WHY CHANGE?

Changing your career or job can revitalise your life, giving it new drive and focus. Successful change comes from mature attitudes and just about anything is possible if you want it enough and are willing to do the work rather than rely on luck.

Firstly, you must understand why you want to change. If you're not rigorous in finding out exactly what is motivating your desire for change, you risk finding a new job with the same problems you encountered in the one you left. Reasons for seeking new employment vary from the simple, e.g. you may simply want to earn more money, or to change your geographical location, to the complex, maybe you feel jaded and fed up with your current position, but are not entirely sure why.

Take a close look at your working life to see which aspects you would like to change: is it the actual content of your job and if so why? Perhaps it is possible to gain promotion, to move to another department or area, or to receive more training to overcome difficulties in your current job.

THE CAREER CHANGE CV

The job of a career change CV is to make your switch seem like the logical next step, enabling future employers to see why they should give you a shot at succeeding in a new field.

To do so, research into your prospective employer's industry and discover what is in demand then write down a list of the qualifications and skills you have that are most likely to appeal to your potential employer. Make it clear that you're aware of the differences between your old industry and your target one, and these skills are the reason why your switch will be a success It is helpful to try asking yourself "Why would someone take a chance on me?" Use your answer as the main structure to build your CV around.

TWO POINTS TO REMEMBER

1. People who get the job already know the job well: whatever change you make it is vital to study in detail the methods, concepts, industry participants, jargon, skills needed and attitudes / culture that prevails; there is lots of general information available but it would also work to start talking to those with first-hand experience; the greater the fluency of your knowledge the more convincing you will sound as a potential employee.

2. Good applications are 100% relevant: your CV needs to describe your projected future, not dwell in your past, no matter how successful you have been. By necessity it must place emphasis on skills and experience that are transferable and will actually match your new type of role; hoping that people will welcome your skills and capabilities and pay to re-train. Therefore, less emphasis should be placed on any previous achievements, unless they relate specifically to the job you're applying for.

ANECDOTES

You don't need to give an in depth reason for why you're looking to change career - this is a discussion that should be saved for the interview. Be aware that the person reading your CV may not understand technical jargon from your past roles, so be prepared to dumb-down some areas so it has a broader appeal.

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