Welcome to Resume Writing
Online Resume Builder Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
I'm Changing Careers - How Do I Format My Resume?
from: Ann Baehr
The best resume format to use is the combination resume. This resume format is not chronological nor functional. It combines both! It is extremely flexible and allows you to use strategies in a way that would normally be considered wrong.
The difference between the combination format and the chronological format is that the chronological format resume is very easy to follow. The hiring manager will typically start to read the chronological resume at the bottom of the work history or professional experience section (heading depends on your career level) and will continue reading his or her way up towards the top to trace your career history. If there are employment gaps, it will be obvious because it is difficult to hide breaks in employment using this resume format. This is why most hiring managers prefer the chronological resume format. It is easy to read and leaves little to the imagination. This can be a great advantage (marketing tool) if you have been in the same type of position because it shows continuity and progression in your industry.
But what happens when you've held different types of positions across several industries? Some reasons for gaps in employment or holding too many/unrelated jobs include raising children, caring for a family member, illness, returning to college, corporate downsizing or merger, joining the military, and difficulty finding work for long stretches of time because of a tight job market or weak resume! Hey, things happen. That’s life! You can’t worry about the past. It’s time to think about the future. So, the first thing you will need to do is toss your old resume. It will not help you to change your career. It’s time to make a fresh start!
First, create a resume that clearly indicates at the top what type of position you are seeking.
Include a career summary section that highlights where you've been in your career, being careful to only mention what would be of most interest to this particular company. Emphasize your transferable experience and skills that match the qualifications of the position (if there is a job ad, study it and do your best to make a connection between the position's requirements and what you've done. Do not use the exact wording!).
Use a keywords section to list transferable skills so the reader can find them immediately. This is also important if the company uses resume scanning technology. This will ensure your resume is retrieved from the company's database in response to a keyword search.
Under your Professional Experience section or Work History (again, depends on your background), present your experience in functional sections such as General Management, Sales Management, Staff Training and Supervision, Budget Planning and Tracking , etc.
Take ALL of the experience you've gained over the years and categorize it into skill/functional areas that the new position requires. If the company is seeking someone to manage budgets, and you managed budgets ten years ago and four years ago, but not in your last two jobs, then list the collective experience under a Budget category. Continue this formula until each respective category has a minimum of four bulleted sentences or two two-lined sentences to support the name of the heading. It is a good idea to have at least three categories to show how well rounded you are.
Below this section, list the companies, locations, job titles, and dates. You can either create a separate section named Work History if you've already called the above section Professional Experience, or simply list the section without a main heading as part of the main section. It will be understood. Or, you can start the section off with the company names and dates followed by the functional categories. In other words, flip it.
The most common problem with this resume format is identifying where your experience was gained. But, that's the whole idea. If they are interested in what you can do, they will call you in for the interview. It is at that time you can explain the how, when, where, and why of it all. It will make for great conversation-- which by the way, a job interview should be. A meeting between two people with a common interest (the position) who engage in conversation in a professional manner.
About The Author
Ann Baehr is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and President of Best Resumes of New York. Notable credentials include her role as former Second Vice President of the National Resume Writers' Association and published contributor to over twenty resume and cover letter books by McGraw-Hill, Jist Publishers, and Adams Media. To learn more, visit Best Resumes of New York at www.e-bestresumes.com.
Online Resume Builder News
Vancouver Career College Rolls out Web-Based Resume Builder
Optimal Resume helps students and alumni create the perfect resumes for their job hunt (PRWeb February 02, 2012) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/2/prweb9161117.htm
Read more...Kareer.me Partners With the Business Careers in Entertainment Association to Offer Upgraded Memberships
CLEVELAND, Jan. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- The online resume builder Kareer.me is partnering with the Business Careers in Entertainment Association (BCEA) to create dynamic and more rounded experiences for Kareer.me and BCEA members. Kareer.me will offer its members upgraded...
Read more...New Employment Site Launches with Focus on Finding Local Talent, Lowering Unemployment Rates, and Stimulating the ...
PHOENIX, Feb. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- While unemployment rates continue to be at an all-time high, America is not getting back to work fast enough. Arizona leads the country in unemployment numbers and ...
Read more...CDI College Launches Optimal Resume Service
Students and grads can now build and share resumes with potential employers onlineVancouver, BC (PRWEB) February 02, 2012 CDI College has teamed with Optimal Resume, an online resume building service, for student and alumni use free of charge. Starting February 1, 2012, students will be able to use the service to easily create, customize and distribute resumes, as well as build interactive ...
Read more...7 steps to your successful federal-job search
8 of 1 Explore the federal-job marketWith dozens of government departments and agencies, finding a federal job can be daunting.Job seekers can start by exploring the website USAJOBS.gov, the government's ...
Read more...Apple gets suspension of Motorola's injunction, sales resume
Motorola's German ban against Apple was short-lived Friday after the court suspended the ban following an appeal. Apple in a statement hours later told SlashGear that it would have iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and 3G iPads back on Germany's online Apple Store soon. The iOS device builder reiterated the point of view behind the appeal, which contended that Motorola was violating policies around ...
Read more...7 steps to a successful federal-job search
With dozens of government departments and agencies, finding a federal job can be daunting. Job seekers can start by exploring the website USAJOBS.gov, the government's online home for federal-job listings and employment information.
Read more...