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Transferable Skills Often Facilitate a Career Change
A career path that seemed promising in college can change directions quickly as a result of new technologies or a change in legislative funding. To keep yourself marketable, a career shift may be in order, but there is good news. Canterbury Résumé Services wants you to know that many of the skills you have gained from your education and experience will transfer well to another vocation. By strategically emphasizing these transferable skills on your résumé, you will keep yourself in the running for a career change without necessarily having to return to school.
Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, the field of petra geology, which was as promising as computer engineering is today, dropped dead in the water when the 1987 oil crisis hit, leaving geologists throughout the country jobless and forced to change career paths. Some went back to school for additional credentials; others joined forces in the civil engineering world and other fields. However, 20 years later, several petro-geologist job openings have cropped up as domestic oil exploration has begun again. Within the legal industry, real estate and transactional finance attorneys have seen heavy lay-offs and slim pickings for available positions in their fields because of the present credit slump. Some of these attorneys have been forced to make a career shift using transferable skills they have picked up along the way that complement another, more promising field.
Career changes can be daunting, but they are possible with some thorough research, the right network of colleagues, a strong work history in your former field, and a strategically written résumé that emphasizes those skills you have which are useful in your new desired field. Transferable skills are those skills you gained in your former field or perhaps in a position early in your career which match the skills needed in the new industry you seek.
In many cases, you are competing at entry level with applicants who may be younger than you but may have more qualifications which are relevant to the particular line of work. Nonetheless, you have a more extensive work history, and your transferable skills from your previous career path likely give you an advantage.
Often potential employers that seek to hire entry-level employees will expect you to prove yourself in a highly competitive office. You may be required to work long hours, do a lot of business travel, or meet certain stringent requirements over a probationary period – all at an entry-level wage. But your previous work experience can give you the competitive edge. Find projects the company has worked on in the past which would benefit from your transferable skills and experience from your former industry, and use that as a selling point in your cover letter, résumé, and also in your job interview. The company may even sponsor you in completing any certifications required for your job.
The use of a hybrid resume would be appropriate to use for a career shift. Include a profile or statement of qualifications at the top in order to emphasize your transferable skills that are the most relevant to the field you seek. Revisit your bullets under each company for which you have worked and decide if alternate bullets should be used that will better emphasize your transferable skills. Reorder your bullets to emphasize these skills, as well.
Avoid using a functional résumé if you are applying for an entry-level position, but if you seek a managerial-level position, a résumé with that format is an option for you.
Canterbury Résumé Services can help you prepare a winning cover letter and résumé for your career change. With the information you provide, we can design your documents to emphasize your transferable skills. Sign up for our services today!
© 2010 by Emily Sanderson. All rights reserved.
