How to Craft a Resume for a Career Change: A Step-by-Step Guide

What follows is the most comprehensive, step-by-step instructions on how to create a resume for a career change.

These strategies have been developed and used by one of the top career change coaches in the United States. For the first time, the coach has agreed to allow us to publish them here.

When you're making a career change or transition, your resume must demonstrate your transferrable skills and 'translate' how your past is relevant for the new type of role you are targeting.

This is easy to do if you follow the step-by-step process outline below.

Step 1: Create a Skills Section

Transferable skills form the bedrock of your ability to successfully make a career change. When shifting careers, your transferable skills serve as a bridge, allowing you to demonstrate your value and potential in a new field, even if you lack direct, relevant experience.

It's important to begin the process of creating a career change resume by building a thoughtful skills section, as it provides the framework for organizing the remaining resume details!

Why Your Resume Needs a Skills Section

Including a skills section on your resume can offer several benefits:

People making career changes can use their resume's Skills section to emphasize skills and experiences from their previous work and education that are relevant to the new field. This is crucial because it helps potential employers see how your existing skill set can be applied in the new role.
Hiring managers and recruiters often skim resumes to save time. A dedicated skills section provides an easy-to-scan list of your key skills, making it more likely that your resume's skill section will catch their attention.
Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen resumes. Including a skills section with keywords relevant to the job posting can increase your chances of passing through ATS filters and reaching human reviewers.

Our recommendation is to have your 'skills section' placed prominently near the top of your resume, right under your resume's Summary section. This prominent location ensures that hiring managers and HR professionals can easily and swiftly evaluate your relevant skills, making it clear that you're a candidate worthy of their consideration, even though you're making a career change.

A strategically placed, well-crater skills section on your resume also helps to shift the reader's focus away from your previous job titles or industries, and instead focus on your transferrable skills.

Hard Skills vs Soft Skills

When creating a skills section, be sure to only include the 'hard' skills that are most relevant to the job you're applying for. Hard skills and soft skills are two distinct categories of skills that individuals possess, and they play different roles in the workplace:

Hard skills are specific, teachable abilities or knowledge that are quantifiable and related to a particular job or field. Examples of hard skills include: data analysis, graphic design, accounting, project management, and computer programming.
Soft skills, also referred to as interpersonal skills, people skills, or personal attributes, are non-technical, personality-based skills that relate to how you interact with others, solve problems, and handle various situations. Communication, teamwork, leadership, adaptability, time management, empathy, conflict resolution, creativity, and emotional intelligence are examples of soft skills.

How to Identify the Best Skills to Include

To help you identify and select the right hard skills, simply analyze 4 or 5 detailed job descriptions for the type of position you are targeting and make a list of the hard skills mentioned in these job listings that match your skill set.

Generally, the skills should be one or two-word phrases. Most resume skills sections will list 12 to 21 hard skills.

Organizing the Skills

We recommend that you categorize your hard skills into three related groups. By grouping similar skills together, you create a clear and organized snapshot of your qualifications. This approach makes it easier for hiring managers to grasp your skill sets quickly.

Because we read right to left and want to grab the reader's attention fast, place the most important group skills first and the least important group of skills last.

For improved readability, we recommend not placing bullets in front of each skill.

Here's an example of a Skills section for an account manager role:

Step 2: Create a Skills Description Cheatsheet

The Skills Description Cheatsheet serves as an important companion to the resume-building process.

It will help you to build your resume's Work Experience section and demonstrate to potential employers that you have a solid understanding of each skill listed in your resume's skills section and how you can use those skills to add great value to your next employer.

When you take the time to create a Skills Description Cheatsheet, you'll be better able to showcase how your transferrable skills have been applied in your previous experiences to overcome obstacles, meet objectives, and achieve results.

You'll also be able to present yourself as not just a qualified candidate but as a person who possesses the precise attributes required to excel in the role - even though you're making a career change.

This strategy not only enhances the quality of your resume but also sets you apart from fellow job seekers, the majority of whom often provide vague and unclear information on their resumes, leaving potential employers with doubts about their ability to do the job.

How to Create Your Skills Description Cheatsheet

For an easy and fast method of creating your skill descriptions, I suggest using ChatGPT or a comparable AI tool that is available for free. AI-generated descriptions can significantly streamline the process of creating an amazing resume.

Just copy and paste the paragraph below into the ChatGPT prompt, and within seconds, you'll receive expertly written and highly informative skill descriptions.

Step 3: Create Your Work Experience Section

Now that you've identified and defined each of the hard skills that employers are seeking for the role you want to target, you are ready to create an amazing Work Experience section on your resume!

The purpose of the resume's Work Experience section is to provide potential employers with a detailed and organized overview of how you have used the hard skills they want in your previous roles to help them achieve the goals they have and solve the problems they want to eliminate or avoid.

When you're making a career change, here are the benefits of using our strategies for your resume's Work Experience section:

Your Work Experiences will showcase your relevant qualifications and abilities, allowing employers to quickly assess why you can do a type of job you've never done before.
Your Work Experiences will help you stand out from other candidates by showcasing your unique accomplishments and contributions in previous positions, and they increase your chances of being shortlisted for job interviews.
They will boost your confidence in your qualifications and ability to make a career change to a new type of job that you've never done before.
A thoughtful Work Experience section serves as a foundation for interview discussions, allowing you to provide specific examples and stories that demonstrate your qualifications. A good career chagne resume will help you get more interviews AND it will also help you be better prepared for your interviews!

How to Create Your Work Experience Section

The most widely recommended format for your work experiences is the chronological one, which presents your experiences in reverse chronological order, with the most recent ones at the forefront. We highly recommend utilizing this format for your resume and placing your Work Experience section under your Skills Section.

For each experience you are going to include on your resume, include the following information:Job Title, Company/Organization Name, Dates of Employment, and Work location (city and state or country where you worked. If you worked remotely, you can write that.)

For example:

Next, for each work experience listed on your resume, review your resume's Skills Section to identify which of those hard skills you used in each work experience. List and bullet each hard skill that you used in that role.

Typically, you want more hard skills listed in your most recent work experience and fewer skills listed in older experiences.

It is good to repeat the same hard skills in multiple work experiences because it indicates that you have familiarity and experience with them.

For example, using the same Skills Section and Work Experience images shown above, this is how your resume would look now:

Write Work Experience Job Skill Descriptions

Next, for each hard skill listed in each job experience, write a 2 or 3-line, informative description of how you used the skills and the benefit(s) your employers received by you using that skill in that role.

This will be easy because you've got this info right at your fingertips in the Skills Description 'Cheatsheet'!

Just grab the skill descriptions from your Skills Description Cheetsheet and paste them next to each skill.

Next, give each description a quick edit to match how you used the skill at each specific role. (But remember, don't copy-paste and use the exact same Skill description for different jobs – hiring managers will see that as lazy!)

For example, using the information from above (Skills, Skill Description, Work Experience), this is what your resume will now look like:

You can use the education section to highlight courses, certificates, majors, or projects you completed during your education that might be pertinent to the position.
Academic achievements, relevant extracurricular activities, and leadership roles can prove your ability to master new subjects and illustrate your high level of motivation.
In some industries or for certain roles, having specific educational qualifications is a legal or formal requirement, and failing to include this information on your resume could immediately disqualify you.

Should Your Education or Work Experience Section Be Listed First On Your Resume?

Where you put your education section depends on your situation.

If you're making a career change (or you're a recent college grad) and you have recently completed a relevant course, certificate, or degree, place your education section near the top of your resume (and before your work experience) to help recruiters quickly see them.

On the other hand, if your educational background isn't relevant to the roles you are targeting and you have successfully framed your work experience to show you have used relevant skills, then you should place your education section immediately after your resume's Work Experience section.

How to Format Your Education Section

Follow this format to ensure your resume content gets accurately parsed by the Applicant Tracking Software.

1) Use a simple heading

Simply use “Education” as your heading to prevent any chance of a company's Applicant Tracking Software being confused by your resume.

2) List your degree before the name of the school

Typically, the degree you earned should go before the name of the school you attended. If the degree is relevant to the type of job you are targeting, bold it.

If you attended a prestigious school and want to highlight the school, you can first list the name of the school and then place the degree you earned after it.

Always make sure your degree informative and clear as possible. We recommend NOT abbreviating your degree on a resume because, if a recruiter doesn’t know what an abbreviation stands for, it's unlikely they will take the time to 'google' it.

List the year you graduated after the degree. If you’re still in college or are in the process of finishing a graduate degree, list the expected date (month and year) of your graduation.

For example:

Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication (2015), University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.

Or:

Princeton University, Princeton, NJ. Bachelor of Science in Economics (Expected date of Graduation: June 2019)

If you earned a minor in college, it can give your resume a further boost. Place it next to your major.

Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication, Minor in Social Media (2015), Penn State University, State Park, PA

3) Add details that make you a stronger candidate

Make your education section more appealing by adding details that are relevant to the job. This information can be listed immediately below your degree and date of graduation and can include:

Example 1:

Princeton University, Princeton, NJ. Bachelor of Science in Economics (Expected date of Graduation: June 2019)

3.75 GPA. Graduated magna cum laude
Relevant coursework includes: International Political Economy, Political and Economic Development in Africa, and The Political Economy of China, Past and Present
Senior Thesis: Collaborated with a team of Princeton researchers to explore the socio-economic implications of technology adoption in rural and urban areas of China.
Highlighted Activities: Model UN (elected Deputy Secretary-General as senior), International Relations Club (VP Junior and Senior years)
Community Services: Habitat for Humanity (4 years)

Example 2:

Double Major: Marketing and Economics | Anticipated Graduation: Dec 2024

Jack Welsh College of Business, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT

Leadership & Activities:

Facilitate new member Delta Tau Delta education sessions, sharing knowledge on the rich history and traditions of the fraternity. Actively support academic success and mental well-being among fraternity members, providing valuable assistance and fostering a positive and supportive community.
Help lead the annual White Ribbon Campaign in collaboration with the Center for Family Justice (CFJ) to raise awareness about domestic violence. Coordinate events featuring speeches, a raffle, and community engagement.
Organize successful fundraising initiatives, including a golf outing and raffle, to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) to support research efforts toward finding a cure for juvenile diabetes.
Organize a successful volunteer trash pick-up program for the local community, demonstrating strong leadership and project management skills. Coordinate logistics and recruit volunteers

4) Indicate college credits earned even if you didn’t get a degree

If you attended college but weren’t able to graduate, you should still include an education section on your resume. You can simply list the number of credits you earned.

For example:

Bachelor of Arts: Fine Writing

University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH

40 credit hours obtained

How to List Certifications on Your Resume

Earning a certification demonstrates your passion and provides evidence of your specific expertise and skills. Including your certification on your resume can make your job application stand out to potential employers and set you apart from other applicants.

When you're making a career transition, you might be light on relevant work experience and listing a certification that demonstrates your relevant skillset and commitment to the industry may make up for what you lack in practical experience.

When listing your certifications, follow these guidelines:

Name of certification: Start with the full name of the certification. Use bold or italics if you want to make it stand out.
Issuing organization: Follow with the name of the organization that issued the certification.
Date of certification: Include the date you received the certification.
Expiration date: If applicable, mention the expiration date.
Location: If relevant, include the location where you received the certification.

Example:

Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification, Project Management Institute, 2023

How to list 'self-study' courses on your resume

Including self-study courses on your resume can have many benefits, including:

Demonstrates Self-Motivation and Discipline:
Highlights Specific Skills or Knowledge that weren't covered in your formal education:
Shows Commitment to Continuous Learning and professional development
Fills Gaps in Formal Education
Enhances Your Resume for new types of roles

Example listing:

Self-study – Successfully completed 85 hours of in-person trainings and online coursework: Financial Statement Analysis and Accounting, Harvard Business Extension (2023); Corporate Finance, Wharton School of Business online (2022); Financial Modeling and Valuation, Udemy online (2022); Accounting Crash Course, Wall Street Prep online (2021).

6) List multiple degrees, courses, or certificates in reverse chronological order

For example:

Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification, Project Management Institute, 2023

Self-study – Successfully completed 85 hours of in-person training and online coursework: Financial Statement Analysis and Accounting, Harvard Business Extension (2023); Corporate Finance, Wharton School of Business online (2022); Financial Modeling and Valuation, Udemy online (2022); Accounting Crash Course, Wall Street Prep online (2021).

Princeton University, Princeton, NJ. Bachelor of Science in Economics (Expected date of Graduation: June 2019

Step 5: Create the Summary Section of Your Resume

You're almost finished!!

For people making a career change, having a strategic summary section on your resume is crucial.

This section, which is placed at the top of the resume, is a brief introduction to your candidacy and frames the way the reader will 'see' you when they review your resume.

Before I teach you how to create an effective Summary for a career change resume, here's a sample resume Summary for a person making a career change from an accountant to a data analyst:

Data analysis and reporting enthusiast motivated to synthesize and analyze data across business units to discover critical insights that empower managers and executives to make better-informed business strategies and financial decisions.

Skilled in SQL, Python, and R, with a talent for dissecting complex data issues and delivering actionable insights. Solid background in analyzing diverse data sets across multiple business functions. Comfortable in data-driven roles and thrives on using analytical skills to contribute to informed business strategies and operational improvements.

A curious colleague, who isn't afraid to courageously and respectfully challenge the status quo and persist in the pursuit of big dreams.

As you can see above, the Summary section of your resume should have three short paragraphs. Let's look at each of those separately.

Summary Section Opening Paragraph

The opening paragraph (which is just one sentence) follows a very specific formula and has 3 components:

(1) name one or two 'keywords' that are highly relevant to the type of role that you are targeting + 2) add the words "motivated to" + 3) "describe the benefits (e.g. value) you will deliver to the company if you had the type of job you are applying for

Let's look at each of these in more detail:

1. Name one or two of the most important skills that are required to do the job that you can do. For example, if you were preparing a resume to make a career transition to a Data Analyst role, you would know that two key skills needed for this role are 'Data analysis" and "reporting".

Let's say our hypothetical candidate was an accountant who never worked as a data analyst, but they have completed a data analysis certificate. In this case, they could begin their summary with this:

Data analysis and reporting enthusiast...

2. Every hiring manager wants to hire a candidate who is very motivated to do the job, so tell them you are motivated!

Data analysis and reporting enthusiast motivated to...

3. The last part of the opening paragraph is to communicate that you will achieve the specific goals the company has for this job.

Companies hire people to help them achieve important goals and solve problems. Every job has a purpose. This purpose can be thought of as the specific goals the position is responsible for achieving and problems it is responsible for avoiding or preventing.

Many job postings will even state the 'purpose' of the job - you just have to look for it! Here's an example of a job post for a data analyst. Read the words underlined in red - that's the purpose of this job.

Summary Section Second Paragraph

You may be wondering why we encourage you to write the Summary Section of your resume, which is at the top of your resume, last.

There's a good chance that, at some point during your schooling, an English teacher mentioned you should only write your paper's summary after the paper itself is written.

This advice is given because the summary is intended to condense the most important and relevant information from your paper into a brief overview. The objective of the summary is to engage the reader's attention and encourage them to read the entire paper.

And that's the purpose of the second paragraph of your resume's summary section - to condense the most important and relevant information from your resume into a brief overview. The objective of the resume's summary is to engage the reader's attention and encourage them to read the entire paper.

The second paragraph provides a concise summary of the very best points in your resume about why you're a good candidate and why you would be good at the role you are transitioning to. It can include highlights of your skills, accomplishments, experience, education, or anything else that builds your credibility:

Keeping with our example of an accountant who wants to make a career change to a data analyst role, here's a sample second paragraph that summarizes the relevant content on the rest of their resume:

Summary Section Third Paragraph

Employers prioritize hiring applicants who can easily adapt to the company's culture and who exhibit the soft characteristics vital for the job.

The third paragraph in the Summary section is just one sentence that describes the soft skills and traits you have that are mentioned in the job post you are targeting. Consequently, you'll want to customize this information for each resume you submit.

Most companies identify the soft skills they are looking for in the successful candidate near the end of a job post. When a company describes the soft skills they are seeking early in a job post, that highlighted focus often indicates those soft traits are very important to the company.

To create this final paragraph in your resume's Summary section, simply review the job post and look for the desired soft skills, and then write a sentence that lets the employer know that 'your style and traits match the ones they are seeking.

Below is language from a job posting for a data analyst position at Honda - see the red underlines for the soft traits and style of worker they are looking to hire:

Data analysis and reporting enthusiast motivated to synthesize and analyze data across business units to discover critical insights that empower managers and executives to make better-informed business strategies and financial decisions.

Skilled in SQL, Python, and R, with a talent for dissecting complex data issues and delivering actionable insights. Solid background in analyzing diverse data sets across multiple business functions. Comfortable in data-driven roles and thrives on using analytical skills to contribute to informed business strategies and operational improvements.

A curious colleague, who isn't afraid to courageously and respectfully challenge the status quo and persist in the pursuit of big dreams.

Final Thoughts

Crafting a resume for a career change is easy if you follow the step-by-step and proven formula.

By strategically emphasizing your transferable skills, aligning your experiences with your new target role, and strategically highlighting your best qualifications, you can create a compelling career change resume that resonates with potential employers.

And here's more good news - a well-designed career change resume not only wins more interviews, but it will also help you be better prepared for your interviews because you'll know your best qualifications and how to describe and discuss them in your interviews!

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