Life can send us in many different directions over its course and the workplace is one of those areas that holds a number of surprises. As you began your career, you might have thought that you would remain in it until the end of your working life but sometimes, an opportunity arises and that can change your perception and where you want to go.
If you have found yourself in the position where a change of career is calling, you might be concerned about the lack of relationship between your current career and your new chosen one. What’s more, you can take comfort from the fact that the average person will change career five to seven times during their life. However, to give yourself the best chance of switching career, you need to make sure that you sell your skills and values. If you don’t know where to start there are professional CV writing services who can help you achieve this, but here are some tips to follow to make sure your CV really does tick every box.
It is time to Start Again
A change of career will mean that your current CV will no longer be as relevant as it once was. So, now is the chance to give your CV a complete overhaul and focus on the skills and experience that relate to your chosen new career. You might not have the correct qualifications or direct experience but that is fine. A new CV will allow you to tailor it to the specific job description.
Begin with an Opening Paragraph
Start by creating an opening paragraph where you can highlight all of your achievements and how they link up with the new role. You will need to consider keywords that can be taken from the job description in order to help you identify the skills and experience that come from previous roles.
Focus on All Experiences
A new career will mean that you won’t have a lot of experience from past roles that can be transferred across. However, a CV can delve deeper into your experiences which means that they do not have to be work related. Focus on any volunteer work you have undertaken, your education, skills and more. The aim here is to identify and demonstrate those skills that you can transfer into your new, chosen career.
Seek Out Natural Links
As identified, skills are transferable and that means that there will undoubtedly be certain aspects of your past role that will catch the eye of employers in your new career. This could relate to skills such as being organised, working in a team or even using a specific kind of technology. Whatever it might be, make sure it stands out on your CV.
Prioritise Key Details
We are all aware that employers are instantly looking for a CV that resonates with them. If they have to look for the information then they are likely to disregard that CV. So, the layout of your CV can be flexible which means that you can place any key details, such as the professional skills that you have, at the start. Whether this is a testimonial, specific qualifications or voluntary work experience, it can all count. From here, you can then begin to build the bigger picture of what you can offer potential employers.
Qualification Gaps are Not an Issue
You are changing career, which means that there are likely to be qualification gaps. Don’t look at this as a negative but look at it in a way that inspires you to focus on all of your other skills, qualifications and experience. Commonly, candidates will not possess all of the desired qualifications and employers are more likely to hire someone who only meets a certain percentage of the criteria due to the fact that they offer something else.
A career change is an exciting prospect. However, creating a new CV to make the switch is not as daunting as it might seem. Plan it well, identify links and showcase your skills and you might find that your new career begins sooner than you think.