It can get to a point in life where you have been in the same job for a while and have got everything you can out of it. And so you become stuck in a rut where the only thing that is making you walk through the door every day is the fact that bills need to get paid. But what is really stopping you from trying something new? Maybe there’s a new area, connected to the job you already do that you can move into, or perhaps it’s just the company you work for. Maybe you need a whole new career path and begin again. However you go about shaking things up, you need to make sure your resume is up to scratch.
Up To Date
It’s a good idea to keep your resume up to date regardless of whether you’re looking for a new job or not. Even if it’s just a note stating the day you started your role, dates if any promotions, and the extra responsibilities or training you have received. That way there’s no guesswork, and you won’t miss anything out. But it’s not just your employment history you need to modify; look at your cell number, home and email address – are they correct? Have your objectives and hobbies changed since you last edited your resume? And, if you do include an image, is it a recent one? Your resume is an outward statement of who you are now and not who you were five years ago.
Volunteering
To give your resume a boost, and to provide you with an excellent hobby that has nothing to do with work, consider volunteering. There are a whole range of things that you can do that might or might not link in with your chosen career path. Volunteering on its own shows a willingness to go beyond the basics, to spend your time helping others. It can show leadership, initiative, teamwork, and care. Which all goes a long way with an employer. If you are looking for a promotion, perhaps your volunteering invokes getting involved in new projects and spending some of your time working on them. If you’re looking to move into zoo keeping, for example, volunteering with animals at a shelter, vets or farm will work in your favour.
Education
If you have plenty of experience in the area you’re moving into, then you shouldn’t really need any more qualifications. If you do, it will quite often be something the company offers to provide. If you’re looking elsewhere, then you might need to look at adding to your education. If you want to move into public service, then doing an online criminology BA would work wonders. As would a degree in social care if you’re going to move into social services. Quite often you can find that future employers are happy to allow you to study alongside your new job, so never think that you can’t apply for something just because you haven’t finished studying. You might get lucky and have them offer to pay for your course – who knows?
Skills
Everyone has different skills to their name. However, there is a list that pertains to pretty much anyone who has held down a job, and done well in it, for more than a couple of years:
- Team Player
- Time Management
- Organization
- Time Keeping
- Meeting Deadlines
- Multitasking
If you have worked with money, you can add ‘money management’ to the list, if you have led a team then add ‘team leader’. They might sound simple, but a list of viable skills such as these gives any potential employer a good insight into how you work. You should also rank your skills according to what you feel is more important to the role you’re applying for. A job as a manager would need leadership and organizing right at the top, for example. If you have any critical skills with computer programs, add them to your list. And not all of your skills need to be work-related; adding that you play the violin to the list shows perseverance, hard work and that you have a hobby.
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