you do create a stunning CV, you aren’t quite able to
see if it’s converting recruiters. Your CV is also its own website and can’t be downloaded
which may present problems as your current employers will be able to find this page by
searching for it.
Limiting the mobile-friendly version of websites to Premium users seems a little unfair but,
that depends on the chances of recruiters opening your CV on mobile or the comfort of their
desk.

CV Maker
CV Maker is a very simple CV builder that offers both free and premium membership. On
the upside, to become a premium member you have to make a one-time payment of
$16 (which is about £12).
PROS: It’s great that CV Maker gives free members so much freedom. You have access to
most of their templates and can download/share your CV with no strings attached. It’s also
possible to create a customized URL and share it with potential employers. You’re
completely in control of this feature and can even choose when your URL is live.
CONS: CV Maker isn’t as colourful and creative as some of the other CV builders that we’ve
looked at so far. Although it has a very simple interface, if you want a CV that’s full of
colour and energy, this tool may not be right for you.

Design Wizard
Design Wizard is an easy-to-use content creation tool with a diverse range of CV templates
and a huge library of free assets (from images to icons) that you can use to add a bit of
personality to your CV. They also have free options for users to edit images, create videos
and access plenty of copyright-free stock images, which could be useful if you’re looking to
update a personal website alongside your CV.
PROS: You don’t need a paid membership (although you can upgrade to a ‘pro’ membership
for $7.49 a month to upload your own fonts and colour palettes). The designs are simple and
professional, yet eye-catching.
CONS: The CVs are only downloadable as JPEG, PNG and PDF and you have to pay a bit to
remove the watermark (although it’s extremely cheap).

Kick resume
KickResume offers an amazing range of creative CV templates. Unfortunately, the majority
of these can only be used by Premium users. You also have to be a Premium member if you
want to import a CV that you’ve already created. This means that you will have to manually
enter a fair amount of information.
The templates are divided by profession so you can find something suitable pretty quickly.
Once you’ve finished, it’s easy to download your CV as a PDF.
PROS: KickResume is incredibly easy to use and the website navigation is simple. Adding
and editing information is a straight forward process that takes the head ache out of creating a
CV from scratch. You can also benefit from their grammar check service (for $19) and you’ll
receive the feedback within 24 hours. A great feature for those who are worried about any
little mistakes may have been missed!
All members can create a personalized URL for their online CV and share this with potential
employers. But, KiskResume hasn’t created an analytics tool yet so you won’t be able to see
who has viewed or downloaded you CV.
KickResume offers another service that many others don’t! They also have cover letter
templates which may help you keep a consistent style. There is only one template that can
free users can take advantage of, but that’s still a start.
CONS: KickResume has a lot of neat features but most of them are reserved for Premium
members. There’s also the issue of filling out all of your information from scratch which can
be a bit of an arduous task.
There’s also no way to filter the free templates from the Premium ones so, if you do decide to
filter by profession, you may not have a free option to choose from.

https://novoresume.com/career-blog/career-change-resume

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.

Here’s what we’re going to cover:

 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
 Education
 Skills
 Certification
 Projects
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 [FirstName.LastName@gmail.com].
 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?

Pro Tip
 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

Resume Summary Example: Changing Careers
 “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
Resume Objective Example: Changing Careers
 “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

HTML, CSS, JS:
 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.
Visual Design:
 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.
Testing/Debugging:
 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:

Good Work Experience Example:

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:

Bad Work Experience Example:

Sales Executive

Company X - 11/2016 - 04/2019

 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.

Here’s what you need to know:

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:

Education Section Done Right:

B.A. in English Literature.

University XYZ - 2014-2018

GPA: 3.8

 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:

 JavaScript
 CSS
 HTML
 UX / UI
 Communication Skills
 Team-Player
So, all you have to do is mention these skills, and you’re good to go!

Pro tip:
 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:

Certificates:
 HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certified, 2019.
 Google Analytics Individual Qualification, 2018.
 SEMrush Content Marketing Toolkit Course, 2018.
And here’s an example done wrong:

Certificates:
 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:

Personal Projects Done Wrong:

 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.
Pro tip:
 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?

Awesome!

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.

Pro Tip
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.
Career Change Resume Example (Guide
with Samples & Tips)
It's a brave new world. It’s not just about finding a new job. It’s about changing
careers. You're taking a leap of faith. Stepping into the unknown. You're trading
comfort and familiarity for a better life.
 
The problem?
 
The hiring manager's computer is awash with applications stuffed with actual
experience.
 
A career change resume has to show employers that your skills and experience will
translate to the job they are trying to fill. It needs to highlight transferable skills, show
you're a fast learner, and assure them that you have enough same-but-different
know-how to thrive in a new position.
 
In other words, must show you can do the job like Neil Armstrong... even if you feel a
little more like Frodo with a broken leg.
 
This guide will show you:
 
 A career change resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
 How to write a career change resume that lands more interviews.
 Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a career changer
resume.
 How to describe your experience on a resume for a career change to get any job you
want.
  
Here's a sample resume for a career changer made using our resume builder.
 
Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume
builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one
click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.
CREATE YOUR RESUME NOW
 
 Sample Career Change Resume—See more templates and create your resume
here.
One of our users, Nikos, had this to say:
 
[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long, not three. With
the same stuff.
  
Also check these examples to have better sight befor starting to write your resume:
 
 Entry Level Teacher Resume
 Entry Level Accounting Resume
 Entry Level Human Resources Resume
 Part Time Resume
 Accounting Resume
 Customer Service Resume
 Industrial Engineer Resume
 Journalism Resume
 Skills Based Resume
 Targeted Resume
 Resume Examples for All Jobs
 
Now, read our tips and learn how to write a career change resume:
 

Choose the Best Resume Format for Career Change

 
The hiring manager—we'll call her Tracy.
 
She only cares if you can get the job done.
 
But you're a career changer, so you can't show that with relevant experience.
 
You've got to prove your skills instead.
 
The combination resume format does that. That's why it's the best career change
resume format.
 
It groups accomplishments by skill. It shows the manager you've done the work,
even if you haven't held the job title.
 
A combination resume includes:
 
1. Contact Information
2. Resume Summary (Optional)
3. Skills Summary
4. Additional Skills
5. Work Experience
6. Education
7. "Other" Accomplishments
 
Build it with the best resume fonts, big headings, and enough white space to make it
sparkle.
 
Finally, should you send your career change resume in PDF or Word format?
 
Modern PDFs are machine-readable. They work just fine with most Applicant
Tracking Software (ATS).
 
One warning: check the job ad first. Like Rocky Balboa, it's good to know what you're
contending with.
 
Pro Tip: When in doubt, save your resume for a career change as a PDF and an
MS Word doc. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
 
Want to keep your options open for your career change resume format? See our
guide: 3 Resume Formats: How to Choose the Best One [Examples]
 

Write a Career Change Resume Objective or Resume Summary

 
Picture a computer folder.
 
It's got 300 resumes in it.
 
The hiring manager is clicking through them, spending seven seconds on each one,
as our HR statistics report shows.
 
What's to stop her glancing at your resume, thinking, "No experience," and moving
on?
 
Answer: A resume summary or a resume objective.
 
A resume summary shows your best accomplishments that fit the job.
 
A resume objective shows passion when you lack experience.
 
I know, I know, you don't have experience. And passion alone won't count for much.
 
That's why you must cram it with your best transferable experience.
 
Check out these mid life career change resume objective examples:.
 
Career Change Resume Objective—Sample 
 
Most resume objectives just show passion.
 
As a career changer, you can't stop there, or you'll lose the hiring manager.
 
This objective from a resume for a career changer does it wrong:
 
WRONG

Passionate project manager with skills in lean principles and defining requirements. No real-world experience
but ready to learn on the job!
 
Passion's great, but you're up against candidates with real experience. They may
have passion too!
 
So, show achievements and career goals, like in this career change resume
objective sample for a new software developer:
 
RIGHT
Results-driven software developer, seeking to use proven Python and Ruby skills to deliver coding excellence
Cryptoconic, Inc. Have developed 3 webapps and 5 mobile apps. Contributed to 7 GitHub projects and debug
apps. Wrote back-end code for 40 working business websites.
 
That resume profile will get the hiring manager's attention like a phoenix rising from
its ashes.
 
But where can a career changer get experience like that?
 
That's in the next section on how to write a skills summary.
 
Pro Tip: Don't worry about writing a great resume summary for career change right
off. Make the rest of your resume first, then build your summary from the choicest
cuts.
 
Do you lack space on your resume? You might want to write a resume headline
instead: How to Write a Resume Headline (Examples)
 

Add a Skills Summary to a Career Change Resume

 
This is not your grandfather's resume.
 
Most resumes show lots of work history that fits the job description.
 
Career changers can't do that.
 
But you can't just shrug and say, "I hope they hire me anyway."
 
You've got to prove you're worth the job like Dorothy deserved the ruby slippers.
 
Do that with a persuasive skills summary.
 
A skills summary shows you've used the skills that matter to the hiring manager.
 
The career change resume skills summary below shows how.
 
Career Change Resume Sample: Skills Summary
 
Here's a sample skills summary from a resume for a career change. It targets a job
that seeks skills in Python, Ruby, and debugging.
 
Python Skills 
 Built a Python-based stock tracking webapp with 545 interactive,
real-time graphs. Site gets 8,000 visits/month and was cited in
"Fortune."
 Created and maintain a Python-driven Python Programming Tutorials
website.
 Designed a 3D Maze game using Python and MySQL.
 
Ruby Skills
 Developed an online exam system for a continuing education site.
 Built 5 mobile apps, including an alarm app and a reminder app.
 Contributed to 7 Ruby projects on GitHub, including Homebrew and
Fastlane.
 
Debugging
 Debugged 12 webapps written in Python.
 Cut errors 20% for a SaaS site through extensive debugging.
 
Wow. You're off to see the Wizard. Who says you don't have experience?
 
That career changer resume skills summary lists accomplishments. They're all
grouped by skill.
 
It's like the fantasy football version of a job you never had.
 
So, where do you get that kind of experience for a career change resume?
 
First, highlight all the skills and qualifications in the job ad.
 
Second, sift through your work history for achievements that matter to the new
career.
 
Third, go out and get some quick experience. Volunteer or do short freelance jobs.
An online search for the career name + "freelance jobs" will usually hit paydirt.
 
Pro Tip: Quantify achievements on a career change resume. Give measurements
for money saved, time saved, quality improved, number of people trained and so on.
 
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill
the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building professional resume template
here for free.

CREATE MY RESUME NOW

 When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell
you exactly how to make it better.
Want more tips to customize a resume for a career changer? Fit it to the job offer
with our guide: 6 Tips on How to Tailor Your Resume to a Job Description
(Examples)
 

Describe Experience on a Career Change Resume

 
Does unrelated experience really matter on a career change resume?
 
A resume for career changers must show your "other" experience. Why?
 
1. You have to prove you haven't just been on mom's sofa for the past 5 years.
2. Even unrelated jobs show universal skills.
 
Don't go deep. Just paint the picture in broad strokes.
 
Career Change Resume Sample [Experience]
 
The career change resume sample experience section below sticks to the point.
 
It's for someone switching from graphic design to software development.
 
RIGHT
Senior Graphic Designer
Houlton Renno Inc. 2014–2018
  Led a team of four designers in a fast-paced graphic design firm.
 Wrote back-end code for 40 client projects.
 
Graphic Designer
Kibula Designs, Boston 2011–2014
 Led daily meetings for an initiative to increase revenue.
 Wrote scripts to update client databases. Cut billing errors 35%.
 
That keeps things light, like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis.
 
It shows transferable skills like writing code and managing databases.
 
Compare it to the mid career change resume example below:
 
WRONG

Senior Graphic Designer

Houlton Renno Inc. 2014–2018
 Responsible for leading the production team for a fast-paced design firm.
 Created over 400 designs in 4 years.
 Created catalogs, presentations, and brochures.
WRONG
 Received 99% positive feedback on my design work.
 My designs were written up in...
 
Design Job #2...
 
And 3...
 
Etc...
 
That's way too detailed. It sells the wrong skills. It skips the software development
tasks you did at that design firm.
 
That's fine if you're standing pat. But a resume for changing careers needs relevant
accomplishments.
 
If not, the new job's hiring manager will ditch it so fast it makes a sonic boom.
 
Pro Tip: Making a midlife career change resume at 50 or 40? Less is more. Don't
show more than 15 years of experience. Unfortunately, ageism happens.
 
Don't lull the hiring manager to sleep. A resume for a career change needs action
words. Get some in our guide: +80 Examples of Resume Action Words for Every
Profession
 

Make Your Education Section Shine

 
Let's get back to Tracy, our hiring manager.
 
Does she care about education on a resume for a career change?
 
She does. So list
 
 College Name and Location.
 Years in School.
 Degree.
 
But then show relatable accomplishments.
 
Those include:
 
 Coursework related to the new career
 Awards that matter to the new hiring manager
 Groups that show transferable skills and interests
 
The sample switching careers resume clips below show how to do it right (and
wrong).
 
Career Change Resume Examples [Education]
 
These two career change resume sample snippets are for a data analytics job. The
candidate is switching from a marketing career.
 
RIGHT

Bachelor's Degree, University of Maine

2007–2011
 GPA 3.9
 Excelled in data analytics classes.
 Worked as TA in computer science department.
 
That's not your everyday career changer. It's someone switching lanes like a
Formula One driver.
 
Now look at a career change resume example that borks it:
 
WRONG

MBA
UNH, 2009-2013
 Pursued a passion for marketing coursework.
 Received a 4.0 GPA across all marketing classes.
 Excelled in social media classes.
 
That's a stick in the mud. It's further from the job description than Coke from Pepsi.
 
Where does education matter most? In a career change resume for teachers,
nurses, or other education-intensive jobs.
 
Pro Tip: Can't think of any academic achievements for your career change resume?
Think harder. Still drawing blanks? Then keep your education section short.
 
Should a resume for a career change list your GPA? Find out, plus other answers, in
our guide: How to Put Your Education on a Resume [Tips & Examples]
 

Put Skills on a Resume for a Career Change

 
What's the most important thing on a career shifters resume?
 
Proving your skills.
 
That comes down to two things:
 
1. Knowing what the job ad asks for.
2. Using bullet points to show you have those qualities.
 
Look at the major difference in the career change sample snips below:
 
Career Change Resume Examples [Skills]
 
This first sample career change resume snippet is for a web development job.
 
The position values web design, development, and wireframe creation.
 
One applicant just lists her skills, like this:
 
WRONG

Skills: X-Ray Skills, 4-Handed Dentistry, Dental Procedure Preparation, Dental Equipment Maintenance, MS
Office, Leadership...
 
That's using the wrong bait and hoping something bites.
 
Our next contestant lists relevant skills. Then she proves them in her bullets:
 
RIGHT
 Created functional website for a small dental firm, complete with client portal.
 Developed 4 working ecommerce websites for friends.
 Created 15 wireframes on a volunteer basis.
 
That connects to the job offer like Lewis to Clark. Yet it all came from side freelance
work or past jobs.
 
Do the same with your skills summary, education section, and experience. You'll
make your great escape in no time flat.
 
List of Skills to Put on a Career Change Resume
 
Need more skills to put on a resume for a career change?
 
Use the list below. The skills in it are universal, though of course it's always best to
use the ones shown in the job offer. (They make the best resume keywords too.)
 
Career Change Resume Skills
Career Change Resume Skills
Leadership Persuasion
Interpersonal Skills Customer Service
Communication Psychology
Collaboration Dependability
Problem Solving Compassion
Critical Thinking Skills Judgement
Coordination Detail Oriented
Active Learning Self Motivated
Perceptiveness Adaptability
Decision Making Listening
 
Follow that plan, and your career change will work like Jeff Bezos' famous cross-
country drive.
 
Pro Tip: Absolutely can't find examples where you've used the skills shown in the
ad? Try a smaller company that doesn't mind you learning on the job.
 
Still not sure what skills to add to a career switch resume? See our guide: +30 Best
Examples of What Skills to Put on a Resume (Proven Tips)
 

Show Certifications on a Resume

 
Want to give a V.I.P. pass to your change of profession resume?
 
How about earning a certificate?
 
It won't get you hired instantly. But certificates can help.
 
If it's crucial to the job, put it right after your name, like this:
 
Alan Thompson, PMP
 
You can also add it to your resume summary for career change.
 
Finally, display it like in the career change resume sample certification section below:
 
Certifications
 CCNA - Cisco
 CISM - ISACA
 
Some certifications on a resume matter more than others. Some take longer to get.
 
If it's central to the job, at the very least it proves commitment.
 
Pro Tip: Got certifications or licenses that won't matter to the hiring manager? Leave
them out. They won't add to your nurse or lawyer career changer resume.
 
Need more suggestions for career change resume material? See our guide: What
To Put On A Resume To Make It Perfect [Tips & Examples]
 

8
 Add Other Sections for an Effective Resume
 
Here's the $64,000 question:
 
How do you prove your skills?
 
Answer: with experience, with education, and with certifications.
 
Non-work achievements can do the same. So, feature them in your changing careers
resume.
 
The career change resume sample clip below is for a computer science job.
 
Career Change Resume Examples ["Other" Sections]
 
WRONG
Interests
 Knitting
 Juggling Hammers
 
Hey, whatever floats your boat. Yet those two interests don't make you a better
coder.
 
But what about the next sample from a career change resume?
 
RIGHT
Additional Activities
 Took first place in 3 Ruby challenges at codewars.com.
 Member, IAENG Society of Software Engineers.
 Volunteer IT Admin for local animal shelter.
 
You may be switching careers, but you're obviously not straight from kindergarten.
 
All it takes is digging up some old achievements, or creating a few new ones.
 
Pro Tip: Look online for conferences, associations, freelance gigs, or certificates
that match your new career. Volunteering on a resume looks great. Most take very
little time, and all can pump up a sagging resume for a career change.
 
Pack your resume with extras that get you noticed like a rescue flare. See this
guide: Resume Sections to Include on Your Resume: Guide (+20 Examples)
 

Write a Career Change Cover Letter

 
Do cover letters matter?
 
Yes, cover letters matter—especially for career changers.
 
A career change cover letter can explain your motives.
 
Why are you changing? Will you change again? The hiring manager will want to
know that when she sees your career change resume.
 
Start your cover letter with the hiring manager’s name. Say why you're excited about
the job.
 
Then show why you're a perfect fit.
 
Check out the (shortened) career change cover letter sample below:
 
Dear Alice,
 
I'm very excited about the office assistant job at Castle Rock Mineral. I read
about your commitment to customer service in Mining Magazine last
month. With my history of boosting customer retention by 22% at Caliphon,
Inc., I think I'd make a great fit for your office assistant position. My official
title was data entry clerk at Caliphon, but to quote the CEO, "Nobody with
your people skills stays stuck to a computer."
 
Now that’s how to explain a career change in a cover letter!
 
Finish the cover letter with a call to action like, "Can we set a time to discuss
improving Castle Rock's office metrics?"
 
Pro Tip: If you don't hear back after you send your career change cover letter, don't
quit. A follow-up email costs very little, and it might just give your resume the bump it
needs.
 
 
Write the perfect resume cover letter for a career change that takes you from zero to
hero with: Career Change Cover Letter: Sample & Complete Guide [10+ Examples]
 

10

Add Contact Info to Your Resume

 
Putting contact information on a resume is easy, isn't it?
 
Well, not so fast.
 
This part is easy:
 
 Full Name
 Updated Phone Number
  Professional Email Address
 
Like this:
 
Rupert Weasley, CPM, rupertharoldweasley@gmail.com, 315-264-4853
 
But add a LinkedIn profile too. That's because 87% of recruiters now rely on LinkedIn
when they hire.
 
Consider adding an online profile or personal website too. Is your field project-based
like programming or design? If so, a portfolio can fast-track you to more interviews.
 
Pro Tip: Updating your LinkedIn profile to match your new change career resume?
Add plenty of resume keywords. Learn how (plus 11 other must-see tips) in
our guide to optimizing LinkedIn profiles.
 
Want A to Z advice for a career change resume that makes your phone ring? See
our guide: How to Make a Resume Perfect for Any Job
 
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over
other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it
may look like:
 

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaway
 
This guide shows how to write the perfect resume for career changers. Follow these
key tips:
 
 The best resume format for a career change is the combination layout. It puts your
relevant achievements first.
  Top it with a skills summary. The best career change resumes must prove you've got
the skills without the title.
 Add a career change cover letter to boost your percentage. You'll be like Mel Gibson
yelling "Freedom!" before you can say "rebirth."

How To Write a Career Change Cover

Letter With No Related Experience
November 5, 2021
Share
By: Indeed Editorial Team

Attaching a cover letter when applying for a job position allows you to offer a direct
appeal to a potential employer about your best qualities. This can be a particularly
beneficial opportunity when changing careers, as it may allow you to call attention to
how well you're prepared for a new industry. A well-crafted cover letter may improve
your chances of earning a position in your new field. In this article, we discuss how to
write a cover letter for a career change with no experience, offer tips and provide a
sample cover letter to guide you.

Create your resume

How to write a cover letter for a career change with no experience

You can follow these steps when writing a cover letter as part of a career change
where you lack relevant experience in your new field:

1. Provide contact information

Begin your cover letter with both your contact information and that of the hiring
professional you are contacting. For your own information, you can include your
name, email address, phone number and mailing address if you choose. When
providing contact information for the individual reading your cover letter, be as
specific about the recipient as your knowledge allows.

Related: How To Write a Cover Letter (Plus Tips and Examples)

2. Address the hiring professional directly

Addressing a letter to the individual you expect to receive it can help to make a
stronger first impression. You can use a simple salutation, such as "Dear," followed
by the name of the individual overseeing the job opening. If you are unsure who will
receive your cover letter, you may address it to a position, such as "Dear hiring
manager".

3. Express your interest

Use your opening paragraph in your cover letter to show that you are enthusiastic
about the opportunity to work with your potential employer. This can include
information about why you switched fields and why you believe that the opportunity
with your potential employer is an excellent option within that field. This can show a
hiring professional that you value the opportunity to work with their company and that
you understand the expectations of the position and are eager to meet them.

4. Acknowledge and address your inexperience

In your second paragraph, note that you are aware that the position represents a
new experience for you, and explain why you believe you're well suited to it. When
making a career switch into an industry where you lack experience, the hiring
professional is likely to notice that your previous work does not align with your
desired position. Acknowledging your inexperience directly provides you with the
opportunity to offer a counterpoint as to why you can handle the position.

5. Share relevant accomplishments

Use your next paragraph to call attention to your previous professional

achievements. When possible, choose achievements that are relevant to your new
field. While your previous work may be different, you also still possess individual
duties or accomplishments that are similar to expectations in your desired new
position. Besides these accomplishments, you may mention some of your most
impressive accomplishments which do not directly relate to your new position but are
potentially impressive as an indication of your general capability.

Related: How To Sell Yourself in a Cover Letter (With Tips and Examples)

6. Close enthusiastically

Finish your cover letter by reasserting your enthusiasm about the opportunity to
show your value to the company. Note that you are eager to hear from them, then
close with a professional sign-off. Options such as "Sincerely" and "Thank you for
your consideration" are professional phrases.

Tips for writing a cover letter for a career change with no experience

When writing a cover letter for a career change where you lack experience, these
tips may help you make a strong impression on a potential employer:
Study the job listing

A job listing is a valuable resource when applying for a new position, particularly
when changing careers. An employer is likely to include key job responsibilities and
skills in the listing. This shows you what elements they find most important in an
applicant and provides you with information on what to focus on with your cover
letter and resume. By identifying the skills or experience you have which match the
most important components, you can demonstrate your fit for the job despite a lack
of direct work experience.

Related: Nine Steps To Change Your Career Path at Any Age

Highlight outstanding performance

When you don't have any previous responsibilities that align with your expected
responsibilities in the new job, you may focus instead on your most impressive
achievements. When possible, choose broadly applicable skills and responsibilities,
such as leadership positions. While being the leading sales representative for six
straight months may not apply to a position in computer science, for example, it does
demonstrate to a potential employer that you are a high achiever who works hard.

Use action verbs

The way you frame your actions and accomplishments in previous jobs can impact
how the hiring professional interprets your words. Active phrasing helps to attribute
the results of your actions to your behaviors. This can help you position yourself as a
key contributor to your prior jobs in order to create a positive impression with the
hiring professional managing the search.

Related: Why Action Verbs Are Important for Resumes (With Examples)

Consider bullet points

Although you don't have to use bullet points, they may add additional details to your
cover letter. When adding bullet points, keep them brief both in terms of the length of
the list and the length of each bullet. Writing short sentences and including three or
four bullets can help you add information you were unable to incorporate into your
paragraph while maintaining a clean and easy-to-read appearance.

Keep it brief

Brevity can be an asset when creating your cover letter. Keeping the overall length of
your cover letter short respects the time of the hiring professional, and you should
not exceed one page, including all heading and closing information. Using short
direct sentences allows you to fit more information into the shorter cover letter.
Example of a cover letter for a career change with no experience

Here is an example of a cover letter for a career change with no experience that you
can use to write your own:

Pat Thompson
555-729-0689
p.thompson@email.com

Hiring Director
Innotech Computing
407 West Shore Road
Hamilton, NJ 08501

Dear Hiring Director:

It excited me to discover your posting for a sales associate position at Innotech

Computing. As a lifelong computer enthusiast, the opportunity to work with one of
the leading gaming computer manufacturers is an excellent fit for my passion and
skills.

Although my previous work is in the gym industry, I believe that my experience as a

manager at PowerLift Trenton has me well prepared to succeed in this position. As
gym manager, I closed contracts with all potential customers who arrived during my
working hours and scheduled meetings with prospective clients. To meet our
membership targets, it was important for me to develop strong sales skills.

Under my leadership, the gym saw an increase in membership every quarter.

Improved closing percentages drove this steady growth, with average closing rates
17 points higher in our most recent quarter than when I took over the position. Key
skills I developed in my time as manager at PowerLift Trenton include:

 A broad range of closing methods and styles in order to adjust for a client's needs.
 Strong customer reading capabilities to identify the most effective approach when
selling to a new client.
 Customer relations to maintain positive relationships with existing customers to
maintain repeat business.

I am also a computer expert who has built my own gaming computer, and those of
several friends and family members. I believe the knowledge I have gained during
these builds can apply to offering informed pitches on the products Innotech
Computing offers.

I am eager for the opportunity to discuss this position with you in person, and I'm
confident you will see my strong skills align well with the opportunity. You can reach
me by email or cell phone at your convenience and hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you for your consideration,

Pat Thompson
Source

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/career-change-no-
experience-cover-letter