Hi Everyone, I have a question regarding my resume and job search.
My jobs have been in an administrative capacity for over 15 years now and I want to transition into a new job/career (currently deciding on the industry and type). Every time I post my resume, I get only administrative offers. How do I indicate on my resume or LinkedIn profile that I’m not interested in administrative? Do I downplay the administrative responsibilities on my profiles? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Shelley Maley, Career Coach (PHR, GCDF)
Career Coach
229
07/19/21 at 12:29PM UTC
Good morning!
The first step is identifying exactly what job or career you want to pursue. Online assessments can help you figure out your interests, skills, and values, which can help determine which career is the best fit for you. After doing that, you'll need to customize your resume, highlighting your transferable skills. There's a lot more to a career change than I can explain in this forum, but feel free to reach out if you'd like a free 30 minute consultation.
Best of luck,
Shelley Maley, PHR, GCDF
GabrielOwner at An Nur Scented Candles Aspiring Coder
311
07/16/21 at 8:18PM UTC
Hello,
Have you tried taking a free online career assessment to figure out your next career move?
https://www.123test.com/career-test/
Also regarding LinkedIn, update your career interests and then start liking and commenting on other people’s posts in the industry you may be interested in. This is a way to kind of trick the algorithm. This is the strategy I took and it worked. I hope this helps!
Anonymous
07/17/21 at 8:13PM UTC
Thank you. I’ll try that.
Rika M PhippsAdministrative Assistant in S.E. Wisconsin
270
07/16/21 at 3:04PM UTC
I totally get it. I had to try to break away from doing CNA work. Don't downplay anything, just reword your resume. Check out O*net - look up the job descriptions for the type of work you're looking for. The keywords you find there, insert into your resume. Many skills are transferrable. Also, in your LinkedIn headline, highlight the skills you have in the different career you're looking for.
Another piece of technology is JobScan - where you put YOUR resume on one side, the job description on the other, and it matches up how well you "fit" the job description. It shows you how different the key words are, and if you can change those to fit, you'll get a better chance. I think you get 5 free a month, and you'll get a link to share. When other people click the link to utilize their optimization, you get more free scans.
Gwendolyn FreeOffice Genie in Houston, Texas
335
07/17/21 at 6:22PM UTC
These are some good things you brought up! I’m looking into these also! Thank you for sharing!
Anonymous
07/16/21 at 8:08PM UTC
Thank you. I’ll definitely check out JobScan.
WendyRMCareer change hopeful.
934
07/16/21 at 2:20PM UTC
Thank you, thank you! I'm in the same boat and really appreciate you asking that question! I've found LinkedIn does this to me too. My two cents: in another post someone mentioned Resume Worded. It helps you craft a better resume. It has other helpful features too.
Anonymous
07/17/21 at 8:21PM UTC
Thank you. I’ll give that a shot as well.
Anonymous
07/16/21 at 1:28PM UTC
- Make sure on LinkedIn that your heading mentions the work that you are looking for, not that you currently are in.
- Use a functional resume rather than a chronological resume that highlights your transferable skills. Include a summary section that highlights your why or how for changing industries.
- Submit a cover letter when applying for jobs, and list 3-4 ways you will use your transferable skills to solve pain points in the role you are applying for.
Nicole DupuisHelping women discover clarity through coaching
742
07/15/21 at 6:06PM UTC
Hi there! I think you have to define the industry and job (or jobs) that you are looking to join before you update your resume. Then you can use key words and skills that you have in your administrative work, to target jobs outside of that space. I would also start connecting with people that you already know who might be in an industry you are interested in or connected to an industry, and pick their brain. Not only will they potentially have suggestions for your resume, they may know someone who is hiring or looking. The more people you share your goals with, the better! Good luck!
Anonymous
07/15/21 at 6:05PM UTC
I would customize your resume to the role(s) you are now looking for. Revise the descriptions of your skills so that more clearly align with your prospective job description.
Also don't be afraid of tweaking the titles that you held to show your applicable compatability.
