Resume Makeovers
for Career Changers
Sacha Cohen
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Change can be wonderful, energizing, even life
altering. It can also be challenging and frightening.
But these days, it's practically assumed that
during the course of your working life, you'll
not only change jobs and companies, but you may
change fields or professions entirely. According
to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, people entering
the job market today can, during their professional
lifetime, hold seven to 10 jobs working for three
to five employers.
That's a lot of moving around.
Luckily, professionals with a background or degree
in chemistry now have a whole world of employment
opportunities. For example, says Dorothy Rodmann
a career consultant for the American Chemical
Society (ACS), you might go from a lab position
to something on the management track or from a
research position to academia or from analytical
chemistry to sales in the chemical industry or
even into business consulting. The opportunities
are virtually endless.
One area that is particularly hot is the pharmaceutical
industry. "We do get a lot of people asking
about how to move into the pharmaceutical industry,
since that's where the job growth is," says
Elaine Diggs, a professional career counselor
who manages the ACS Career Consultant program.
Other areas that are growing include biotechnology,
computers/technology, personal care, and specialty
chemicals, according to
recent ACS data.
The Occupational
Outlook Handbook by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
lists research and testing services, pharmaceuticals/biotechs,
medical instruments, consulting and contracting,
electronic manufacturing, transportation and public
utilities, education, and local governments as
growth areas for chemists.
Baby Steps
For many, the difficult part isn't deciding to
make a move, it's figuring out how to do it. As
many wise career experts have said in the past,
it's all about baby steps. Once
you've thoroughly researched your new job or profession,
the next step is to redo your resume. This will
lay the foundation for making a smooth career
transition and will help you land those all-important
interviews.
Rodmann recommends using
a combination resume and emphasizes the importance
of how you position the data and your credentials.
"When you put a label on yourself, that label
sticks like glue," she says. During interviews,
the hiring manager or HR person will think about
you in terms of the jobs you've had before and
will consider the kinds of skills you bring in
that type of function. They won't necessarily
look beyond your jobs to your other skill sets
or potential. They tend to keep that label on
you when they review your resume, especially when
you put your resume in a chronological format.
While functional resumes are good because they
show that you are moving forward or have worked
for prestigious organizations, they aren't optimal
for career changers.
So, what should you do? Start with a strong summary
of qualifications that talks about who you are
and the kinds of skills you bring to the job.
"It's sort of like writing an ad for yourself,"
says Rodmann. For example, a chemist might have
a summary that includes some technical expertise
along with project management experience and good
writing and communication skills. The key here
is to include-in a few sentences-the skills that
are relevant to the position they are seeking,
not necessarily the ones you've had in the past.
The next step is to highlight the accomplishments
that relate to the position that you are applying
for. For example, were you great at working with
vendors? Or did you know how to do repairs (this
is important for sales positions)? Don't forget
volunteer and non-paid accomplishments. One outstanding
example of someone who has made the leap from
academia to industry is Dr. Mary Good, former
president of ACS. Good began her career as a professor
of chemistry at Louisiana State University. But
partly because of her work at ACS (in an unpaid
capacity), using such skills as financial planning
for a multimillion-dollar budget, she was able
to position herself to land a job as vice president
of AlliedSignal (now Honeywell).
After accomplishments comes education. Not only
should you list degrees, says Rodmann, you should
include any additional education that is related
to the field, even if it's just a course or two,
to make it clear that you understand something
about the field you are pursuing.
Finally, end with a brief chronological history
of what you've done, advises Rodmann. The reason
for this is that HR people and tech people in
the science world tend to be sequentially oriented.
"You can't forget that if you just concentrate
on functional and skills and don't appeal to this
side of the issue, you may lose out," she
says.
According to Robbie
Miller Kaplan, author of Sure-Hire
Resumes, the most important element of
preparing any resume is that it clearly demonstrates
that the job seeker has the qualifications that
match the job requirements. "A career changer
must know the position(s) they are interested
in or transitioning to and the job requirements.
If they meet those, they must craft a resume that
demonstrates it.
Unlike Rodmann, Kaplan generally recommends sticking
with chronological resumes because "they
are easier to read and employers prefer them."
She suggests creatively organizing and structuring
information in unique formats that incorporate
the functional style within the chronological
resume. For example, a resume might begin with
a strong professional profile or background summary
and follow with functional headings that demonstrate
the individual's unique qualifications, listing
maybe two strong bullet accomplishments. Following
that, says Kaplan, might be a chronological work
history. Alternately, within the chronological
work history one might include some functional
headings to demonstrate the areas that are transferable.
If you do choose a functional resume, "the
information must be presented using descriptive
statements that clearly indicate scope, depth
and breadth of experience, quantifying where possible,
and including accomplishments," says Kaplan.
A Winning Cover Letter
Now that your new resume is ready, what do you
do about a cover letter to go with it? Kaplan
says that cover letters should "work as a
partner with the resume and should include information
that more clearly targets the individual's qualifications
for that specific job." You should state
why you are interested in the position, why you
are qualified, and what you can do for the employer.
"Employers have problems to solve and if
a job seeker can demonstrate how they can help
them, they will pique the employer's interest.
The job seeker must make a viable case to attract
the employer's attention."
The basic structure is, says career coach Melanie
Keveles, is as follows:
- An introductory paragraph that generates
interest or implies interest.
- A value-selling paragraph that demonstrates
your ability to add value highlights of your
key strengths and abilities.
- A background summary that briefly describes
your relevant education and experienc.
- A statement that either compels or insures
follow-up action.
- A statement of appreciation.
Rodmann suggests that the cover letter also include
a paragraph explaining how you found out about
the job, especially if you found it through networking
or through someone at the company. You should
close by saying that you will be following up-and
then, of course, you must follow up within a few
weeks, preferably with a phone call or e-mail.
Sacha Cohen is a Washington-based business and
technology writer. Her work has appeared in The
Washington Post, Kiplinger.com, Fast Company,
Oxygen's ka-Ching and other print and online publications.
Cohen has been covering Internet trends and culture
since 1996.
Recommended Reading
Alternative
Careers in Science by Cynthia Robbins-Roth
(Editor).
Careers
for Chemists: A World Outside the Lab by Fred
Owens, Roger Uhler, and Corinne Marasco.
Career
Transitions for Chemists by Dorothy Rodmann,
Donald D. Bly, Fred Owens, and Ann-Claire Anderson.
Careerxroads
2001: The Directory to Job, Resume and Career
Management Sites on the Web by Gerry Crispin
and Mark Mehler.
Guide
to Non-Traditional Careers in Science: A Resource
Guide for Pursuing a Non-Traditional Path
by Karen Young Kreeger.
The
Scientist As Consultant: Building New Career Opportunities,
by Carl J. Sindermann and Thomas Sawyer.
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