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Do
You Know the ABCs of Career Change? Making a career change is one of the toughest
job-search challenges. For
clarification, “career change” means much more than “job change.” A career change means choosing a completely
new profession or industry. A “job
change” is simply changing employers within the same industry and profession. Why do people change careers? The two main reasons are:
What makes a career change so difficult? After all, most job seekers attempting a
career change know exactly why they would do well in a new profession or
industry. The problem comes down to
communication. Most job seekers have
difficulty communicating in their resume their ability to excel in a new
career. Resumes, by definition, focus
on career experience (history), but career changers need employers to see
their expertise (current skills) in order to be viewed as a viable candidate.
If you are attempting a career change, it
becomes easier when you understand the ABC’s of career change: A: Assess B: Bridge C: Communicate Assess what you want changed. Before you can make a successful change, you
must decide what needs changing. Is it
the duties you perform? Your
overbearing boss? Your current
geographic location? The industry you
work in? The size of company you work
for? The level of responsibility you
hold? Once you pinpoint your exact
source of unhappiness, you’re on your way to making the correct choice for
change. Bridge the gap between what you’ve done and
what you want to do. The key to selling yourself based on your
expertise rather than your experience is transferable skills. Transferable skills work like bridges to
help you cross over from one industry to another or one occupation to another. Transferable skills are those skills you
now possess that qualify you as a viable candidate for your career change. Communicate your ability to excel in your new
profession or industry. Your resume is your front-line communication
tool to prospective employers. No
matter how well you interview, if your resume doesn’t sell you, there won’t
be an opportunity to convince them in person.
Use your accomplishments to prove the strength of your transferable
skills, and you’ll get interviews faster and with more enthusiasm. An experienced career coach can help you apply
these ABCs to your current resume and your interview skills. Once you practice the ABCs of career change
you’ll be on your way to changing your career and changing your life—for the
better!
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Deborah Walker, CCMC Career Coach ~ Resume Writer Find more job-search tips and resume samples at: Email: Deb@AlphaAdvantage.com |