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Career-Change Difficulty: Break Resume Rules, Tackle Down with Part-Time Jobs

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Changing career is difficult but it is not impossible. You can start your journey in making a shift by breaking the rules in writing your resume.

Transferable skills

Lacking of experience does not prove that you cannot do a job. In fact, in each job you have done, there have to be skills required. You just have to find it.

Transferable skills, refers to the ability you can use based on your previous working experience, which could be applied to your future career. According to the BBC, these skills are transferred to your new job and you should highlight them in your resume.

List some of the transferable skills plus your accomplishments that you think could demonstrate your career path in the future. It can either be management, customer service, technology or customer service. Group your skills based under each category you are on your way to write career-switch resume.

Formatting your resume

It is a common thing to write chronological resume with the recent job above all else. However, if you think that your recent job does not match with the future career role, it will not be ideal.

When considering a career-changer, it is recommended to have a functional resume than chronological one. Albeit tricky, you can group your skills based on the categories you have chosen previously. In each area, highlight your expertise and accomplishments. The point is to make recruiters 'keep reading' your resume.

Make it clear and concise, in your cover letter

If you are thinking about a career shift, you are not alone. In fact, almost three-fourths of 30-year-old Americans want a career change, Phoenix News has learned. It is important to address your intention in your cover letter so that recruiter is clear about your shifting path. Recruiters have to know why a customer service wants a role in marketing and the best place to explain the reasons, is in the cover letter. Your resume is an added value to your experience which recruiters can consider while evaluating your qualifications for the job.

Volunteer work goes on top

Volunteer jobs are not a paid job; and part-time works don't pay much. But both add education and experience that might be benefit for your new field. You can be an aspiring career changer because you have demonstrated a commitment in learning new stuffs. Volunteer jobs are attention grabbers and it should be put on 'somewhere visible' instead of down at the bottom.

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