How to Write a Resume and Tailor Your LinkedIn During a Career Change

As you progress in your professional journey, you may want to change your career trajectory. Without adequate experience in a particular field, you will need to reevaluate how you construct your resume. Tailoring your LinkedIn profile can also have a positive impact as you navigate a career change.

By Timothy Mably

When you realize that you want to change careers, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. After years of relevant experience , you will need to course correct and potentially disregard previous expertise in favor of your future pursuit.

This can feel daunting on different levels depending on whether you’re fresh out of college, in the middle of your career, or closer to retirement. However, there are tools you can use in your professional transition to make the process smoother. It’s crucial to write your resume and tailor your LinkedIn during a career change to attract the work you desire.?

Resumes and LinkedIn

Career strategist Ana Goehner advocates for building your LinkedIn profile or resume “for the job you want, not the job you have.” Although honesty in presenting your professional qualifications should be a priority, you should also be mindful of how you curate experience and various skills .

Goehner says, “It’s about rebranding your transferable skills. You can port most of your skills to another job. As a customer service representative, you use written communication to reply to customer complaints. As an aspiring executive assistant, you'll use written communication for meeting minutes, correspondence, documentation, etc.”?

There will inevitably be required skills in a new field that you lack, but you will never start from nothing. Bridging the gap between fields is a great starting point as you consider where you’re heading.

As you focus on transferable skills, you may surprise yourself at how well you fit a position based on a job description. A skills-based resume or LinkedIn profile can have the same power as the application of someone with years of experience. Goehner says, “Perhaps you’re a natural communicator or win others over with stellar persuasion skills. Or maybe you prioritize tasks in a fast-paced environment or pivot easily in a rapidly-changing environment.” These qualities can extend to a variety of industries.

Goehner recommends choosing around 5 to 10 job descriptions you find desirable and looking for common keywords. Then, add them to your LinkedIn profile in some capacity, whether in your headline, description, and/or under professional skills. As you incorporate these keywords, they will stick out to people you may choose to network with. They provide a sense of common ground as you build relationships with others through commenting on posts or sending messages.

Certified career coach Anne Genduso suggests a three-step approach categorized by researching, learning, and connecting. She says that as you discover companies and positions that catch your interest, you should be researching to find overlap with your experience. As you take note of the disparity between where you are and where you want to be, you will set a foundation for your career change.

When there are areas of expertise you need to have for a new field, consider LinkedIn Learning courses. These can be shown on your profile and stand out to hiring managers. By earning badges, you will demonstrate your seriousness about the career trajectory you have chosen.

After implementing these skills, Genduso recommends connecting with others on LinkedIn who have the qualifications you aim to have. She says, “Remember that building meaningful relationships means giving, not just taking, so be sure to build rapport and offer value before asking for someone’s time.”

Career coach Andrea St Jean takes it one step further and suggests asking people you network with if they would be open to touch base on a call. She says, “Find people on LinkedIn with the role you’re targeting and ask them for a 15-20 minute informational interview to ask them about what they like and don’t like about the role, how they got it, and any advice about moving your career in this direction.”

This bold and straightforward approach can differentiate you from others and showcase your ambition. Along the way, you will also become more prepared for what lies ahead in an unfamiliar field.

How to Change Careers at 40 or 50

Regardless of your age, altering your professional plans will seem intimidating. People who are only beginning their careers can feel a burden similar to someone who is in the middle of their career. Ana Goehner believes that starting with a change in mindset can make a positive impact on your search for new work. As you tailor your resume and adjust your LinkedIn profile, there are four points that she mentions to have in mind:

1. Know the why behind the change, and believe it’s possible.
2. Cultivate a growth mindset as you take on new challenges and learn from them.
3. You won’t know everything in the new career, but you have the skills, knowledge, and previous experience to make the new path work for you.
4. Be a listener, and learn from people younger than you.?

There are numerous misconceptions about making such an ambitious career change later in life. By reminding yourself of these pieces of advice, you can go in with a realistic perspective.

Goehner believes that you will never start from square one. She says, “The key is to articulate your transferable skills and remember the value you’re bringing to a new workplace. The right opportunities will recognize the innovation you can bring to their space with your experience paired with a fresh perspective.”

Some employers may value such a fresh perspective, regardless of an applicant’s age. Paired with certain transferable skills, you may be closer to a hiring manager’s consideration than you imagine.

St Jean echoes this mentality, saying, “Start with yourself, just like how you would define your priorities if you were considering buying a new house or choosing a new apartment. Be as clear as you can about what you need and want before looking.”

Just like anyone entering a new field should look into low-risk entry-level opportunities, you should also seek out ways to get a foot in the door. This may look like volunteering, interning, taking online courses , or a number of other things.

Changing careers is a challenge for anyone, no matter where they are in life. However, it’s far from impossible to manage by strategically curating your resume and utilizing LinkedIn to become the professional you desire to be.

Top Takeaways

How can you write a resume and tailor your LinkedIn profile as you navigate a career change?

• Focus on transferable skills that are relevant to the position you aspire to have. There will inevitably be required skills in a new field that you lack, but you will never start from nothing.
• When there are areas of expertise you need to have for a new field, consider LinkedIn Learning courses.
• Incorporate relevant keywords on your LinkedIn profile and connect with professionals in your desired field.
• Thoroughly research the career to know what to expect, through networking and other resources.
• Seek out low-risk entry-level opportunities such as volunteering, interning, or online classes among other things.