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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If your first question is, “aren’t resume objectives outdated?”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First, before we go any further, let’s address the elephant in the room: Yes, traditional resume objectives are outdated and do not belong on a modern resume.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But, while traditional resume objectives might be outdated, a modernized version can be a powerful tool for those looking to change careers.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.

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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.

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Switching Careers? Here’s How to Write a Strong Resume.

• Benjamin Laker,
• Vijay Pereira,
• Abhishek Behl,
• Zaheer Khan

Start with a personal statement.

When you’re switching career paths, there’s one essential thing you need to focus on: updating your resume. Crafting a smart resume is key to showing your potential employer why you wish to make a change. While there’s no one right format to write a resume, here are some tips you can follow:

• Begin the resume with a personal statement. This is a short description about who you are, your reasons for changing your career, your new goals, how your previous experience can be transferred to the new industry, and why you’re perfect for the job.
• Next, instead of highlighting your work experience first, showcase the skills you’ve learned throughout your career. That’s because when changing careers, the hiring managers reviewing your application may not always be familiar with the roles and responsibilities of a different industry.
• Below your skills, you can include a more traditional description of your relevant work history. You don’t need to include every job you’ve ever had, especially if you’ve held a number of positions that don’t highlight any essential skills required for this role.
• Finally, end with a chronological list of your educational qualifications. You can also include details about any certifications or courses that you may be undertaking that may be relevant to the position you’re interested in.

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

Switching career paths and trying something completely new can open you up to exciting opportunities, help you learn new things, and even earn you more money. But it’s not always easy — especially if you’re looking to move into an entirely different field. Apart from doing your research and unearthing opportunities, there’s one essential thing you need to focus on before you make the leap: updating your resume.

• Benjamin Laker is a professor of leadership at Henley Business School, University of Reading. Follow him on Twitter .
• Vijay Pereira is a professor of strategic and international human capital management at NEOMA Business School.
• AB Abhishek Behl is an assistant professor of information management at the Management Development Institute Gurgaon.
• ZK Zaheer Khan is a professor in strategy and international business at the University of Aberdeen.  

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How To Write A Resume Objective Statement (Examples Included)

Mike Simpson 0 Comments

By Mike Simpson

UPDATED 5/18/2022

Resumes. We all know what they are. We all know how important having a good one is…and how much a bad one can hurt your ability to get your dream job. That’s why reviewing different resume objective examples is essential, ensuring you can create well-crafted, carefully targeted resumes for hiring managers.

So, how do you make sure your resume objective – and entire application – stands out? We’ll tell you. Come with us as we explore some resume objective statement examples, as well as tips on how to ensure yours shines.

What is a Resume Objective?

“My objective? Well, that’s easy. My objective is to get the job.”

Absolutely, we couldn’t agree more. But an objective on your resume is so much more than just writing, “Hey, hire me. I’m super awesome.”

So, what is an objective for a resume?

Well, according to the Marquette University College of Business Administration , “an objective statement is a concise, position-centered statement describing the value you can add and the needs you can fulfill.”

Our friends over at Indeed.com take it a step further, saying: “A well-written resume objective statement can be customized for the job you’re applying for and add value to your resume that sets it apart from other applicants.”

Essentially, a resume objective is a targeted snippet that clearly outlines your career direction while simultaneously positioning you as someone who fits what the employer is looking for exactly.

Sounds pretty ingenious, right? So why don’t more people have them on their resumes?

Resume objectives can be a bit controversial. Some people think they can make you look amateurish…which, if you don’t do it correctly, is absolutely true. But that can be said for any section of your resume.

Other schools of thought think that the objectives should be taken out entirely and replaced with the more popular “ resume summary statement .”

You may be wondering, “What if I use a resume objective and the hiring manager looks at it and laughs? Are they going to throw out my resume…or worse, put it on the wall of shame?”

Now, nobody is going to laugh at your resume objective as long as you use the right approach. Additionally, if your career is moving in certain directions, using a resume objective makes more sense than the alternatives.

When Should You Use a Resume Objective?

Are you relatively new to the job search market or lack work experience?

Are you changing industries?

Are you targeting a specific job or position?

If you answered “YES” to any of these above questions, then the resume objective is potentially perfect. If you answered “NO” to all of the above questions, you might be better off with a “Resume Summary Statement.”

For those of you in the middle of a career change or who might just be starting out, a resume objective statement allows you to define your goal to a potential employer…something that your work history might not otherwise be able to do for you.

Imagine how confused a hiring manager would be if they were looking for candidates to fill an office coordinator position and you sent in a resume with ten years of experience in marketing. Without an objective statement, the hiring manager might just assume your resume has been accidentally sent to them and simply discard it.

With an objective statement, you can not only let the hiring manager know that your resume IS in the right spot but also explain that you’re making the switch and show that your skill set does align with this new career path.

If you’re targeting a specific job or position, a resume objective statement can help reinforce that idea that you know EXACTLY what you’re after. That can work in your favor, too.

Overall, and most importantly, the biggest reason to put an objective on your resume is…it’s better than having nothing. Remember, your goal is to catch the hiring manager’s eye and stand out from the rest of the paper in that pile.

Common Mistakes

There are several common mistakes job seekers can make when writing their statement with the number one being using the same objective for every job application.

1) Using the Same Objective For Every Job Application

To obtain a job within my chosen field that will challenge me and allow me to use my education, skills and past experiences in a way that is mutually beneficial to both myself and my employer and allow for future growth and advancement.

Your goal is to be the ideal candidate and that means making sure you’re exactly what the hiring manager is looking for…and unless you’re applying to a cookie cutter factory in a cookie cutter job town where every job every employer is listing is exactly the same then I guarantee you 100% that your statement will NOT be a “one size fits all” statement.

2) Making It All About You

This is a trap that many job seekers fall into, as they can’t resist to use the objective to list off all of the things that they want to get out of the position.

Hi, I’m Joe Jobseeker and I really want a job in a company where I make a ton of money doing as little as possible. Oh, and a corner office. A company car would be nice too. While we’re at it, let’s talk benefits, retirement…and the company vacation policy.

Yes, we’re being over the top with this one, but we need you to look at this and laugh…because even a slightly toned down one where you list only what YOU want is going to come off just as ridiculous to the hiring manager as the one we’ve blown out of proportion.

3) Being Too Vague

Mistake number three is being vague. Like we said, this isn’t a one size fits all so by being ambiguous in the hopes of somewhat fitting what they’re looking for is going to get your resume sent directly to the circular file. (In case you don’t know, the circular file is the trash can. It just sounds fancier but the end result is the same…no job.)

Looking for a long term full time job where I can apply my extensive skills and knowledge to the position for which I am hired.

Blah. Who is this person? All we know by reading this statement is that they have skills and knowledge…but other than that, not much else. What skills do they have? Do they really apply to the job? And what knowledge can they draw from that will benefit the company? See what we mean? It’s so generic you could literally fit anything into those blanks…it’s like Resume Mad Libs!

4) Going On… And On… And On… And On… and zzzzzzzzzzzzz….

Mistake number four is being too long. This isn’t a novel. It’s a quick little blurb to catch their attention so they can bring you in for an interview…then you can get into more detail!

Not going to put one here. Why? Because the example we were going to do was going to be so long and ridiculous that you and everyone else reading this post would just get bored and move onto another article. Just remember, it’s all about short and sweet. Anything over a sentence or two is TOO LONG. Remember that.

5) Adding Absolutely No Value

Mistake number five is probably the worst…and the easiest to fall into (outside of mistake number two, the “all about me” statement.) Mistake number five is writing a statement that basically fills space but doesn’t tell the hiring manager anything about the value you bring to the table. This can also be confused with the too vague statement…

To obtain a position within my chosen field where I can utilize my skills as a hard-working, well-educated employee in exchange for a steady market-fair paycheck.

Congratulations. You’re educated and you’re hard working and you want to make money. So what? So are 90% of the people you’re going up against. Why are YOU the ideal candidate? What makes the hiring manager want to bring YOU in over everyone else? See what we mean?

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY:

How are you going to fulfill the needs of the company?

When writing your resume objective, you should always have the intention of answering this question.

How To Write An Effective Resume Objective

So how do you write a GOOD resume objective?

One thing every one of these bad examples has in common is the fact that not a single one of them is tailored to the position you’re looking for. Any hiring manager who looks at a resume with objectives like those is going to immediately move on to the next candidate.

Because whoever those potential hires are, they’re not ideal candidates. You need to not only catch the hiring manager’s eye; you must make sure that they look at your statement and say, “Here’s the perfect fit!”

So, how do you make it happen? Well, a really good place to start is by looking at the job description. According to Indeed.com , “…when you include an objective that’s specific to the job role, the recruiter is more likely to dig deeper and learn more details about your professional experience.”

After that, make sure it’s tailored to not only the position but the company as well. By incorporating a few tidbits that speak to the company’s mission and values, you can take that quick statement up a notch.

Nice, right?

Additionally, focus on how you’re a benefit to the company, not how the company can benefit you. Showcase value, ensuring you point out what you bring to the table.

Keep it short and sweet, too. Skip overblown adjectives in favor of action verbs, which will help “raise the energy levels” of your objective and ensure that it is more dynamic and interesting.

If you’re someone who is changing careers, demonstrate how your past experiences relate to your future tasks. The same goes for those who are just starting out or who are relatively inexperienced.

Resume Objective Examples

In some cases, nothing makes the points above clearer quite like a few resume objective examples. Here are a handful of samples, each targeting different situations.

New to Workforce, No High School Diploma

“Diligent, dedicated individual looking to apply communication and collaboration skills in a fast-paced customer service role. A self-motivated team player with an outgoing personality who’s ready to learn the ins and outs of a new industry and provide ample value to a retail employer.”

New to Workforce, No College

“Well-organized high school honor graduate with exceptional problem-solving and collaboration skills seeking opportunities in the office administration field where strong communication, time management, and research skills can provide excellent value to an employer.”

College Student, Aspiring Intern

“Current accounting student with an emphasis on accounts payable and accounts receivable seeking developmental opportunities with a local firm. Diligent, focused, and tech-savvy, looking to provide value to a skilled team.”

Recent College Graduate

“Hard-working business administration graduate with proven leadership and organizational skills. Looking to leverage knowledge or operational processes, emerging commercial trends, and supply machine management to increase efficiency and support broader productivity goals.”

Recent College Graduate with Internship Experience

“Honor graduate with a Bachelor’s in Human Resources and one year of experience at a leading staffing firm looking to leverage a deep understanding of leading ATS solutions, modern interview techniques, and conflict resolution strategies to support the goals of an enterprise-level HR department.”

Career Change

“Ambitious professional looking to leverage 5+ years of customer service experience and exceptional communication skills in the fast-paced field of real estate. Proven ability to build lasting, long-term relationships, understand client needs, and find solutions designed to ensure customer satisfaction.”

Career Change with New Education

“Experienced accounting professional and recent college graduate with a Bachelor’s in IT looking to leverage mathematical and analytical capabilities in a data analyst role with an enterprise-level employer. Impeccable attention to detail and organizational skills, as well as strong desire to learn and grow on the job.”

Targeting Specific Role

“Skilled software developer with 7+ years of experience with Java, Python, and C++ seeking out opportunities in team-oriented environments that prioritize Agile methodologies, Lean strategies, and DevOps principles to accelerate timelines and achieve challenging goals.”

Speaking of specific roles, we thought that it might be prudent to dig deeper into a couple careers that we get the most questions about (in terms of resume objectives). Here are our deep-dive articles into Teacher Resume Objectives , Customer Service Resume Objectives and Nursing Resume Objectives . Enjoy!

Putting It All Together

So, there you have it. We’ve covered what a resume objective statement is, who should use one, and how to properly execute it. Plus, there are some handy resume objective examples that can serve as inspiration.

While some people might claim that the objective statement for a resume is outdated, if done properly, it can make a difference. Use all of the information above to your advantage. That way, you’ll be one step closer to your dream job.

FREE : Resume Objective PDF Cheat Sheet

Ok the next thing you should do is get our handy Resume Objective Cheat Sheet PDF .

In it you'll get word-for-word sample resume objectives covering a variety of scenarios you can use right away .

CLICK HERE TO GET THE RESUME OBJECTIVE CHEAT SHEET

Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com.

His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes , Entrepreneur , CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan , Penn State , Northeastern and others.

Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

About The Author

Mike simpson.

Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com. His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes , Entrepreneur , CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan , Penn State , Northeastern and others. Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

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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.

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

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]

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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.

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

Perhaps you’ve spent decades crafting your profession only to feel drawn toward a new challenge. Maybe you’ve only spent a few years in your job but realized it’s not everything you’d hoped for. 

While the decision to pursue a new career can be thrilling, it comes with a challenge—convincing hiring managers to employ you. Whatever else, don’t let  building your resume  or writing a cover letter be a source of anxiety.

We’ve compiled  11 career change resume examples and a free guide to help steer you toward your dream job in 2024 . 

Even if your new career isn’t in our samples, that’s okay! What’s essential in these samples is the how and why, so keep reading because we’re sure there’s something here for you!

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.

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• 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

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A Guide to Changing Careers at 30 or 40 Years Old

While changing careers can be intimidating, it’s completely normal. Studies show that the average American will hold about 12 jobs during their lifetime, with an average tenure of four years working for each employer. Changing jobs is more frequent during our younger years, as we begin to navigate the workforce and discover our interests and talents. However, it’s entirely possible to change careers at any time in your life—even 30 or 40 years old!

And if you decide to change careers late in the game, you are not alone. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) found that, between the ages of 25 and 34 years old, Americans will change jobs an average of 2.4 times. Between ages 35 and 44, the BLS estimates about 2.9 career changes. It’s never too late to switch gears, learn new skills, and travel down a different road, especially if that means reaching a career that brings you fulfillment and joy. Changing careers at 30, or even 40 years old, just requires a bit of persistence and planning ahead.

How to change careers as an adult

1. identify your talents and skill sets..

As you think about changing careers, it’s important to pinpoint your strengths and your most transferable skills. For example, are you a strong communicator? Do you excel in project management and organization? Do you tend to think outside the box with good problem-solving skills? Take time to identify both your soft skills and your technical capabilities, and consider updating your (now possibly outdated) resume to reflect these strengths. Even if you do not have super relevant job experience, employers will love to see skills like critical thinking, communication, and project management on your application. In fact, research shows that an incredible 97 percent of employers today place high value on soft skills, deeming they are equally or more important than hard skills for a job.

2. Consider your interests and what you want out of a job.

On top of identifying your skill sets, it’s also essential to pin down your passions and interests. If you are changing careers at 30, 35, or 40 years old, it’s likely you have a good idea of what career you want to pursue next. However, if you do not know exactly where you want to go, try making a list of the things or topics that interest you most. Are you an avid lover of science, number-crunching, or creative writing? Do you enjoy helping people and making an impact in their lives? Or, do you prefer behind-the-scenes, operational work?

As you think about your interests, be sure to consider what type of job will bring you fulfillment and purpose. Oftentimes, many people leave their jobs because they crave more meaning in their careers. On top of aligning your career switch with your passion areas, also think about:

• What type of workplace culture are you seeking?
• Do you want to work on a team?
• Are you interested in a people-facing or operational role?
• Do you want a career that allows you to be a decision- and change-maker?
• Are you seeking a career that welcomes creativity?
• Do you desire a career where you feel challenged and pushed, or where you can grow?
• Is there a certain salary threshold you are hoping to achieve?

These are just some of the many questions you should ask as you consider what’s next in your career trajectory. Once you have a grasp on what’s important to you, you can then begin the process of working towards that job.

3. Research potential career paths and their requirements.

Whether you are exploring your career options, or have your sights set on a specific job already, take time to research the standard requirements for the position or industry. The pathway to some careers are relatively straightforward, with some on-the-job training or professional certification required. Others might necessitate going back to school , either to finish your degree or to start a new program where you can gain career-specific skills.

For example, many of the best jobs for adults switching careers ( according to Indeed ) are in the healthcare field. Most healthcare careers require some technical training and know-how, before being able to get licensed and/or practice in patient care. The great news is, many of these pathways are fast-paced and flexible!

Nursing, for instance, requires an associate degree that only takes about two years to complete. There are even faster nursing programs for those who already have a bachelor’s degree. On the other hand, careers in medical coding and medical assisting require a postsecondary certificate from an accredited program, taking even less time to launch an impactful career.

Every job and every employer will have their own set requirements. As you begin the process of making a career change, no matter your age, you should always begin with a knowledge of the required steps to get there. This will help streamline your career change and save you time and money in the long-run.

Interested in learning more about the process of changing careers? Read our article, here.

4. find an educational training program that meets your needs..

Once you get familiar with the requirements of your dream job, it’s time to check off the boxes. To do so, you must research local schools in your area, or possibly online programs, that offer your pathway of choice. Be sure to look for an institution that is reputable, accredited, and that supports your new career trajectory from start to finish. For example, if you are hoping to change careers to nursing , you should find a nursing school that offers the level of degree and training required by your state.

On top of finding a school or program that supports your career goals, you must also find an academic offering that supports you as an adult student. It’s scary enough to think about going back to school as an adult learner. However, many schools offer flexible programs that are designed for busy individuals like you! And, the right institution will be ready to offer you support services along the way. For example, at Goodwin University, you will find:

• Accelerated degrees and certificates, to get you into a career you love fast
• Comprehensive student services , including resume workshops, counseling, job search support, veteran services, and more
• Customizable schedules, tailored to your individual needs as an adult student
• Degree completion programs for adults needing to complete their bachelor’s
• Online and hybrid programs, to support distance learners
• Part-time program offerings, so you can continue to work while going to school

Going back to school is often an essential part of the process of changing careers. And right now you might be thinking, “Can you really teach an old dog new tricks?” The answer is yes! In fact, the vast majority (almost 75 percent!) of students at Goodwin University are over the age of 25. Many have transferred from other schools or institutions, and many are in the process of changing careers.

Rather than shying away from it, try your best to embrace and welcome the change. Going back to school at 30 or 40 years old is a great way to obtain new skills and gain relevant experience related to your future role. When choosing an educational program, it’s best to choose one that is highly focused on your specific career and building skill sets within that profession. Career-focused colleges and universities are designed to help students develop their skills, and become eligible for the workforce, as fast and thoroughly as possible.

5. Update your resume and begin your job search.

Once you gain relevant skills and the experience or training needed to launch a new career, it’s time to make the big moves: beginning your job search. Before you do this, however, be sure to dust off your resume and update it with any new skills you’ve gained, education you’ve acquired, and training or certifications you’ve completed as an adult. Don’t forget to add your most recent job experience to your resume, too, and remove anything that is especially outdated or no longer relevant.

At Goodwin, we offer our students and alumni support in recreating their resumes, writing cover letters, and preparing for job interviews. We also can help you begin your job search, if and when you are ready. As a career-focused institution , Goodwin has connections with employers throughout Connecticut and beyond.

What are the best career changes at 30 or 40 years old?

As an adult with experience in the workforce, you likely know what you like and what you don’t like in a professional setting. You likely have an idea of what you’re interested in doing for work, and where your talents lie. However, you may still be unsure how those all translate to a career, and which careers will be most fruitful—and feasible—for you at 30 or 40 years old.

While there is no “right” or “wrong” career choice, there are some that are especially popular for adults switching professions. Below are some of the most cited careers to consider at 30, 35, or 40 years old. Hint: These careers offer a comfortable pay, and can be achieved quickly, without a large investment in school.

• Dental hygienist (requires an associate degree)
• Entrepreneur or starting your own product/company (business experience recommended, but not required)
• Event planner (business or on-the-job experience preferred)
• HR specialist or recruiter (some business administration experience required)
• Medical assistant (can be achieved with a certificate or associate degree)
• Patient care technician (typically requires a postsecondary certificate)
• Personal trainer (certification is typically required)
• Project manager (a bachelor’s degree may be preferred)
• Real estate agent (training and professional license required)
• Registered nurse (requires an associate degree in Nursing)
• Web designer or developer (some training and experience required)
• Yoga instructor (certification required)

Should You Change Careers?

Deciding whether or not to change careers is a significant decision that requires careful consideration. After all, you have a life to protect. But you also have a life that’s worth living out to the best of your ability, and this may mean finding a job that better suits your interests and needs. Here are some questions to ask yourself to help determine if a career change is the right choice for you:

• Do you lack fulfillment in your current career?
• Are you limited in terms of your growth?
• Do you feel like your position is insecure or on the line?
• Do you strive for more work-life balance?
• Are you seeking a higher salary or more reward in your profession?
• Are you experiencing personal life changes that warrant a career change?

If you are unsure whether or not it’s the right time to change careers, you may consider consulting someone who has experience in this exact topic. As mentioned, Goodwin University’s student body is filled with adult students who are making changes in their professional lives. We are happy to speak with you, learn more about your situation, and answer any questions you might have about making a career change as an adult. Ready to get started?

Contact us at 800-889-3282 today. You may also request more information online here.