If you feel like it may be time for you to take that next step in your career, your resume needs to reflect your new goals. A good first step would be to do some research on the types of positions that interest you. Once you identify job opportunities that fit your career goals, it will give you a better idea about the skills you need to further develop on your resume. You have to keep in mind that your resume is your first chance to make an impression on hiring managers. The goal is to show hiring managers that you are ready to take that next step in your career. When you update your resume, you need to integrate new skills and achievements that relate to the types of jobs you are applying to. If the resume writing is done correctly, your resume will scream “hire me” within the first 10-15 seconds of reading it.
It is also imperative to add in achievements on your resume that will uniquely qualify you for the types of jobs you are interested in. When you write your resume, you should always have your future career in mind rather than your past career. If you highlight achievements and skills that only relate to lower level jobs and cannot be used in higher level jobs, you will inadvertently pigeonhole yourself in the lower level job market simply because you didn’t highlight relevant skills that pertain to higher level jobs you want to pursue. If you can identify the skills that higher level jobs value and create a link to your skills and what you achieved already, this will show hiring managers that you have the foundation to build upon in your next job. This is a proven personal branding strategy that shows hiring managers that you are poised for career advancement to higher level jobs.
Incorporating your new career goals into your resume is vital because it gives hiring managers the chance to clearly see why you would be a good fit and what skills you possess that can be leveraged within their company. It also gives you the opportunity to show hiring managers that you are ready for new challenges because you have a solid foundation to build upon. Your resume has to personally brand you as a uniquely qualified individual with a comprehensive skill set that can thrive in a higher level job. As long as your resume highlights your skills and achievements that closely match your career goals, your resume will successfully convey your ability to take that next step in your career to a higher level job.