resume objective for career change sample

Press Enter to search

How To Write a Resume Objective For a Career Change

Not sure if an objective still belongs on your resume? Here are recruiter-backed tips on how to write an effective resume objective in 2024, with specific advice for career changers.

a year ago   •   8 min read

Job hunting is never easy, but it’s even harder when you’re changing careers. That’s where a modern resume objective comes in. It’s a concise statement at the top of your resume that contextualizes your past experience, signals your intent to change careers, and highlights relevant skills or achievements.

If your first question is, “aren’t resume objectives outdated?” then the answer is yes, but they don’t have to be. Here’s how to write a modern, recruiter-friendly resume objective , with specific advice for people aiming to change careers in 2024 .

Resume objectives vs resume summaries

First, before we go any further, let’s address the elephant in the room: Yes, traditional resume objectives are outdated and do not belong on a modern resume.

There are many reasons why, but it basically boils down to the fact that hiring managers want to know what you can do for them, and resume objectives typically focus on what a company can do for you.

But, while traditional resume objectives might be outdated, a modernized version can be a powerful tool for those looking to change careers. This new and improved version, often called a 'resume summary,' can showcase your professional highlights, relevant skills, and your intention to shift careers.

In short, resume objectives are out, and resume summaries are in. So, for the rest of this article, when we’re talking about your resume objective, we’re really talking about your new and improved resume summary.

Do I need a resume objective for a career change resume?

If we're talking about a traditional resume objective, then No. It’s better to remove it and take advantage of the extra space to include more relevant work experience and hard skills.

But if we’re talking about a resume summary, then Yes!

When you’re changing careers, it’s important to include your new/proposed job title somewhere on your resume to get past ATS , and a resume summary is a great place to do that. A summary objective can also help explain to hiring managers why you’re applying for a position that doesn’t directly align with your experience and helps highlight relevant qualifications or recent training.

How to write a career change resume objective

• Put your objective at the top of your resume, just below your contact information, under the optional title of ‘ Summary .’
• Include the title of the job you’re applying for and the company name.
• Mention any relevant skills or experience you can bring to the role, including any impressive accomplishments you want to highlight.
• Keep it brief — a resume objective can be as short as a single line.
• Tailor your objective to the job you’re applying for by mentioning relevant transferable skills.
• Check whether you’ve hit the mark with our free Targeted Resume tool.

Now let's delve into more details about what your resume objective should (and shouldn’t) include, with examples you can use to create your own career change resume objective.

Examples of resume objectives for a career change

A resume objective doesn’t need to be complicated. A single line explaining what role you’re applying for can be enough to bypass ATS and indicate your intent to a hiring manager. For example:

To become a graphic designer at Kool Grafix, Inc.

When changing careers, it can be useful to highlight any similar experience or transferable skills upfront. For example:

To bring my two years of volunteer experience to the events coordinator role at Inner City Events.

A longer summary-style objective is ideal for career changers who want a little more space to contextualize past experience and highlight any standout accomplishments:

Ex-Sales Associate transitioning into an Administrative Assistant role. Diverse experience resolving customer inquiries, opening accounts and managing schedules. Over 3 years of experience managing teams of 5-15 people. Exceeded sales target by 95% in 2022, winning the Business Store Award.

Follow these examples to write your own objective, or try out our Resume Summary Generator to help get you started.

Do’s and don’ts of writing a resume objective

Let’s start by taking a look at what (and what not) to do when writing a resume objective for a career change.

Don’t: Write a traditional resume objective

Here’s an example of a fairly typical resume objective that recruiters don’t want to see:

To use my excellent people skills to obtain a position that will allow me to grow professionally and reach my fullest potential.

Recruiters don’t care about what you want from them, so don’t focus on that, and avoid buzzwords and vague long-term career aspirations.

Instead, focus on your acomplishments and what you bring to the table. To be effective, your resume objective should highlight relevant experience, quantifiable achievements, and transferable skills. To find out if your resume does just that, upload it to the tool below — it’ll give you a detailed analysis of your career change resume objective and suggestions for improvements.

Do: Be concise and specific

A good resume objective should focus on your specific, short-term professional goals. It should include:

• The specific position and company you’re applying for
• The key skills or experience you will bring to the role

That’s it! There’s no need to dive into who you are as a person, why you need a job right now, or what you want out of life.

Here’s an example of a brief but effective resume objective:

To become a sales representative at Elite Motors.

If you want to use your resume objective to highlight transferable skills, you can add more to it — but not too much. For example:

To bring my 5 years of experience in project management to the operations manager role at West Coast Pipeline.

The key is to focus on what rather than why — what job you’re seeking, what company you’re applying to, and what makes you stand out from the rest.

Do: Emphasize metrics and quantifiable achievements

Use metrics and quantifiable achievements to enhance your new resume objective. This approach is particularly effective for career changers as it provides concrete evidence of your skills and accomplishments.

For example, instead of simply stating your previous role, mention specific achievements such as “Increased sales by 30% over two years” or “Led a team that successfully completed a major project under budget and ahead of schedule.”

Do: Include a summary of your key qualifications

A summary-style resume objective should:

• Briefly outline your past experience
• State any new or relevant qualifications
• Highlight a few transferable skills or notable accomplishments

Here’s a basic resume summary format you can adapt to fit your situation:

Ex-[Current Job Title] transitioning into an [Future Job Title] role after [completing X relevant certification] and [relevant accomplishment]. Diverse experience [doing X transferrable skill in new job], [Y transferable skill in new job] and [Z transferable skill in new job]. Over 5 years of experience managing global teams of 5-20 people and working with C-Suite executives. [Describe one significant accomplishment in the format of Action Verb + Accomplishment + Metric].

Do: Research and incorporate current industry trends

When crafting your resume objective, demonstrate your up-to-date knowledge and commitment to your new field by researching current trends in your target industry, and incorporating these into your statement.

For example, if you are transitioning to a tech role, mention your familiarity with emerging technologies and new software.

For example:

Ex-project manager transitioning to a software development role with a keen focus on emerging technologies in cloud computing and machine learning. Recently completed a specialized course in AI-driven development.

Do: Keep your resume objective updated and current

As you progress through your career change, it's crucial to keep your resume objective updated, so it accurately represents your current capabilities. Regular updates show your commitment to continuous learning and professional growth, which is particularly important for career changers actively acquiring new skills and qualifications.

In this example, the candidate demonstrates how they have actively worked to bridge the gap between their past experience and their new career path:

Ex-project manager recently certified in SEO and digital marketing, with a background in sales management, now seeking to leverage my combined expertise in an online marketing strategist role.

How to identify and highlight transferable skills in your resume objective

As a career changer, one of your most powerful tools is the ability to showcase transferable skills. Transferable skills are competencies that are relevant to a variety of different industries and can include things like leadership, project management, communication, and analytical abilities.

By mentioning transferable skills in your resume objective, you can show potential employers why your seemingly unrelated past experience makes you a great fit for this new role.

To showcase transferable skills in your resume objective:

• Look at the job description for your desired position and compare the skills to those you've developed in previous jobs, even if they seem unrelated. For instance, project management skills in an IT role can be relevant in a managerial position in another sector.
• Showcase those skills in a way that explains their relevance to the new industry by changing the terminology to match your desired field or focusing on one particular aspect of a larger role.
• Highlight your experience with these skills using quantifiable metrics. For example, if your leadership in a previous job led to a 20% increase in team efficiency, mention it.

Here is an example of a resume objective that highlights transferable skills:

Ex-Sales Manager transitioning into an HR Manager role after completing HR CIPD Level 5 certificate. Over 5 years of experience managing global teams of 5-20 people and working with C-Suite executives.

The benefits of including a resume objective when changing careers

Wondering why you should bother including a resume objective at all? Here are a few good reasons:

To confirm that you’re deliberately aiming for a career change

If you’re changing careers, sometimes the first hurdle can be explaining that, yes, you do want this job as a software developer, and no, you didn’t apply by accident. Even a one-line resume objective can help with this — putting the title of the job you’re applying for in your objective can help your resume get past Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and signal a deliberate intent to change careers.

To address a gap in your resume

You can use your resume objective to address a gap in your resume and negate any potential recruiter concerns regarding your time away from work. Focus on the skills and experiences you gained during the time away by highlighting any training or qualifications you gained, and discuss how the period contributed positively to your career goals.

For example, a marketing professional transitioning to user experience design might mention completing a UX certification and engaging in freelance projects during a career break. This approach demonstrates a proactive attitude and readiness for new challenges, showing potential employers that the gap was a valuable investment in your future career.

To replace (or accompany) a cover letter

Not all positions ask for (or require) a cover letter . Even if you did write one, including a quick line at the top of your resume clearly stating the role you’re applying for can help ensure that your resume ends up in the right place.

To quickly outline your key skills and experience

Recruiters tend to briefly skim resumes rather than carefully reading each section. That means that you’ll want to put the most important information at the top of your resume where it’s more likely to stand out. Use your resume objective to pull out a few key accomplishments from your resume that you don’t want the hiring manager to miss.

Try to include skills that are relevant to the career you want to move into. if you're not sure what skills those are, search for your target role or industry in the tool below.

• Career Advice

Spread the word

How to say you work well independently on a resume (with examples), resume skill levels: what being proficient really means (and how to prove it), keep reading, how to name drop in a cover letter (without sounding pretentious), how to show bilingualism on your resume (with examples), why the job you interviewed for was reposted: the complete 2024 guide, subscribe to our newsletter.

Stay updated with Resume Worded by signing up for our newsletter.

🎉 Awesome! Now check your inbox and click the link to confirm your subscription.

Please enter a valid email address

Oops! There was an error sending the email, please try later

Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.

Build my resume

• Build a better resume in minutes
• Resume examples
• 2,000+ examples that work in 2024
• Resume templates
• Free templates for all levels
• Cover letters
• Cover letter generator
• It's like magic, we promise
• Cover letter examples
• Free downloads in Word & Docs

11 Career Change Resume Examples Designed for 2024

Marketing Manager

Best for senior and mid-level candidates

There’s plenty of room in our elegant resume template to add your professional experience while impressing recruiters with a sleek design.

Resume Builder

Like this template? Customize this resume and make it your own with the help of our Al-powered suggestions, accent colors, and modern fonts.

• Career Change Resumes
• Changing Careers To Resumes
• Changing Careers From Resumes
• Career Change Resumes for Teachers

Noah breathed a sigh of relief as he found a few accounting job descriptions that intrigued him. After spending years in various financial roles and racking up some impressive creds as a financial analyst, he felt confident in this career switch. But was he as ready for the resume overhaul he needed as he was for his career change?

Noah’s confidence went up when he found our library of career change resume examples and time-tested hints. Plus, he knew he’d be able to expand upon his career objective and add even more value by making a cover letter ! The notes he took while preparing his application materials even helped him navigate a victorious interview.

Whether you’re looking to change careers in accounting, teaching, or any other profession, check out our handy resources to build your own success story like Noah did!

Career Change Resume

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• A summary merges your background with the opportunities you’re seeking. In other words, a summary demonstrates how your experience has prepared you for your new field. However, you should only use a summary if you’ve had  at least 10 years of experience.
• Choosing a  professional resume template  and  resume format  can help make your resume look professional and cohesive without much effort.

Multiple Career Resume

• The keywords you include will help tie your expertise together and prove that you have the right abilities for the job. 
• Start by listing hard skills (aka technical, learned skills) listed in the job description. If you don’t have a lot, then simply use soft skills like “analytical” and collaboration.”
• Whatever jobs you’ve held, find a common thread between them and the new job, then sew that thread into every job experience. It’ll be a subtle but powerful tool to increase credibility despite multiple career changes. 

Career Change To Accounting Resume

• If you’re applying to be an accountant but it wasn’t your most recent role, be sure to add a certifications section highlighting that you are a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Career Change To Administrative Assistant Resume

• Enhance your career change to administrative assistant resume with a short summary that shows recruiters where to draw parallels between your past experience and target title.

Marketing Manager Career Change Resume

• There are numbers everywhere; look for percentages relating to your skills, like how you boosted efficiency or increased sales from last quarter. The sky’s the limit!
• If you can’t find (or don’t have access to) percentages, then use plain numbers relating to how many team members you worked with, how many clients you took on, or how many referrals you gained.
• Things like only using active verbs and avoiding personal pronouns might seem minor, but they make reading your resume easier, which is huge for recruiters and hiring managers.
• And speaking of details, always  double-check your resume  for proper grammar, punctuation, and overall flow.

RN Career Change Resume

• An objective is only two to three sentences, so make sure each word packs a verbal punch by showing off your years of experience, skills, and desire for the role you’re seeking.
• For example, mentioning your adherence to HIPPA guidelines can demonstrate to hiring managers that you will stick to the rules. On the flip side, explaining how you used active listening to assist patients will show your compassion and customer service skills.

Journalist Career Change Resume

• Start by keeping your resume to a single page. Otherwise, you’ll overwhelm hiring managers (who will likely toss your resume into the recycling).
• It’s best to use reverse-chronological formatting on your resume to keep your most relevant job history at the top. While other formats are necessarily wrong, they aren’t standard, and they’re harder for hiring managers (and the ATS) to read.
• In your contact header, include your email address (make sure it’s a professional email), your phone number, and your location. 
• Consider adding a hyperlink to your LinkedIn profile if you have a LinkedIn account.

Mechanical Engineer Career Change Resume

• Consider asking a friend, relative, or even a career advisor from your alma mater to scan your resume for errors and discrepancies.
• Nothing tells a recruiter you’re not the right person for the job like saying you’re great at “time management.” 
• Put color in your section headers (or company titles) and your contact header. This will add visual interest without being overwhelming.
• If you’re applying to work at a conservative financial firm, you may want to stick to traditional colors rather than pastel pink or lavender.

Teacher Career Change Resume

• Look for ways to connect your previous duties to the responsibilities listed in the job description.
• Many skills  indirectly  transfer from one job to another. Consider your collaboration skills: your ability to work well with fellow teachers will help you work on team projects at your next job.
• Of course, if you have any skills, projects, or experience in your new field, include them, and explain how you’ve mastered them in your career change cover letter .
• Using a  resume template  is invaluable here, as you can easily scooch sections to the side, adjust your margins, and fix your font type to give you some extra wiggle room.

Teacher to Project Manager Resume

• The work experience bullet points to occupy the largest share of your CV—no more than four bullets for each role. As for your contact info, education, skills, hobbies, and certifications, a side column will do the trick. The cherry on top is restricting the entire resume to one page.

Teacher to Human Resources Resume

• But more importantly, mention the relevant transferable skills you bring to this entry-level role, a requirement Elijah executes well in his teacher to human resources resume. Better yet, let your bullet points show how you used these proficiencies in previous teaching roles.

Related resume guides

• Engineering

Career Change Resume for 2024 [9+ Examples]

Thinking of switching careers?

It might feel a lot like taking a leap of faith. 

You’re stepping into the unknown - that alone takes a lot of courage and determination.

You might even feel like a recent graduate all over again.

You have 0 experience, entering an entirely new field, competing with people who’ve been doing it forever!

That sounds pretty scary.

But here’s the thing:

As long as you’re armed with the right resume, the transition can be a piece of cake.

And luckily, we’re here to help and guide you through the process.

So, if you’re thinking of breaking into a new career industry, be sure to read on.

• How to pick the best resume format for a career change
• How to create a skill summary and wow the recruiter
• How to show off transferable work experience
• 3+ other ways to impress the recruiter (even if you have 0 relevant work experience)

Choosing the Best Career Change Resume Format

A big part of creating an effective resume is choosing the right resume format to tell your story with.

You need to structure your resume in a way that best shows your transferable skills and experience.

And when it comes to switching careers, the combination resume format does that best.

Here’s why:

This format places equal emphasis on skills and important work experience . 

This way, you can show you have the right industry transferable skills , even if you haven’t had the actual job title.

The format is ideal for people:

• Making a career change with transferable skills or work experience.
• With some employment gaps.
• With a diverse range of skills and experience .
• Applying to both creative and traditional roles.

And here’s what you include within this format:

• Contact information
• Resume objective or summary
• Skills summary
• Work experience
• Certification

Now, we’re going to go over each of those sections and explain how to write them step-by-step.

Here’s what you need to know:

How to Add Your Contact Information the Right Way

Your contact information is arguably the most important part of your resume.

Even if you’re the most qualified person in the world, it’s not going to matter much if you misspell your email and the HR manager can’t contact you.

So, here’s what you should include in this section:

• First name, last name 
• Phone number - Make sure to include your country code if you’re applying outside your country.
• Email address - Something professional like [[email protected]].
• Location - The company needs to know if you’re located in the region or if they may have to sponsor your relocation.
• Title - Either your current professional title or your new desired one. We’d recommend including the job title you’re applying for word-for-word.

Once you’re done, we’d recommend that you double-check, even triple-check everything. You wouldn’t want to miss your chances of landing the job because of a typo, would you?

• Got an online portfolio? You can also mention the links here. For example, if you’re a developer, you can include a link to your GitHub profile. If you’re a writer, a Medium link, and so on...

All clear? Good!

Now, let’s cover how to write a successful career change resume objective or summary.

Impress the Recruiter With a Career Change Resume Objective or Summary

So you’ve got your contact details down.

Now, you need a reason for the HR manager to continue reading the rest of your resume.

So, how do you get the recruiter to stop and read your career change resume when they only look at resumes for 6 seconds on average?

The answer: by using a resume objective or summary.

Both of these sections explain why you’re the best person for the job and act as a preview to the rest of your resume.

Here’s how the two differ:

Your resume summary shows your best accomplishments that are relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Your resume objective highlights how your current skills are relevant and will transfer to your new position.

As someone going through a career change, you can include either one.

But as a rule of thumb, if you were working in a related field and have some transferable skills, go for a resume summary.

On the other hand, if you were working in a completely unrelated field, go for a resume objective.

Check out these examples to get a better idea of what both of these might look like:

Career Change Resume Summary Example

• “Customer support specialist with over 4+ years of experience in over-the-phone technical support looking to leverage communication skills as a Sales Agent at Company XYZ. Excellent track record of delivering quality support, with an average rating of 4.6/5 over the past 2 years.”

A career change resume summary helps the HR understand how your skillset from your previous job can translate into your new one.

In that case, it’s best to mention:

• Your current relevant skills or experience.
• How your background can help you excel at the current job.

Career Change Resume Objective Example

• “Organized and hard-working employee looking to join XYZ as a marketing assistant. Looking to take advantage of my skills in Photoshop, graphic design, and creative copywriting to help XYZ with their marketing efforts.”

See the difference here?

Even though the person doesn’t have any relevant work experience, their resume objective still shows how their skill set is relevant to the new job.

Show Off Your Know-How With a Skills Summary Section

Your resume summary / objective is only an introduction. Now, you need to show the HR what you’ve got.

To do that, you need a good skills summary section.

Skills summary is a must-have section for just about any career change resume.

It puts more emphasis on your skill-set, as opposed to your work experience. This allows you to show how you’re a qualified candidate, even though you haven’t done the job before.

Here’s what a sample skills summary section might look like for a front-end developer.

Career Change Resume Skills Summary Example

• Built an online personal portfolio and resume website using HTML, CSS, JS.
• Created an online JS/jQuery quiz game that takes multiple answers and shows results to the user.
• Built a beautiful weather app with Angular 8 from scratch, designed UI with Sketch.
• Created responsive website templates (that are also mobile friendly) using modern CSS techniques and JS libraries.
• Worked with design and development groups to create applications from mock-ups in Sketch, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
• Familiar with Git, XDebug, and Chrome Developer Tools.
• Debugged over 10 JS web apps for a SaaS project.

Simple enough, right?

You list out each of your key skills, and then back it up with how you’ve used it in the past.

Now, you might be thinking, “what about the work experience section?” Do I just skip it, and use a skills summary instead?

Nope - you still need to list your work experience.

In this case, though, you’d want to use it to show off your transferable skills. Here’s how:

Use Your Work Experience to Show Off Transferable Skills

Let’s take a different example and say you’re moving from a job in sales to copywriting.

A resume you’d use for sales compared to a more creative field like copywriting is probably going to be a bit different.

But what do both of the roles have in common?

Well, for one, they both require you to have excellent communication skills. You also need to be good at understanding your target market and conveying complex information in simple language.

And that’s the common thread you want to focus on in your work experience section.

So, when listing your previous jobs, think of some transferable skills that you bring to the table that are going to be relevant.

Even unrelated jobs have some universal skills that are helpful everywhere.

To give you a better idea of what we mean, let’s look at some examples:

Sales Executive

Company X - 11/2016 - 04/2019

• Created and presented pitch deck that secured a $500,000 deal - largest for Company X to date.
• Boosted sales for the most underperforming product by 40% by developing helpful and instructional material for prospects.
• Created and edited sales materials, scripts, and technical documents for accuracy and consistency.

Here’s what’s done right:

• Shows transferable skills and achievements.
• Highlights only the parts from the experience that are related to the new role.

While the above example doesn’t talk about product descriptions or ads, communication materials and sales scripts do show that the candidate can write.

So, for a copywriting position, it’s going to be relevant and worth mentioning.

Now, compare that to the career change work experience below:

• Cold-emailed 100+ prospects daily.
• Closed 14+ deals in 2019 so far.
• Hit and exceeded company KPIs for the past 2 years in a row.

Sure, this example is good. But only if the candidate is applying for a sales job.

For copywriting, though, none of the skills mentioned are going to come in handy.

So, when listing previous job positions, you should focus only on what’s relevant.

Now that you know how to properly list work experience, let’s move on to the next section: Education.

Make Your Education Section Shine

Your education section is going to be an important requirement for just about any position above entry-level.

Listing education on your resume is pretty straightforward.

All you have to do is list your latest educational entry (e.g. college degree), and then include all the important stuff below it.

For example, you can include things like:

• Name of degree (Minor - optional): e.g. B.A. International Business Administration.
• Name of educational institution: e.g. University of Groningen.
• Years attended: e.g. 2015 - 2019.
• Location of the program (optional): e.g. Groningen, Netherlands.
• GPA (optional): 3.84 (only include if you excelled).
• Courses that are relevant to the job (optional): e.g. Advanced Business Finances.
• Exchange programs (optional): e.g. exchange program in Florida, U.S.

Here’s what the full listing for this educational entry might look like:

You might be wondering, what if I don’t have the right education for the job? Maybe, you have an M.A. in Philosophy, but you’re applying for a job in marketing. Do you still list it?

The answer is a definite yes.

Even if the degree is not relevant at all, it still shows that you’re passionate about learning and education.

In some cases, you might even be able to show off some transferable skills with your degree.

Let’s say, for example, you have a B.A. in English Literature , and you’re applying for a job in marketing. 

You could stress on how your degree gave you amazing writing skills (a must-have for most marketing roles), like so:

B.A. in English Literature.

University XYZ - 2014-2018

• Excelled in creative writing courses
• Part-time as a reporter for the university website

PS - Do you still have some questions on how to list your education section? Maybe you’re wondering what else you can include? Check out our full guide on how to list education on a resume with 13+ real-life examples.

Done with your education section? Awesome!

This brings us to the next section on your career change resume.

How (and Why) to List Skills On a Career Change Resume

When it comes to the skills section, what most recruiters want to know is if you can actually do what the job ad asks for.

And like with the other sections till now, relevance is key.

You should only ever list skills that are appropriate to the job you’re applying for.

To find out what’s relevant, start by scanning the job listing.

Most job ads usually include a list of requirements or skills they expect for a good candidate to have.

So, all you have to do is mention those exact skills on your resume.

Let’s take a look at an example.

Career Change Resume Skills Example

Assuming the job ad is for a junior front-end developer who has:

• 2-4 Years of professional experience using JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.
• Up to 1 years of visual design experience focusing on strong UX/UI.
• Good communication skills and team-player

You’d want to list the following skills:

• Communication Skills
• Team-Player

So, all you have to do is mention these skills, and you’re good to go!

• Not sure which skills are a must-have for your role? Check out our complete list of all must-have skills for any given field or position!

Showing Career Certifications on a Resume

When you’re switching careers, certifications are an amazing way to show you’re serious about your craft.

This shows you’re willing to put in the work and that you’ve already taken the first steps.

When listing certifications though, make sure they’re relevant to your field.

For a marketing role, here’s what that might look like:

• HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certified, 2019.
• Google Analytics Individual Qualification, 2018.
• SEMrush Content Marketing Toolkit Course, 2018.

And here’s an example done wrong:

• TechCamp Python Bootcamp, 2019.
• Udemy JavaScript 101 Course.

For a marketing role, those certificates are completely irrelevant and aren’t even in the same field.

While they might be impressive on their own, that doesn’t mean they make you a better marketer.

Listing Personal Projects

Another great way to show that you’re the right person for the job is to list personal projects.

This can be just about anything:

• Founding a sports team in university
• Project you did for business class
• A Part-time online store you created on Etsy
• Passion-project for wood-working
• And whatever else you love (that’s relevant for your new career)

Pretty much anything that can make up for your lack of experience in the field counts.

But of course, keep in mind that your projects should be relevant to your new job.

Getting into coding? Here’s what your projects section could look like...

Make sure to stick to relevant projects, though.

The HR manager cares about your CODING experience, not about the fact that you started a basketball team in college.

Now, compare that to:

• Excelled in Anthropology and Archaeology classes at University X.
• Self-taught knitting pro.

You shouldn’t list projects just for the sake of standing out or filling up space. 

The more irrelevant information you mention in your resume, the more likely it is for the recruiter to accidentally skip out on all your must-have sections.

• Still have some space on your resume? You can also include the hobbies & interests section. Check out our guide to learn how (and why)!

How to Write a Career Change Cover Letter

Done with your resume?

But wait, before you get too excited - you’re still not done.

You need to back up your resume with a career change cover letter.

And no - it’s not like the usual cover letter you’re used to writing. 

When you’re switching careers, you want to use your cover letter to highlight WHY you’re switching fields and WHY your skills are a good match for the new role.

To do this, make sure you bring up a ton of examples and call out any key statistics or measurable results to draw upon, if possible.

To help you craft the best career change cover letter, check out the example below:

Here’s what’s done right with this cover letter:

• Addresses the reader (i.e. “Dear Doris” or if you can’t find their name, “To Whom it May Concern.”).
• Makes it clear they want to transition into a different career (from marketing and retail sales into public relations in this case).
• Shows they’ve done the research and the letter is tailored to the company's products and brand.
• Provides specific examples and achievements (“raised more than $ 10,000 for the event.”).
• Ends on a confident note and provides a call-to-action (and where to contact them).

Think your cover letter game is lacking? Check out our complete, step-by-step guide on how to write a cover letter.

If you're thinking about a career change, and want to join a community of global professionals who are also re-designing and reframing their careers, then consider Unsettled’s Lifestyle Incubator.

Unsettled’s Lifestyle Incubator program is a 4-week highly interactive “virtual retreat” for professionals seeking to redefine their career trajectory and be more intentional about designing their next steps.

Through original workshops, weekly live sessions, practical tools, frameworks and peer-to-peer conversations with a global and diverse community of professionals, they will help you identify the core tensions between the lifestyle you want and the career trajectory that aligns your values, interests, and skills.

Key Takeaways

To recap, going through a mid-career transition probably sounds intimidating. 

But if you craft your career change resume focusing on transferable skills and experience - then you’re good to go!

Just make sure you follow these main key tips while working on your resume:

• Use the combination resume format to highlight your transferable skills and work experience.
• Include all the essential career change resume sections - contact information , resume objective or summary , skill summary , work experience , soft and technical skills , certifications and personal projects.
• And while doing so, highlight only what’s relevant to your new position.
• Finally, make sure you attach a tailored cover letter to your resume and mention WHY you’re switching fields and what unique skills you’re bringing with you.

At Novorésumé, we’re committed to helping you land your dream job, every step of the way. Be sure to check out our career blog to stay up to date with the industry-leading advice and more actionable tips.

Suggested Reading:

• How to Get Your Resume Layout Right [3 Free Templates]
• How to Write an ATS Resume
• 20+ One-Page Resume Templates [Free Download]

To provide a safer experience, the best content and great communication, we use cookies. Learn how we use them for non-authenticated users.

• Youth Program
• Wharton Online

How to Write a Career Change Resume [With Template]

Starting a career in a new field is exciting, but getting your foot in the door often presents a challenge. If you’re worried about your application being overshadowed by candidates with more experience than you, don’t underestimate the role that a well-written resume can play in the hiring process. Even if you don’t have the work experience an employer is looking for, your resume can effectively convey why you’d be a great fit for the job. 

According to iHire’s 2020 Talent Retention Report , 66% of survey respondents have recently considered changing careers. The report also found that not knowing how to write a career change resume was a commonly cited roadblock for would-be career switchers. 

In this guide, we explain what a career change resume is and how to write one. We’ve also included a free template, so you can get to work on crafting a resume for your dream role.

How to Write a Resume for a Career Change

In general, most best practices for writing a resume also apply to career change resumes. However, there are a few areas you’ll want to be sure to emphasize when writing a resume for a new career path. While a traditional resume focuses heavily on work experience, career change resumes focus more on transferable skills.

In terms of how your resume is structured, a combination resume format may be the way to go. This type of resume places an equal emphasis on both skills and experience. Instead of starting the resume with your work experience, combination resume templates typically begin with an objective and a summary of relevant skills. 

The steps listed below can help you adapt your existing resume into one that is tailored for career switching. 

1. Craft a resume objective  

A resume objective is a short summary of your professional experience, skills, accomplishments, and career goals. 

Resume objectives and summaries are often considered optional, especially if you are trying to save room on your resume, but this section is crucial for those looking to change careers. The hiring manager may not make an immediate connection between your experience and the role you’re applying for, so your resume objective is essential for helping convey why you’re interested in this industry. 

Your objective should be no longer than a couple sentences. If it takes up more than two or three lines on your resume, try to shorten it.

2. Include a skills summary 

If you’re in the midst of changing careers, you’ll want to feature your skills prominently on your resume. In fact, we recommend listing them above your work experience. 

In the skills summary section, list a few skills you want to highlight, and add bullet points underneath each skill that provide examples of when you’ve used this skill. 

Not sure what type of skills to include in this section? Scan the job description for the position you’re applying for and use some of the required skills as your starting point. Some soft skills—such as leadership skills —are applicable for almost any job. Including some of the same keywords as the job description can help ensure that your resume makes it past automatic review filters.

In some situations, you might also choose to make a separate section for “Technical Skills.” In this section, you can briefly list your proficiency with various industry tools or software. This can be a great way to capture additional keywords from the job description, without having to list full examples of when you’ve used each tool. 

3. Focus on the most relevant work experience 

For a career change resume, the work experience section is all about transferable skills. You don’t necessarily need to list all of the responsibilities you had at your old job. Instead, focus on the responsibilities that are the most relevant for the new position you’re applying for. For example, if you’re a customer service representative hoping to land a job in digital marketing, you may choose to narrow in on your ability to find creative solutions for your customers. 

Here are a few tips for describing your work experience:

• Connect your work experience back to the skills listed in your skills summary section
• Focus on achievements, providing numbers and data whenever possible
• Tailor your descriptions to each job you apply for, working in keywords from the job description

If you’re running out of space on your resume, keep in mind that you don’t need to list every job you’ve ever had. Stick to your most recent two or three jobs, and leave older, irrelevant jobs behind. 

Related: How to Successfully Navigate a Midlife Career Change and Avoid a Crisis

4. Highlight your education (including certificates) 

Whether or not your education is directly related to the job you’re applying for, it’s still important to include this section on your resume. If you have limited professional experience, you can bolster your resume with some descriptions of your academic achievements, such as your GPA or relevant coursework you’ve completed. 

For example, imagine you have an undergraduate degree in history and are applying for a role as a business analyst. If you took any courses in business or analytics during college, be sure to mention them. They might not have been a part of your degree, but they show that you’ve had an ongoing interest in understanding how businesses operate. 

If you’ve earned any certificates outside of a degree program, be sure to list these, too. Online programs and certificates offer a way to expand your knowledge in a specific subject area, without the time commitment of a full degree program. They can show employers that you are serious about your professional development and would like to gain more experience in a particular industry. 

Related: Top 10 Most In-Demand Online Courses from Wharton Online Right Now

5. Add in notable projects and accomplishments 

Dedicating a section of your resume to projects and accomplishments isn’t always necessary, but if you’re changing careers or do not have much work experience, this can be a valuable way to round out your resume. You can use this space to highlight any personal achievements that are not directly related to work or school—for example, personal projects, volunteer work, or involvement in industry-related clubs or organizations. 

If you choose to include a section for projects or accomplishments, make sure that everything you list ties back to a key skill or characteristic that is relevant for your desired career path.

Career Change Resume Example 

Now that we’ve covered some tips for creating a resume tailored to a career change, let’s explore an example. We crafted this resume for a customer service representative who is applying for a digital marketing specialist position. 

Name and Contact Information 

Abigail Jacobs 

Philadelphia, PA

267-555-0176 | [email protected]

linkedin.com/in/abigail-jacobs-example

Driven and hardworking professional with a proven track record of increasing customer satisfaction levels. Looking to leverage my problem-solving skills and build upon my 3+ years of customer service experience by transitioning into the digital marketing space.

Professional Skills 

Problem Solving

• Developed creative solutions for unsatisfied customers at Platinum Auto Insurance and Accelerate Call Center
• Lead brainstorming sessions with team members to improve customer satisfaction metrics

Communication 

• 3+ years of experience in customer services roles, frequently communicating with customers both on the phone and over email 
• Completed a B.A. in Communications and was an active member of the Public Speaking Club while in college 

Organization 

• Used Excel to organize and track customer service metrics, and compiled these metrics into weekly reports for management 

Technical Skills 

• Microsoft Word
• Google Suite 
• Google Analytics 
• Google Search Console 

Work Experience

Senior Customer Service Advisor

Platinum Auto Insurance | Sept 2019 – Present

• Resolved over 100 customer complaints per week, communicating with customers via phone and email 
• Tracked KPIs for each ticket and delivered weekly customer satisfaction reports for management, consistently exceeding target satisfaction ratings by 5-10%
• Collaborated with team members to identify creative solutions for customers

Customer Service Representative 

Accelerate Call Center | Jul 2018 – Sept 2019 

• Responded to 50+ calls per day, answering questions from customers and redirecting to other departments as needed 
• Demonstrated written communication skills by revamping customer service phone scripts, resulting in a 20% increase in customer satisfaction ratings 

Bachelor of Arts in Communication

University of Pennsylvania | Jun 2018

• Completed courses in advertising and social media

Digital Marketing Certificate 

Wharton Online | Mar 2022

• Completed a six-week program from The Wharton School
• Learned about topics such as marketing analytics, customer relationships, social media, and e-commerce marketing 

Personal Projects

Marketing Assistant for Public Speaking Club 

2017 – 2018

• As a member of the Public Speaking Club at University of Pennsylvania, assisted the club with creating a monthly newsletter
• Managed social media accounts for the club, consistently posting content and engaging with followers 

Marketing Consultant 

2020 – Present 

• Assisted a friend with the creation and management of photography business website
• Used Google Analytics and Google Search Console to measure the performance of website content 

Career Change Resume Template

We’ve adapted this example into three different template formats, with the hope that it can serve as a jumping off point for your own career change resume. Click on the links below to download the template:

• Microsoft Word .DOCX
• Google Docs (click on “File > Make a copy” to save to your own Google Docs folder)

Stand Out From the Crowd With Wharton Online

If you’re looking to switch careers in the near future, an online certificate program can help set you up for success. In addition to gaining valuable insights into a specific industry, you’ll be able to list your certificate on your resume and LinkedIn. This can give you a competitive edge during your job search. 

Wharton Online offers certificate programs in subjects such as leadership and management, asset and portfolio management, and digital marketing. All of our courses are conducted 100% online, giving you the flexibility to complete coursework on your own schedule. Explore our online programs today , or reach out to us with any questions. 

For more tips on how to navigate a career change, download our free guide, “ The Career-Switching Handbook for 30‑Somethings .”

Download our eBook: The Career-Switching Handbook for 30‑Somethings

Job-hopping is a growing trend among young professionals, and for many good reasons. Download our free eBook, “The Career-Switching Handbook for 30‑Somethings,” for the latest career-switching tips, strategies, and data.

Download the eBook

The Wharton School is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU.

How to Write a Career Change Resume (Guide, Templates, & Examples)

Customers Interviewed by:

Quitting your job and switching careers can be one of the most unsettling moments of your life. It is scary, intimidating, and sometimes overwhelming. 

But changing careers could also be one of the bravest and most fulfilling things you can do if you are willing to put in the work. A critical asset in your big move is a career change resume that focuses on all the right things.

In this guide, we will help you craft your career change resume and gain more confidence as you take that next big step in your career.

Table of Contents

• How to write a career change resume
• Career change resume templates
• Career change resume examples

Key Takeaways

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Career Change

Need help in deciding whether to do a career pivot? Try our career change tool today!

How to craft a resume for your career change

Doing a career pivot means you are starting over. With this, you need to convince recruiters and hiring managers that you have what it takes to do the new job well. And one way to prove your value to recruiters is by creating a career change resume that will grab their attention. Here’s how you write one.

1. Study the job description to match up your transferable skills

First things first, you need to carefully read the job posting and understand how your past achievements and transferable skills can help you succeed in your desired new role.

Transferable skills are any skills that you can take with you from one job, field, or industry to another.

For example: A job seeker with a background in journalism might recognize the keyword “writing” in the job description for an advertising position. While this job seeker doesn’t have advertising experience, they do have expert-level writing skills that would make them a great candidate for the new role.

Writing, in this example, is a transferable skill. Transferable skills include both hard skills and soft skills , like leadership , time management , multi-tasking, communication , organization, emotional intelligence , listening, research, and many more.

Pro Tip: Include these skills in your work experience section, focusing less on duties and more on the skills you have developed, as these will be of the most interest to the hiring manager. 

2. Choose a career change resume format that highlights a logical connection in your career change

Oftentimes, job seekers choose a functional resume for career change job searches. A functional resume can be appealing because it turns the focus away from work history and toward skills and accomplishments. However, it can make it look like the job seeker has something to hide. 

A better option for most job applicants making a career change is the hybrid resume (also called a “combination resume”), which still showcases skills and accomplishments but includes a traditional work history in the second half of the document.

Here’s the bottom line when it comes to resume format when changing careers: if you’re staying within the same industry, a hybrid resume will work great for you. If you’re changing careers and industries, you can consider a functional resume format, though the hybrid resume is likely still a better choice.

3. Write a resume objective or summary that frames your career change as a strength

Your resume objective or resume summary sections are a great way to convince recruiters that your past experience sets you up as the perfect candidate for the new role. These statements tie in your experience and skills with what your new career demands.

When writing your resume objective, focus on the skills that you’ve picked up throughout your current career and other previous roles and explain how you plan to use them in this new industry. 

For example:

Accounting professional with over 10 years of experience looking to transfer my skills to the finance industry. My proven mathematical and money management skills make me an ideal fit for the Finance Assistant position.

Passionate sales representative with over 5 years of experience working with customers and selling software. Looking to leverage my proven skills in seeing our customers’ pain points and providing solutions to whatever I write as an aspiring Content Manager.

Kerianne Burke , a tech recruiter at Segment in San Francisco, recommends that job seekers provide recruiters with insights into how they have gained knowledge about this new category and role. “Have they taken classes? Completed extensive independent research? Be very specific here!” 

Second, Burke said that job seekers need to show that they would be able to make an impact in the role they are applying for.

4. Use keywords

Resume keywords prove to recruiters that you have what it takes to succeed in the new role. These keywords also help you get noticed by recruiters who use search functions in their applicant tracking system (ATS) to filter candidates by what’s on their resume.

You can find relevant keywords in the job description or job posting. Take stock of these keywords and incorporate them into your career change resume when possible.

Tailoring is key to a career change resume

Even in a field that is brand new to you, you can find keywords that relate to your past experience. As Burke explains, “Look closely at the qualifications in the job description and tailor some of your first few bullets on your resume to highlight that applicable experience. It’s always great to tie your impact to data when possible!”

Read our full guide: How to Tailor Your Resume to the Job Description

Jobscan makes it easy to identify the most important keywords in the job description, so you know what to focus on. Try it below:

5. Add training and certifications to your career change resume

Adding training and certifications to your resume is another way to show off relevant skills during a career change. List down all the relevant training, courses, and certifications under your belt and show recruiters how these could help you in the new role or career.

A word of encouragement here: You don’t have to go back to school and take extensive training in order to make a career change. In many cases, the skills you’ve honed over your career will be enough!

As Monica Fochtman , a career coach who specializes in career changes put it: “Going back to school is the last thing that I suggest to people. Especially now, with so much on-demand learning like LinkedIn and Coursera and Teachable…there’s no shortage of places to get on-demand training. There are other ways to get those skills and demonstrate that you have those skills without going back to school.”

You don’t need the certification; you need to demonstrate that you have what the certification represents – the knowledge. The important thing is to choose a career that fits your already developed skills. That doesn’t mean your duties will be the same. It just means you’ll be able to use the same skills.

Learn more: Read our full guide on how to make a career change , with tips and insights from Monica Fochtman, PhD.

Career Change Resume Templates

1. hybrid resume.

The hybrid resume or combination resume is ideal when changing careers as this format highlights your skills and accomplishments while still detailing a chronological format of your career trajectory.

Here’s an example:

The hybrid format draws attention to your most important skills, accomplishments, and values and so recruiters and hiring managers can see what you bring to the table quickly.

2. Functional Resume

When you are switching to a career in a different industry where you have limited or zero experience, you can use a functional resume. It puts the spotlight on your transferable skills while downplaying your limited work experience.

Here’s what a functional career change resume looks like:

You can find more sample career change resume templates on Jobscan’s Resume Templates page, which you can use for free.

Career Change Resume Examples and Ideas

Here are career change resume examples to get your resume writing juices flowing:

1. From project management to a job in sales

This career change resume highlights Mindy’s robust experience in Project Management under her work experience section. In her resume summary, she relates how she can use her project management skills in her new role in sales and proves to the hiring manager that she has the necessary skills and experience to excel and succeed as a Sales Manager.

2. From administrative work to writing

In his resume, James mentioned in his resume objective statement that he is passionate about solving customer problems. Having worked in various fields, his empathy and problem-solving skills make him an effective content writer who can relate to the readers’ struggles but is also able to share tips and insights that work. He also mentioned writing as one of his skills.

3. From accounting to a project management role

In this career change resume example, although the job seeker is an accountant by profession, she showed that she had relevant experience in leading teams and managing projects which makes her a good candidate for the new job. The resume summary also states her desire to use her skills as an accountant to run projects effectively and see them through to completion.

You can check more resumes for any job to help you with your career change resume in our Resume Examples Page.

Pro Tip: To supplement your career change resume, include a cover letter to provide context for your past achievements and build a strong case as to how your accomplishments and skills can help you with the new position.

Read our full guide: The Career Change Cover Letter: How to Get it Right

Changing careers can feel scary and intimidating. But it is also a great opportunity for you to discover more about yourself and grow into the best person you can be.

Here are some key takeaways to help you with your career change:

• Craft a powerful career change resume that will prove to recruiters that even when you are jumping into a completely different career, you have what it takes to do the job and do it well.
• Use the hybrid resume (combination resume) format when creating your career change resume. It highlights your top skills while detailing your work experience and career trajectory.
• Proactively seek opportunities to upgrade your skills and pursue professional development through training, courses, and mentorship.

Save your time and get more career change insights with Jobscan’s career changer tool !

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are 5 questions to consider before making a career change: 1. Why do you want to switch careers? 2. Why are you dissatisfied with your current role? What do you hate about your job? 3. What are your career goals? What is your dream job? Is your current career aligned with your passions, skills, or interests? 4. How much does it pay? Can you live on it comfortably? If not, are you willing to take the risk? 5. What type of company do you want to work for?

Here’s how. 1. Choose the best format for your resume. 2. Write a resume objective or resume summary explaining how your previous roles will help you succeed in the new role. 3. Include relevant keywords (especially those found in the job description.) 4. Tailor your resume for career change to each job you are applying for. 5. Showcase transferable skills and include certifications and relevant training when possible.

A resume objective for career change bridges the gap between your previous role and your new role. A good objective would clearly and briefly provide your relevant experience and explain how this will help you succeed in your new career. For example, an accountant wanting to land a job in sales would write: “ Certified Public Accountant with 10 years of experience writing accurate and timely financial reports, reducing costs, and improving overall efficiency. Looking to leverage my analytical skills and attention to detail in crafting sales systems that will streamline all sales processes and increase profitability. “

Here’s how you share about your career transition: 1. Provide a brief description of yourself: who you are, what you value, and what you want to achieve. 2. Share about your most recent and significant work experience. 3. Explain how your skills and experiences make you the best fit for the new job. 4. Stress why you want to do a career change and the value you can add to the company.

Focus on showing recruiters and hiring managers what you bring to the table, even as someone who is switching careers. Here’s an example of a career change resume summary. For example: “ Customer-focused cashier with 5+ years of experience serving different customers and creating a warm and friendly store environment. Has raised sales by 5% through strong communication and interpersonal skills. Looking to bring my leadership and organizational skills to an executive assistant position. “

Transferable skills are critical when you are switching careers because these show recruiters, hiring managers, and potential employers that you have the skills that they need for the new job position. To showcase these on your career change resume: 1. Include them in your resume summary or resume objective. 2. Add skills to your work experience section. 3. Clearly write transferable skills in your skills summary section. Pro tip: Check the job description for specific skills and work those skills into your resume for career change.

Related Articles

June 4, 2024

May 23, 2024

May 14, 2024

May 10, 2024

Join 2 million job seekers who get bi-weekly job search tips

Get insider knowledge and ready-to-use job-seeking tips and hacks delivered to your inbox.

Protect your data

This site uses cookies and related technologies for site operation, and analytics as described in our Privacy Policy . You may choose to consent to our use of these technologies, reject non-essential technologies, or further manage your preferences.

• Resume and Cover Letter
• Resume Objective Examples: A...

Resume Objective Examples: A Career Objective Guide

20 min read · Updated on June 03, 2024

The formula and some good examples for creating a resume objective to get you noticed

You're searching for a new (or perhaps your first) job, and you know your objective. However, do you know how to communicate it effectively on your resume? A resume objective is a great way to let employers see a snapshot of your skills and experiences and ensure that you stand out from other candidates. However, as our great resume objective examples will demonstrate, your objective matters less than the employer's needs.

In this post, we'll explain the resume objective and how it has evolved. We'll also offer insight into the differences between an objective statement and a summary statement - and how to know which one to use. Then we'll offer some tips to help you craft an objective for your resume and look at 27 great resume objective statement examples that you can customize for your own resume.

What is a resume objective?

The resume objective used to be the gold standard of resume introductions. This brief, three or four-sentence paragraph had long been used to capture employers' attention by focusing on a job seeker's skills, experiences, and achievements while also highlighting the candidate's career goals. These days, it's less common to find professional resume objective examples since most job seekers rely on a resume summary instead.

The basic components of a good resume objective statement

A good resume objective provides three kinds of information to employers:

Who you are, which is generally a statement of your current job title as well as any skills, education , or certifications relevant to the job you're after

What you will bring that's of value to that company, such as your years of experience or specific training

 How you will use your talents to help the company reach its goals

Resume objective vs summary statement

It's important to understand how these two career statements differ from one another. On the surface, they would seem to have much in common. After all, they're both designed to serve as introductions that summarize your main qualifications for the job. Moreover, each is intended to capture the reader's attention and inspire them to continue reading the resume .

The differences, however, can be stark. For example:

Resume summaries focus primarily on the candidate's past record of achievements; objective statements emphasize future goals

Resume summaries provide quantifiable results, using real numbers to demonstrate value; objective statements rarely do that since it is difficult to quantify goals

Resume summaries are designed to align achievements with the company's needs; objective statements have traditionally focused more on the candidate's priorities and needs

Resume summaries are great for people who have experience and achievements; objective statements can be useful for those who lack that experience

Which one should you use?

If you've been following our resume guidance in recent years, you're probably aware of the fact that we recommend the resume summary for most job seekers. And make no mistake: if you're an experienced professional who is still moving ahead in the same field and industry, the resume summary is almost certainly your best option. However, there are two situations in which you might find that a resume objective statement will serve your interests better.

If you're new to the workforce. Recent graduates will rarely have the type of real-world experience needed for an effective summary statement. In most instances, a newcomer to the working world will likely need to rely on a resume objective to highlight skills and demonstrate how their goals align with the company's vision.

When you're interested in switching careers . In most cases, you'll have the transferable skills needed to do the job, but may struggle to align your quantifiable achievements with the company's needs. If that's the case, a resume objective can help you to showcase your skills in a way that demonstrates how they can positively benefit the company.

Tips for writing your own resume objective

Because resume objectives have lost some of their luster in recent years, many job seekers may not be familiar with the best way to craft them. To assist you in that process, we've compiled some simple tips you can use to make sure that your objective statement achieves your goals.

State how you'll help the company, not just how qualified you are. While you may not have the experiences or achievements needed to directly convey that value, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't still focus on what the company needs rather than your own desires and goals.

Use specific facts, numbers, and details whenever possible, without bragging or generalizing.

Keep it simple. Don't use flowery or expansive words, as they can sometimes make you appear arrogant. Make it as easy as possible for a recruiter to quickly see you as a qualified candidate.

Review the job posting to ensure that you have the information you need to make your resume objective specific to the job and company.

Tailor your objective to the specific job, career, and industry you're applying for. This means that you should create a separate, customized resume for each application.

Expert tip: Don't make the mistake of creating an outdated resume objective centered on your own goals. Instead, incorporate the best elements of a resume summary into your objective statement by taking the time to tie your goals to the company's needs.

Great resume objective statements you can use for your resume

With all this in mind, here are some good resume  objective examples to help you create a great career objective of your own. If your job isn't listed, don't panic. While these examples don't cover every job out there, they should help you to build a strong, targeted objective for your specific needs. As we said, each objective should be tailored to a specific role - that's why you won't find any resume objective examples for multiple job types. 

1.     Resume objective examples for a new jobseeker

You might not have a ton of experience, but creating a good resume objective will absolutely help to differentiate you from other applicants in a recruiter's eyes. The trick here is to emphasize your strongest personal skills and characteristics, as well as any educational successes, since you can't provide specific work experience or accomplishments.

Here are two general resume objective examples for new jobseekers:

“Organized, fast-learning, and hard-working employee looking to join [company name] as an Administrator. Looking to take advantage of skills in Microsoft Word and QuickBooks to help [company name] meet their objectives through organization and team support.”

“Recent graduate with a B.A. in Accounting, looking to start a career in finance at [company name]. Experienced in creating annual reports and analyzing financial statements for several university activities. Seeking to combine theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience to help [company name] continue their strong market presence.”

2.     Resume objective examples for those looking for a career change

Your goal here is to clearly show how your skills and experience from your previous career can be effective in your next job. Do this by mentioning your talents and knowledge that are relevant to the new job and stating how your previous career background will help you to succeed and excel in the role.

“Customer Service Associate with over four years of experience in accounting technical support, looking to leverage Excel skills and Great Plains knowledge as a Staff Accountant with [company name]. Proven customer satisfaction record solving complicated technical and accounting issues while in a remote role.”

3.Resume objective examples for finance roles

“Experienced individual with solid analytical and quantitative skills and 5 years of experience seeks the job of Financial Analyst with [company name], to leverage outstanding knowledge of financial analysis and modeling to provide accurate and sound financial decision-making at all levels.”

“Experienced Junior Financial Analyst seeking role of Senior Financial Specialist with [company name]. Skills include making targeted and time-sensitive financial decisions by merging solid analytical, accounting, and quantitative skills with a strong passion for the finance industry.”

4.     Resume objective examples for Accountant roles

“Detail-oriented graduate with an AS degree, problem-solving abilities, and analytical skills seeking the role of Accounting Associate with [company name], to effectively apply exceptional knowledge of tax and accounting software for accurate budgeting and forecasting.”

“Current CPA looking to fill the role of Accounts Manager at [company name]. As well as being disciplined and self-motivated, I have extensive experience with financial reporting and modeling along with a proven knowledge of various accounting software models, all of which contribute to effective financial operations.”

5.     Resume objective examples for banking roles

“Highly talented Head Teller with 8 years of experience in the banking sector, seeking a position as a Relationship Manager with [bank name] to increase revenue by combining a banking background with excellent interpersonal and communication skills to bring in new clients, maintain relationships with existing clients, and develop effective media campaigns.”

“Seasoned banking professional seeking a Bank Manager position with [name of bank], where I can use my business and banking experience along with strong communication skills to provide effective problem-solving, customer service, and employee retention and interact with bank customers in a positive, beneficial manner.”

“Self-motivated, reliable, number-loving individual looking for a position as a Bank Teller with [bank name] to apply exceptional math and customer service skills for customers. Key traits include trustworthiness, efficiency, and willingness to learn new tasks.”

6.     Resume objective example for Computer Engineer roles

“Highly motivated individual with 7 years of solid computer engineering experience and proven leadership skills seeking the position of SharePoint Administrator at [company name] where I hope to use demonstrated SharePoint expertise, knowledge of SharePoint solutions architecture, and advanced knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server to ensure exceptional technical performance.”

7.     Resume objective example for a Network Administrator

“Experienced IT professional with BA in Computer Science and proven technical, management, and communication skills seeking the position of Network Engineer at [company name] to use proven experience in systems management and configuration to benefit both internal staff and external customers.”

8.     Resume objective example for IT professionals

“Talented Information Technology Specialist in search of a Senior IT Manager position at [company name], where proven technical and team management skills can help to improve existing processes for handling IT requests and efficiently delivering various technical projects.”

9.     Resume objective example for a Programmer

“Technical and database professional seeks the role of SQL Programmer within [company name] where I will use my excellent programming and organizational skills to enhance company market presence while also gaining a deeper understanding of the newest IT trends.”

10.  Resume objective examples for customer service roles

“Smart and creative Customer Service Representative desires similar position with [company name]. Brings strong communication abilities, proven organizational skills, and a supportive, patient personality to help the company retain and grow its customer base in both existing and new markets.”

“Experienced customer service professional seeking a position at [company name] as a Customer Support Analyst, where I can apply excellent communication and organizational skills to provide customers with effective and efficient support which ensures ongoing retention.”

“Credentialed and experienced Sales Administrator seeks the post of a Contact Center Agent at [company name] where I can provide exceptional verbal, listening, and analytical abilities to ensure clients reach their desired objectives by correctly using [company name]'s products.”

“Diligent Customer Service Agent with 5+ years of experience at a high-volume call center seeks a career move to a similar role at a company such as [company name]. I thrive in a fast-paced work environment and am committed to delivering the top-rated customer service you provide. My organization and support skills can help to meet current and future customer demand.”

11.  Resume objective examples for Engineers

“Graduate of [school name] with a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering and two years of work experience at ABC Company seeks a Mechanical Engineer role with [company name]. Possess excellent skills in research, data analysis, and time management. Hold patents for several innovative mechanical devices.”

“Experienced individual with 7+ years of experience managing engineering operations seeks a Civil Engineer role at [company name]. Proven ability to handle simultaneous projects with minimal supervision and bring a committed focus on health, safety, and the environment to the position.”

12.  Resume objective example for human resources positions 

“Human resource management professional looking for the opportunity to augment the overall strategic plan and market direction of [company name] as VP of Human Resources. Over nine years of experience in managing staff, handling employee relations, and deliveirng projects. Strong skills in HRIS.”

“Established, successful HR recruiter seeks a Human Resources Coordinator position with [company name] where I can use my experience and in-depth knowledge of hiring processes, negotiation, conflict resolution, and policy development for payroll and benefits.”

“Experienced and approachable Human Resources Coordinator with four years of experience seeks position as Human Resources Manager with [company name], where I can use my industry knowledge and HR experience to implement employee satisfaction policies and improvements, develop hiring protocols, and create an environment where employees feel valued and satisfied.”

“Results-driven graduate with a degree in psychology (GPA: 3.8) and a minor in business operations looking for a role as a Junior HR Recruitment Agent at [company name]. Prior experience in interviewing and providing feedback as part of college projects in business classes. I will bring well-honed soft skills and strong knowledge of workplace psychology to assist overall HR operations, while fine-tuning my skills in the recruitment process.”

13. Resume objective examples for internships

“Hard-working student (3.5/4.0 GPA) majoring in [specific area] seeks the Intern role with [company name]. Abilities include proven leadership and organizational skills and strong attention to detail. Dedicated team player who can be relied upon to help [company name] achieve its goals as I learn more about your market space.”

“Energetic, talented college student at [school name] working toward a Marketing Degree, seeks to fill the Marketing Intern role at [company name]. General experience and knowledge of PR, advertising, consumer research, and product development strategies to help build customer base in emerging markets.”

14.  Resume objective example for legal roles

“Accomplished Corporate Attorney with 8 years of direct experience, seeking a top-level Lawyer role at [name of legal firm]. Brings skills including legal drafting, arbitration, corporate affairs, and labor laws to assist clients both inside and outside the courtroom.”

“Current Public Legal Advocate seeks position as Senior Legal Researcher for [name of court district/city/legal firm]. I have two years of experience working in district and session courts in the areas of home development, land development, and commercial property development, that will allow me to take on more challenging research projects to meet client needs in these areas.”

15.  Resume objective examples for marketing positions

“Technically oriented graduate with a B.A. in Internet Marketing seeking a Junior SEO Specialist position at [company name]. Possesses a working knowledge of SEO, as well as some hands-on experience with Google Analytics. Looking to further develop online marketing skills as part of the [company name] team.”

“Certified Digital Marketer with strong content writing skills, SEO experience, and 5 years of proven online marketing experience seeking the role of Digital Marketer with [company name] to help expand customer base into new markets.”

“Enthusiastic Marketer skilled in copywriting and graphic design looking for a Social Media Marketing position at [company name]. Personally started and grew an Instagram page to 5,000+ followers and a Facebook page to 8,000+ likes. I believe my skills will help [company name]'s clients improve sales via social media marketing through a strong online presence.”

16.  Resume objective example for Physical Therapist roles

“Licensed, experienced Physical Therapist seeking similar role at [hospital or clinic name]. With 6+ years of experience in treating children and adults with physical disabilities, injuries, and illnesses, I can contribute to the healing of each person's physical challenges and help them learn to navigate them successfully.”

17.  Resume objective example for nursing roles

“Registered Nurse seeking a new career as a Neonatal Nurse Specialist at [hospital name]. Ten years of general nursing combined with a certification in neonatal nursing will allow me to provide outstanding care for both infants and their families, educating them about different health conditions and how to handle them. Working nights and weekends is not a problem.”

“Experienced Home Health Aide seeks to obtain a position as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at [name of home health agency] applying my course knowledge and proven healthcare skills to support and care for home-bound patients with various health needs.”

18.  Resume objective example for pharmacy role

“Licensed Pharmacy Technician with 8 years of experience, in search of a similar position at [pharmacy or hospital name]. Assists patients by successfully applying extensive experience and knowledge of pharmacy operations, technology, and drug distribution.”

19. Resume objective examples for office and administrative roles

“Former Nurse seeking a part-time job as a Receptionist at [company name]. Experience in working directly with people in nursing and for the last five years as an Avon Representative. Organized, with strong computer skills and professional presence.”

“Business-savvy office employee looking to work at [company name] as an Administrative Assistant. Experience as an Executive Assistant (1 year) and as a Department Secretary (3 years). Supported several key projects through strong organizational skills, timeliness, and solid computer abilities.”

“Freelance VA (Virtual Assistant) looking to transition to an on-site role as an Executive Assistant. Worked with 10+ online businesses, helping with everything from creating training documents to customer service and management support. Excellent organizational abilities and strong attention to detail. Proficient in Microsoft 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud. Strong copywriting skills.”

20.  Resume objective example for an Office Manager position

“Experienced Office Manager seeking a leadership role to help [company name] provide outstanding customer satisfaction. Experienced in managing teams of 15+ at [current or former company names], handling responsibilities from hiring new staff to managing data input groups.”

21.  Resume objective examples for operations roles

“Experienced MBA graduate with outstanding time and project management skills and 10+ years of experience seeks the position as Director of Operations with [company name]. Can ensure the company's ongoing success through exceptional interpersonal and negotiation skills and the ability to lead large multi-departmental operations.”

“Dynamic individual with exceptional leadership and interpersonal skills looking to fill the role of Manager of Clinical Operations at [company name]. I bring experience and expertise in overseeing clinical operations and managing technical and professional staff, as well 8+ years of clinical research and supervisory experience in the medical field.”

22.  Resume objective example for Project Manager positions

“Deadline-focused professional with proven experience in project administration, searching for a project management position where I can use my knowledge and skills in the areas of leadership, problem solving, team management, and budget control to help [company name] exceed targets.”

23.  Resume objective examples for real estate roles

“Real Estate Broker with a passion for organization and excellence seeks a similar role with [company name], using experience with the sale and lease of commercial and residential properties in [location]. Recurrent sales and leasing of properties to large corporations in the last 5 years allowed me to increase revenue to 12% on a year-over-year basis, significantly contributing to the growth of the company.”

“Successful Salesperson seeks high-level position as Real Estate Broker at [company name]. Recent experience handling a customer base of over 150 clients at another reputable real estate firm [or name the company]. Skill set includes creating daily and monthly sales reports and assisting the implementation of customer retention strategies for senior management.”

24.  Resume objective examples for service industry roles

“Excellent communicator and multi-tasker with experience in massage and esthetic services, interested in the position of Front Desk Wellness Sales Executive with [company name]. I bring various strengths including a professional phone manner, bookkeeping knowledge, and customer service skills that will help your front desk to run smoothly.”

“Hardworking, organized, and reliable Housekeeper looking for a janitorial position at [company name] to clean interior spaces. Possesses knowledge of efficient and safe cleaning practices, the use of cleaning equipment, and environmentally sound cleaning agents, as well as excellent customer service.”

25.  Resume objective examples for food service positions

“Entrepreneurial and highly experienced Caterer with 7+ years in the foodservice sector seeking the position of Catering Manager at [company name]. Brings proven management experience, culinary expertise, interpersonal skills, and a strong customer service approach to the role.”

“Friendly, upbeat, and detail-oriented individual looking for an entry-level, fast-paced Line Cook position at [restaurant name], where I can use my outstanding food preparation skills safely and efficiently.”

26.  Resume objective examples for education workers

“Talented Preschool Teacher with 3 years of experience seeking the role of Kindergarten Teacher at [school name]. I have excellent skills and connections with special needs students and collaborated with my Superintendent to create and implement effective teaching practices for these children that can be used throughout the district.”

“Experienced elementary school English Teacher looking to fill the role of Reading Specialist at [school name.] This position in a progressive institution like [school name] would allow me to use my sound teaching skills to assist students in reaching their full potential by helping them to become strong readers.”

“Passionate, enthusiastic and experienced Teaching Assistant seeking the position of Para-Educator at [school name]. Brings interpersonal skills and classroom experience to aid in the development of each student by interacting with them, providing support and resources, and directly supporting the Teacher's lessons in the classroom.”

27.  Resume objective examples for Writers and Editors

“Articulate recent graduate with a B.A. degree in Media and Mass Communication desires a Content Creator Role at [company name]. Hoping to use writing skills and experience in writing articles for local newspapers and online magazines to improve [company name]'s blog, expanding current industry presence.”

“Editor with extensive writing and management experience looking to fill the position of Senior Editor with [company name], using time-management skills to ensure all projects meet deadlines and supervisory experience to effectively manage a team of Writers and Editors.”

Key things to remember

As you can see from the resume objective examples that we've included throughout this post, there's a right way to create this type of professional summary. As you craft your own objective, keep these keen insights in mind:

Try to include some measurable achievements in your statement, to show how you can add value to the employer's bottom line. If you're new to the workplace, however, focus instead on highlighting the benefits that your skills can provide to that employer.

Keep it short, focused on relevant details, and packed with keywords from the job description. 

Make sure that everything you write in your objective statement is supported by the information included in your skills and work experience sections .

Always put yourself in the employer's shoes and try to imagine what kind of information they might be looking for as they review your resume.

Try to only rely on an objective statement if you have little or no real-world experience in the industry you're trying to join. If you do have experience, you'll probably be better served by a summary statement.

Wrapping it up

Once again, this is by no means a complete list of resume objective examples, but it should help you to understand the formula for creating a specific resume objective for whatever job you're after.

Take the time to do this right. Create a tailored objective for each position you want and you'll be easily found by both recruiters and applicant tracking systems searching for the keywords that are right there at the top of your resume.

The result? You'll be starting your new job well ahead of the crowd!

Still not sure about your resume objective or other aspects of your resume? Make sure that it's submission-ready with a free resume review or professional rewrite .

This article was originally written by Lisa Tynan and has been updated by Marsha Hebert and Ken Chase.

Recommended reading:

How to Tailor Your Resume to a Specific Job Description

How to Use Action Verbs in a Resume

How to Write a Resume Headline (With Examples)

Related Articles:

Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?

How to Create a Resume With No Education

Why You Lose When You Lie on Your Resume: Learning From Mina Chang

See how your resume stacks up.

Career Advice Newsletter

Our experts gather the best career & resume tips weekly. Delivered weekly, always free.

Thanks! Career advice is on its way.

Share this article:

Let's stay in touch.

Subscribe today to get job tips and career advice that will come in handy.

Your information is secure. Please read our privacy policy for more information.

• Preparation Tips
• Interview Checklist
• Questions&Answers
• Difficult Questions
• Questions to Ask

Interview Tips

• Dress for Success
• Job Interview Advice
• Behavioral Interview
• Entry Level Interview
• Information Interview
• Panel Interviews
• Group Interviews
• Phone Interviews
• Skype Interviews
• Second Interviews
• Zoom Interviews
• Job Interview Guides
• Administrative
• Call Center
• Clerical Interview
• Customer Service
• Human Resources
• Office Manager
• Project Manager
• Restaurant Jobs
• Social Work
• Interview Follow Up
• Thank You Letters
• Job References
• Employment Tests
• Background Checks
• Character References
• Accepting a Job Offer
• Decline a Job Offer
• Verbal Job Offer
• Negotiate Salary
• How to Resign
• Job Search Strategy
• Job Search Tips
• Respond to Interview Request
• Letters of Recommendation
• Surviving a Layoff
• Sample Resumes
• Resume Objectives

Cover Letters

Job Descriptions

• Job Interview Blog
• Best Articles

Privacy Policy

• Career Change Resume Objective

Career Change Resume Objective Examples

A career change resume objective should highlight your transferable skills and competencies as they relate directly to the new job opportunity.

There are a number of job skills and behaviors that are necessary for successful job performance in a range of different career fields. Focus on these in your resume objective.

In your objective statement demonstrate what you can contribute to the new position and the company and why you are a good fit for your new career.

How to write a persuasive objective for your career change resume

Focus on Transferable Skills

There are certain core skills and competencies that can be applied to several different careers. These include:

• planning, organizing and prioritizing
• verbal and written communication skills
• problem analysis and problem solving
• decision-making and judgment

12 Core Competencies for job success

List of Job Skills

Your resume objective statement should articulate your skills in such a way that their relevancy to the new job you are applying for is immediately clear to the employer.

Highlight Personal Qualities

You will also want to include personal qualities that will benefit a new employer. Highlight the relevant behaviors that employers look for, including:

• reliability
• flexibility
• hard working

List of employee strengths

Use Relevant Keywords

Keywords are essential to getting your resume found and noticed by potential employers. This can be a challenge for a career changer as your experience may not include the necessary keywords for the new job.

The best way to get around this is to carefully study the job description and similar job postings and find the keywords that do match up to your skills, experience and strengths.

Include these keywords in your career change resume objective statement. You may be surprised at how many matching and relevant skills you find.

Resume Keywords

Career change resume objective examples

Here we look at the transferable skills and strengths required in different career fields

"To leverage over ten years experience in a deadline-driven office environment to quickly learn and grow in a sales career. Strong communication skills combined with the proven ability to build robust relationships and effectively manage competing demands result in the achievement of challenging goals. A highly motivated self-starter who is fully committed to proving herself in a new career."

Build a persuasive, personal objective statement using these phrases.

• ability to effectively communicate at all levels
• results-driven self starter with high energy levels
• proven planning and organizational skills with the ability to handle multiple priorities effectively
• ability to develop and present winning presentations
• able to effectively analyze data to determine appropriate actions
• well developed listening and negotiation skills

Customer Service Jobs

"Capable and professional administrator seeking a customer service position that will utilize a strong background in efficiently managing multiple priorities and successfully meeting client demands. Hard working and committed career changer who is eager to make a positive contribution to your company's customer experience."

Create your own personal objective statement using these phrases.

• high degree of accuracy and close attention to detail
• proven ability to efficiently handle multiple responsibilities
• excellent organizational and planning skills
• proven track record of maintaining composure and professionalism in a fast-paced environment
• able to problem-solve and make sound decisions in a high energy environment
• clear and effective verbal and written communication skills
• ability to work independently and as a team member

Hospitality Jobs

"Seeking a hospitality position that will effectively maximize X years experience in meeting the demands of a fast-paced work environment.  Strong organizational and communication skills, the ability to effectively multitask and demonstrated success in building positive working relationships at all levels. A high-energy individual eager for a career in the hospitality industry."

Develop your own personal career change resume objective using these phrases.

• able to work well under pressure and balance competing demands
• intense focus on creating an outstanding customer experience
• demonstrated ability to make independent decisions based on sound judgment
• consistently achieved high work standards and company objectives

well developed communication and listening skills

• ability to interact effectively with a diverse customer base

Career Change for T eachers

One of the most common career changes is from teaching into a variety of jobs including human resources, administration, sales and marketing. Teachers have a wide range of in-demand skills and competencies that can be successfully transferred to another career. These include:

• analysis, evaluation and problem-solving
• able to quickly adapt to changing situations and diverse individuals
• communication skills, active listening and the ability to convey information in a clear and concise manner
• judgment and decision-making
• planning and organizing
• persuading and influencing

How to highlight being a fast learner in your resume objective

When changing careers the willingness and ability to quickly master and apply new skills is key to your success. Good phrases to use to highlight this, include:

"Able to assimilate new information quickly and efficiently"

"Able to quickly and effectively adapt to new situations"

"Able to quickly and successfully react to changing demands"

"Adept at learning and applying new skills"

How to write a career change cover letter

CAREER CHANGE

Career Change Cover Letter Sample

Write a Career Change Cover Letter

How to Create a Winning Cover Letter

How to write a good objective for a resume

What is a Career Change Resume Objective?

General Resume Objective Examples

Entry Level Resume Objectives

Top resume pages

SAMPLE RESUMES

Over 50 Sample Resumes

Sample Resume Template

Top Resume Writing Tips

To Top of Page

Don't Miss These Latest Updates

Problem-solving is a key skill for today's workplace. Problem-solving behavioral interview questions

Compelling sample interview answers to "Why do you want to work for this company?"

11 essential supervisor interview questions and answers plus industry specific supervisor Q&A .

How to ask for a letter of recommendation with this sample email requesting letter of recommendation .

What are the top 10 reasons for leaving your job? Find out acceptable reasons for leaving a job.

Sample employment acceptance letter and email to properly confirm your acceptance of the job offer and employment contract.

What are your strengths? Find out the 11 essential workplace strengths at list of strengths and weaknesses

Interview Preparation

Interview Questions & Answers

Interview Guides

After the Interview

The Job Offer

Latest News

© Copyright 2023  |   Best-Job-Interview.com    |   All Rights Reserved.

• Resume Templates Simple Professional Modern Creative View all
• Resume Examples Nurse Student Internship Teacher Accountant View all
• Resume Builder
• Cover Letter Templates Simple Professional Modern Creative View all
• Cover Letter Examples Nursing Administrative Assistant Internship Graduate Teacher View all
• Cover Letter Builder
• Resume Examples
• Career Change

Career Change resume example & writing guide

You are ready for a new challenge. You’ve decided on a career change to a promising new industry. That’s great news! How do you create a resume that shows off what you know and will impress recruiters so that they give you a chance at your targeted career? 

While this is a bigger task than simply continuing on the path you are on, you have already taken the first step by deciding to change. The good news is that the work is manageable with assistance. Our resume builder-tool , expertly designed templates, and 20 minutes of your time to read this guide will get you on your way. You will learn how to:

• Highlight the skills that transfer to your desired career
• Impress recruiters with your flexibility and ability to learn
• Choice and organize the sections of your resume
• Get past the Applicant Tracking Systems designed to eliminate “unqualified” candidates
• Design an easy-to-read layout that avoids formatting problems.

Leverage your skills and education

Because you don’t have direct experience in your target career, you will need to look beyond your employment history to the skills you have used and any classes you may have taken that apply to your new career. Start by brainstorming all the skills you can demonstrate. This is your Master List. You will cherry-pick from this list as you build your resume. Put a star next to any skill that is “transferable.” Those are skills that you will need for your new job.

Soft skills

A great launching pad for this is a recounting of your soft skills, or the interpersonal and general abilities you need to be a productive worker. The perfect place to begin is by assessing your emotional intelligence. Daniel Goleman’s book, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, breaks emotional intelligence into five categories:

• Self-awareness: Understanding your strengths and weaknesses
• Self-regulation: Keeping calm under pressure and expressing your emotions appropriately
• Motivation: Setting clear goals and following through
• Empathy: Recognizing how others feel
• Social skills: Functioning within different group settings.

A study by the Stanford Research Institute and the Carnegie Melon Foundation found that 75 percent of Fortune 500 CEO’s long-term success was based on emotional intelligence and only 25 percent on technical know-how.

Here are some examples of the granular abilities within each category:

• Self-awareness: Self-confidence, goal-setting, accepting feedback and improving based on it
• Self-regulation: Trustworthiness, adaptability, being open to new ideas, taking responsibility for your own performance, staying calm under pressure
• Motivation: Commitment to see things through, initiative, achievement drive, optimism
• Empathy: Adapting to and meeting client needs, mentoring, leveraging diversity, awareness of group dynamics
• Social skills: Persuasiveness, communication (both oral and written), leadership, conflict management, collaboration, active listening.

Hard skills

These are the skills you learned in school or on the job. They are teachable, which means that if you don’t have all the requirements for the job you are targeting, you must demonstrate your ability to learn quickly and your willingness to take training courses if necessary. This does not mean that none of your hard skills are transferable. Consider these questions:

• What computer programs do you know?
• Do you have any advanced computer knowledge beyond simply using software?
• Do you speak more than one language?
• Have you ever done data analysis?
• Are you adept at design?
• What level of math skill do you have?
• Are you an SEO expert or familiar with Google Analytics?
• Have you been a manager or team leader?
• Were you responsible for generating reports or presentations?
• Did you conduct training sessions or teach anything?
• Are you an excellent writer, have a blog, or other major social media presence?

These questions are designed to highlight what you have to offer so that you can impress recruiters.

Applicant Tracking Systems

Whenever you apply for a job, you have to get past the gate-keeper: Applicant Tracking Systems. These are online application systems used by employers when you apply online that use algorithms to scan your resume.  They search for the keywords, phrases, and other information employers and recruiters have defined as the most important for each position. As a career-changer, you must be particularly sensitive to beating the ATS software. You cannot rely on your convincing cover letter to explain why you are a great candidate despite having little experience in the field. 

Your cover letter and resume will not be seen until you make it past the ATS. Also, remember that you do not have one resume, but a basic foundation from which to work. Every job requires slightly different skills – and different keywords. Make sure you thoroughly analyze each job description to make sure you are including as many accurate keywords and phrases as you can organically incorporate. Remember the golden rule: every employer and job opportunity needs a custom-tailored resume. Do not use the approach of “one size fits all”!

Almost all HR departments  use ATS software, and most list which ones they use on their websites (alternatively, the ATS companies themselves also list their top clients, so a quick Google search might help). If you are applying to one, check out which ATS software the company uses and do some digging to find out exactly what it looks for. 

Almost all Fortune 500 companies use ATS software, and most list which ones they use on their websites (alternatively - the ATS companies themselves also list their top clients, so a quick Google search might help). If you are applying to one, check out which ATS software the company uses and do some digging to find out exactly what it looks for.  

Word clouds

A word cloud is a handy tool for discovering which keywords are most important to recruiters and employers. Job descriptions can be very long and hard to parse. Conversely, they can be vague and you may not be able to discern the important skills. You can copy and paste the job description into a word cloud application, such as those found on wordart.com or wordle.com. When you do, the application will generate a word cloud in which the most frequently used words and phrases appear the largest. These are the words you should focus on.

Do your due diligence

Decide where you want to go before you jump into the job market. Maybe you already have a dream career in mind. That’s great! You should still investigate both the skills you need to embark on your new career and the state of the job market. 

If you are ready for a change but aren’t sure what direction to head in, some basic research will help. Think about careers that have overlapping skills with your current position. You may be able to take a step in another direction while using the abilities you already have. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the jobs with the highest growth potential through 2030, median salaries, and information on skills and education needed to enter the fields. 

Consider the reasons you want to change careers as well. Are you burned out? Is your industry waning? Do you want more flexibility? Are you looking for a higher salary? Make sure your new targeted career will offer the opportunities you seek.

The initial look at a resume lasts an average of 7.4 seconds (before a recruiter decides whether to delve deeper or move on), according to an eye-tracking study by TheLadders .

Now, to the resume itself.

How to write a career change resume

All resumes contain sections in common and you need to know what to include when writing a resume . Because you are changing careers, the sections you use, and the organization of your resume will be a bit different from a job-hunter staying within their career. Your sections should be listed in the following order:

• Objective statement or career summary
• Employment history or experience

This organization allows you to showcase the attributes that your new career will require. 

Do you need an objective statement or resume summary?

Make this decision based on how big a leap you are making.Either of these choices gives you two to five sentences to let your creativity and passion show. The decision on which you include should be based on how far from your current career you are planning to venture.

Resume objective statement example

If you plan to move in a completely different direction—say you were a financial analyst, but you have decided you want to pursue your love of interior design—you should write an objective statement . 

Your objective is the only place on your resume to get a little creative and show the passion that led you to explore this new avenue. It is your chance to let recruiters know what you are hoping to achieve in a new career and highlight the personality attributes that make you a great candidate. Don’t forget that some of your skills as a financial analyst, like your attention to detail, are also important for interior designers.

Resume summary example

If you plan to make a shift, but have some experience in a related field, you are better off with a career summary . This will allow you to explain your industry knowledge and how your current career has set you up for this move. For example, if you are a software developer and want to move into software/ IT service sales, you already have a depth of knowledge in the field that you can demonstrate. You could make the move to computer sales as a bridge. Once you have that experience, you could sell other products. 

Your career summary should highlight your biggest accomplishments and tell recruiters how that will translate into your new chosen field. In either case, make sure you are attentive to keywords and phrases. Do not force them into your summary but use them appropriately. Be proud and show off your professional personality and passion without exaggerating.

If you’re into creative writing and have some sharable expertise - use your social media accounts to “rebrand” yourself or start a blog or other social media account that highlights where you want to go.

Self-motivated and enthusiastic worker with vast experience in many different fields. Bringing forth a proven track record of achievement and a reputation for positive collaboration. Confident, hard working, and committed to seeing results in whatever position I am in. Reliable and dedicated to finding a place that will benefit from my superior skill set and energetic drive. 

Resume skills example

You have developed your Master List, now make it work for you. The skills section is a straightforward catalog. It is designed as a quick method of getting your top abilities in front of recruiters. Choose the top five to ten skills from your Master List that match the job for which you are applying. 

Be honest here. Because you are changing careers and may not have as many matching skills as a candidate already in the field, you may be tempted to list skills you are not truly adept at. Avoid this. Recruiters see hundreds of resumes and they are not easily fooled.

• Self Starter
• Interpersonal Communication
• Organization Skills
• Presentation Skills
• Leadership Skills

Career change resume education sample

Your ability to learn new skills is a big attribute. You can decide whether you think your experience or education should take priority; however, if you have recently retrained or earned certification in your targeted field, your resume education section may mean more to recruiters. 

Either of these actions shows your willingness to exert yourself and your ability to learn and adapt. It also shows your growth potential and that you have the self-awareness (part of emotional intelligence) to assess your skills and fill in any deficiencies.

McKinsey Global Institute projects that by 2030 about 14 percent of the global workforce may have to switch careers because of technological advances.

List any degrees, certifications, or licenses you have earned here. If you have several certifications or licenses, consider adding a separate section so that they stand out. Drop your high school diploma if you have a master’s degree or higher.

Bachelor of Communications, University of Washington, Seattle August 2005 — May 2009

Employment history sample

This is another decision point based on how different your new career is from your current one. Your employment history or experience highlights your biggest professional successes and accomplishments. Each bullet point should tell of a challenge, your actions to solve it, and the results you achieved. Use data and details wherever possible. 

If your new career overlaps your current career, use the employment history heading and focus on the transferable skills you can demonstrate through your jobs. Recruiters want to see a pattern of growth in expertise and responsibility, so think of your employment history as the story of your professional development. 

When your career change takes you in a completely different direction, the experience heading may serve you better. Here you can include your involvement in activities that are not work-related but are relevant to your new career. In either case, keep the ATS in mind. Use strong action verbs that describe you as a go-getter. 

If you’re having trouble providing the sub-list of achievements and milestones under each job or experience, try the STAR method. It’s an acronym that describes your way forward: S - the situation you were in, T - the task that you were responsible for, A - the action you took to achieve, and R - the desired result. Make this almost into a mini-story in one short sentence. It will demonstrate how you handle work situations with excellence.

Below is a resume example from an office clerk application. Consider how these skills could transfer to another career. 

Preschool Teacher at Little Seed School, Seattle August 2012 - June 2019

• Created developmentally appropriate lesson plans and activities for students ages 2-4.
• Worked to create and maintain a welcoming and stimulating environment for students.
• Maintained excellent communication with parents regarding their child's progress.
• Addressed any concerns from parents in a professional and courteous manner.
• Actively participated in school events and planned the first Spring Auction for the preschool.
• Attended workshops to learn about different educational approaches and tools.
• Recorded observations as written assessments of student performance.

HR Receptionist at Maxwell Publishing House, Seattle July 2009 - July 2012

• Assisted the head of HR with all clerical and administrative duties.
• Provided employees with forms and proper insurance applications.
• Answered calls and recorded messages.
• Made copies and handled incoming and outgoing mail.
• Assisted with the purchasing and arranging of supplies.
• Maintained confidentiality of employee files.
• Scheduled and confirmed interviews and appointments.

Administrative Assistant at TV Guide, Seattle September 2007 - July 2009

• Served as a reliable Administrative Assistant in the Editorial Department.
• Answered calls and recorded and reported messages.
• Maintained a neat and organized working environment.
• Maintained conference room calendars and scheduled meetings.
• Coordinated travel plans and scheduled appointments.

Resume layout and design: first impressions

Your professional look should be neat and clean. The layout and design of your resume are just as important as the text. Why? There are several reasons:

• Recruiters want to be able to scan for your contact information, current job, and other data quickly
• Your resume’s design is a representation of your image
• The all-important ATS may not find data that is incorrectly formatted.

But what makes a good layout? This may seem counterintuitive, but the simpler, the better! You want recruiters to be able to read every word. That means no big text blocks, no fancy fonts, and just a dash of color if any. Your accomplishments are what distinguishes you, not any overly fussy design. Legibility takes priority over all else. If recruiters can’t find what they are looking for, they will simply move on, especially if they would be taking a leap by giving a career-changer a chance.

• Make your contact information stand out
• Vary the lengths of descriptions
• Leave white space
• Have another person proofread for grammar, spelling, and clarity.
• Put information into headers or footers—the ATS can’t read them
• Downsize the type to gain space
• Send files in a format other than PDF—different programs may alter your formatting (Word files are notorious for this issue, don’t use them unless the online application system doesn’t give you a choice
• Use emojis or other cute graphic elements.

If you are planning to move into a creative field, consider using one of the expertly designed templates in resume.io’s Creative section. If not, choose from Professional, Modern, or Simple.

Key takeaways for a career change resume

• First, make a Master List of your skills and think about which ones are transferrable
• Research the job market for your new career
• Analyze job listings for the keywords and phrases that will get you past the ATS
• Inject your Objective or Career Summary with passion and your professional personality
• Use your Education section to highlight your ability to learn new skills
• Choose between an Employment History or Experience section
• Keep your layout simple. Check out our simple resume templates

Don’t hesitate, the world is full of amazing opportunities. Use resume.io, its builder-tool, and design templates to impress recruiters and start that new career!

Beautiful ready-to-use resume templates