Career Changes and Resumes

Submitted by Ross Roberge, Director of Business Development I was recently speaking with a friend in the staffing industry. The topic of switching career paths came up and how it seems to be a trend. We both have encountered candidates with great resumes; however it was tough selling those individual's resume to our clients. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that both men and women will have an average of 14 jobs by the age of 40. A good majority of those jobs are held while they are in their teens and early twenties. A good portion of the resumes that I see indicate at least one significant career change. When I receive resumes for a job posting, the first thing I look for is direction connection between the job description and the resume. This almost always weeds out the people looking for a career change. This is a result of the applicant not remitting a cover letter stating a career change and adjusting their resume to highlight skills associated to the job for which they are applying. Be reasonable when thinking about a career change. Do you have the skill set to match the job? Can you 'sell' your skills and knowledge to the recruiter and/or hiring manager? That process begins with tailoring your resume and cover letter to suit to specific job. Remember ... one resume does not fit all.