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Tips on switching careers

Every year a large number of people consider switching to another career. If you are in this group, before making a decision, take a look at your employment background, education and credentials.

If the new field you are considering utilizes many of the same skills and qualifications, there may be an easy transition. However, if they differ substantially, you may want to reconsider or formulate a transition strategy.

Examine the educational and credential requirements for the position you are targeting. If there are specific requirements that you need and don’t possess, you may have to go back to school. Consider the time and expense you will have to invest for the change. For instance, if you want to change from a career in sales to public relations, you may already possess the skills and education for that change. If you want to change to accounting, your chances of a successful transition may not be very good unless you go back to school. In all likelihood, you will have to obtain a degree in accounting, and for even further advancement in your new career interest, you will have to take and pass the Certified Public Accounting exam. Without a CPA designation, your chances for long-term career advancement may not be worth the change.

Research the field extensively. Look at job opportunities, future growth of the field, potential employers, income potential, benefits, promotion timetable and licensing or certification requirements.

Timing can be everything. If there is an over abundance of qualified employees, you should consider waiting until the job market improves. The most important thing that career changers fail to consider is their motivation to perform the new job. It needs to be something you really want to do for a living. You don’t want to be unhappy and unmotivated for the rest of your working life.

If everything looks good for a change and you meet the career requirements, it is time to make adjustments in your resume. You may want to consider changing from a chronological format to a functional format. This will allow you to get away from dates and jobs to focus on your actual skills and abilities. It is easier to emphasize your strengths and market yourself to an employer in this structure.

Consider starting out with a powerful summary of abilities. Use headings of your key skills that pertain directly to the job of interest. Highlight and group by function. In this format you can reduce the focus on titles, duties and job descriptions. Since recruiters and hiring managers are accustomed to chronological formats, you need to include information they will be looking for in that style. Jobs should still be listed, but as a secondary part of your resume.

Carefully write your cover letter. It should be between two and four paragraphs. It should complement and support what you are trying to accomplish with your resume. Make sure it is customized, concise and forceful. Address why your background makes you uniquely qualified for the position. Pinpoint the skills you want them to be aware of in your resume. Indicate any accomplishments that directly tie you to perform in the position of interest. If you have gone back to school to earn a degree or certification, make sure you let the recruiter and hiring manager know.

So, if you are considering making a career change, make sure you weigh the positives and negatives. Do the necessary research and make sure it is something that you are really motivated to do until you retire.