Resume Makeovers for Career Changers

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Resume Makeovers for Career Changers
Sacha Cohen

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.