An increasing number of people are taking the risk and switching careers even after becoming successful in their previous field. This indicates a job market that is more willing to accept mid-level career changers, which is great news if you are looking to switch careers to find your dream job. But one of the biggest struggles is writing an effective resume for your new field.

For a career changer, the ability to identify their skills and match them up to their position of choice is of the utmost importance. Covered below are some useful tips for resume writing when switching career paths.

5 Quick Resume Tips For Career Changers

Tip #1: Start Writing From Scratch

One mistake career changers make is they just make a few changes to their current resume and start submitting it to jobs in their new field. If you plan on switching careers, you need to re-analyze your skills and write your resume from scratch.

During your re-analysis, look at the various areas of business that you were able to impact. People looking to switch careers need to ensure that their resume shows the breadth of their skills, in operations, management, leadership, and communication. Check out resume examples or talk to friends in your new field to get ideas of what is relevant in the career you have decided to switch to.

Tip #2: Write a New Summary Section

The summary at the top of your resume lists your past accomplishments and your future goals. Rewriting this section is particularly important for career changers. Your goals have changed, and your resume should reflect that.

For example, if you are looking to apply for a job in online marketing, write about your marketing and web experience. This paragraph is the first and often the only thing recruiters read fully, so pay close attention to it. If you do not want to include a resume summary, make sure to write a cover letter and address how your skills apply to the new field there.

Tip #3: Exclude Some Details

For a career changer, it is necessary to write a resume that conveys as many skills as possible. However, don’t mention every single minor achievement in your career, especially if it extends your resume to another page.

Avoid listing accomplishments and tasks that have nothing to do with the new job or career you are focusing on. If you add every old achievement, recruiters will get bored and also think you are a better field for your old field.

Tip #4: Back Up Your Accomplishments With Quantified Results

Add bullet points to your resume that show how your accomplishments contributed to the company’s bottom line. Results that are quantified in percentage or numbers can give hiring managers a quick idea of how much you contributed, even if it is in an unrelated field.

Quantified results are important in every resume, but they are even more important for career changers because they help hiring manager relate to the candidate’s unfamiliar field. This, in turn, helps them understand how the applicant will apply the same skills for their company later on.

Tip #5: Write Relevant Job Descriptions

Most job candidates sticking to the same career do not write job descriptions because the recruiters they approach already have a good understanding. However, job descriptions are useful in the resumes of career changers because it helps hiring managers identify what skills can be transferred to the new field.

Final Thoughts on Resume Tips for Career Changers

Getting started in a new field is challenging, but the pay off is worth it. Your dream job could become a reality!

Related Post: Ready to switch careers? Read The Complete Guide to Career Change