Best Resume Formats for Career Change (10 examples)

Choosing the best format for your career change resume is crucial. Given below are the top 10 resumes that can better highlight your transferable skills while showcasing your relevant experience and increasing your chances of success.

1. Functional Resume: A functional format is best for career changers. Rather than list chronological work history with duties, this style emphasizes skills and accomplishments. Transferable skills are in the limelight with such a career change resume, aiding you in showing how the previous roles tie into that of the new career you aim for. This format will suit best if your past jobs are not directly related to the desired field. 

Career change CV example: Skills Section: Project Management, Data Analysis, Leadership, Communication; Professional Experience Section: Relevant projects or internships.

2. Combination Resume Format: The combination resume, or hybrid resume, blends both chronological and functional formats. This makes it possible to highlight your transferable skills at the beginning of your resume and then follow up with a more traditional work experience section. This format works beautifully for someone with solid experience and whose transferable skills apply to another career. This way employers see both your achievements and your work history at one glance.

Career change CV examples: Skills Section: Leadership, Strategic Planning, Marketing; Professional Experience Section: Previous job roles that highlighted transferable duties.

3. Chronological Resume Format: A chronological format best suits individuals wishing to change careers within the same industry, having existing work experience in similar jobs. This approach presents the job history in reverse order, indicating career progress to the employer and not appropriate for industry change unless the overlap of prior roles with intended job was vast.

Career change resume example: Professional Experience Section: Previous roles, with attention to the skills that would serve also in the new career path.

4. Targeted Resume Format: A targeted resume is specifically written for a particular job or industry. Here, you can list transferable skills and experience that suit most of the jobs you are applying for. In a career change resume, a targeted procedure would place you ahead of others in contention, even if your previous experience doesn't tie closely with the job description.

Career Change Resume Example: “Seasoned marketing professional pivoting to data analysis, with strong analytical abilities, leadership experience, and a passion for discovering business insights.”

5. Skills-Based Resume Format: Very similar to the functional format, a skills-based resume only places more stress on your particular technical know-how and soft skills. This format is for a person changing careers and whose relevant show-off skills would have to point to the new field. This works exceptionally well if your prior job roles weren't similar to the new career but called for you to develop valuable skills in other areas.

Examples of Transferable Skills: Project Management, Data Analysis, Customer Relationship Management

6. Infographic Resume Format: An infographic resume format can make you stand out interestingly for any of the creative fields like design or marketing. An infographic resume depends on graphics, icons, or charts to show your experience, skills, and achievements instead of words. This format is of course aesthetically pleasing, but it might not really be the best one for all resumes for career change, particularly in conservative industries. This would suit someone well changing careers into creative or technology careers.

Career change CV example: This has a rather attractive design, highlighting transferable skills with minuscule text. 

7. Portfolio-Based Resume Format: When you want to change the career that includes doing some work that is going to be displayed (such as web development, writing, or photography), it becomes very important not to be left out of the resume preparation process. Actually, it features the links or examples of your work in addition to traditional resume content.

Career Change Resume Example for Portfolio Section: Demonstration of writing samples, websites, or design work in a new industry 

8. A Video Resume Format: A video resume is getting popular as a format-one of such examples is in the marketing, media, and tech industries. A video resume lets you speak to potential employers, showing how qualified you are, and includes your interpersonal skills and personality. It is not suited for every industry, but within dynamic and creative organizations, it can sway a decision in your favor when changing a career.

Career Change Resume Summary Example: A 2-minute video showcasing your skills transferable to a new field, enthusiasm about it, and relevant experiences.

9. Online-Resume Format: An online resume - which might be hosted in a site like LinkedIn or a personal site - really helps you include multimedia elements with links to the portfolio, blog, or social media accounts. This can do wonders for job seekers in technical, sales, or even creative areas. So, by doing that, the hiring managers will have instant access to the qualifications while you present yourself as someone who is pretty savvy digitally.

A career-change resume sample: Interview-ready resume for an individual who is an up-to-date follower of LinkedIn to feature his transferable skills, current work history, and endorsements from colleagues during previous assignments.

10. Minimalist Resume Format: This is for those who work in more traditional fields and for those who are applying for jobs in corporations with a less progressive corporate culture. A minimalist resume offers a very neat yet concise presentation of experience without distracting extras. Ideal for switching careers and not overwrought with unnecessary facts for possible employers.

Career Change CV Example: One-page resumes focusing purely on transferable skills and key achievements.

The career change resume is your first impression with the employer. An ordinary resume will do fine if you want to be in the same field of work, whereas a career change resume would take a more thorough approach. This is the time when you can show the hiring manager that everything you have experienced in the past counts and that the transferable skills you've gained can be utilized within the spheres of your new career. 

Your career change resume needs to incorporate skills and achievements that may not be glaringly obvious with your previous job titles. With a focus on transferable skills and a career change resume example that clearly relates to the new professional direction you are taking, you should be able to convince newer potential employers rather than proving your worth but showing that you are more than qualified and ready to bring something new to the table.

While creating a career change resume, follow these tips for it to stand out when it lands in the hands of the hiring managers:

• Strong Career Change Resume Summary Sample: In your summary, it should be highlighted that at present you are changing careers while demonstrating how past experiences relate to what you now want to do.

• Highlight Transferable Skills: The focus should be put on general skills which can be applicable in other positions. That will open the eyes of employers to the potential they will recruit into their teams.

• Resume Should Be Tailored for Each Job: A resume for career changers should be tailored to every job you applied for, exhibiting most highlighted and relevant experiences and skills.

• State Clearly: Avoid clutter and assure that your career change CV becomes readable by clear and well organized sections.

Mention Appropriate Certification or Courses: Part of the other courses you have attended in preparation for the career change should also be included in your resume to showcase dedication to the transition.

For any job hunter today, it is very important that your career change resume be optimized for applicant tracking systems (ATS). ResuScan, one of the best tools from mployee.me, will help you analyze your cv for improvement in the likelihood of passing through those filters. Simply upload your resume now for changing existing career records into ResuScan and receive highly detailed feedback on which areas should be improved to get you where you want to go. Whether through adjusting that career change resume example or optimizing keywords that link better, give those transferable skills ResuScan insights needed for perfecting your document. 

Make ready your updated resume for the next phase of your career.