Getting Your Résumé Ready

One aspect of my writing work involves résumé writing, mostly for teachers looking for teaching jobs. But I’ve also done several résumés for job seekers looking to change careers.

If you’re looking for a new field, you may be tempted to re-write your résumé in a functional format, to highlight the skills you developed as a teacher. However, I don’t recommend the functional format. A solid work history is a tremendous asset, but it could easily get lost in a functional résumé. I have read that recruiters also view functional résumés with suspicion, because they can be used to mask a spotty employment history.

So, what to do? I have used a highlight or summary section at the very top of the résumé for all the job seekers I’ve worked with. I think this feature would be especially useful for career changers who have a strong work history. This section allows you to give special attention to the skills you have which can be transferred to a new field. For example, the ability to manage others, knowledge of computer hardware and software, and organizational skills are often sought by recruiters and hiring managers.

Here’s the summary section from my own résumé. Most of the work I’ve looked for has been in educational publishing so I still emphasize my teaching background while addressing important non-teaching skills.  I also spent my entire teaching career in the same school system, and since that is an asset I wanted to make sure it got the attention it deserved. 

When you apply for jobs, it’s worth the time to tailor your résumé to the specific position you seek. However, that can be done easily in your summary section. On my résumé, the line Professional educator seeks position integrating research, writing skills and teaching expertise has been modified often- I’ve applied for curriculum writing jobs, fact checking jobs and freelance educational publishing work.  

I own this book, Expert Résumés for Career Changers, and refer to it often, when updating my own résumé and when writing résumés for clients. It has a lot of great samples of résumés, representing people from a wide variety of fields, with a lot of great tips too. If you’re hoping to be in a new career by the start of the next school year, now is a great time to begin evaluating and revamping your résumé.