For you, right now, it's job search time again? You know how to write resumes and cover letters to get an interview. You may even still have copies on your computer. But that's not enough, you'll need to rewrite your resume to apply for new jobs. How do you write a resume using your old one? Do you have to start from scratch to create a new resume? It all depends on your new career plan! Here are some tips on how to rewrite your resume based on your A and B situations.
Sections to know when redoing your resume
In general, a professional resume includes 5 to 6 sections, 3 of which are really essential:
- Professional experience
- Academic background
- Technical skills / soft skills or both
Others are important for the creation of a resume, but not especially compulsory :
- the cv's hook
- the languages spoken
- your interests
- your references
Maybe you've already created a few resumes? For your new job search, maybe you can change some categories? Add some skills? Delete an experience from your career path to make room for your latest experience? Maybe you can add categories to give you more material to stand out from the other applications ? A tagline ? References ?
Redo your resume for a similar job
You are changing organization but your job and the sector in which you work remain the same? Then yes, you can use your old resume, with a few adjustments! You didn't think you'd get off that easy ;) You can indeed create a resume hook if you didn't have one or change it by choosing an experience, strong points related to the job offer you are applying for. You can also take it from your LinkedIn profile, if it is relevant to your application.
👉 To learn more about resume catchphrases, here is our dedicated article
In the meantime, have you taken a training course that will be useful in your new position? Don't hesitate to add it in your "training" section.
And of course, if you leave a job for another one, it means that your last experience is not yet on your resume and that you will have to add it too! To make a resume, 3 professional experiences are enough, so don't hesitate to delete a previous experience that has less sense to be known by your next employer. Stay concise, your resume must fit on one page! :)
Redo your resume to change sector
You want to do the same job in a new sector?
So yes, you may need to redo your resume. If you are changing careers and have little or no work experience related to your new field, you can highlight other assets in your "skills" and "interests" sections.
➡️ For example, you have gone from being a partnership manager in the banking sector to a partnership manager in a social and solidarity enterprise in a recycling center. How can you create a resume using data from your old one?
- By highlighting your volunteer involvement in an association in your professional experience.
- By adding your taste for "collecting and valorizing old objects" in your interests.
- By highlighting your soft skills in line with the values of the SSE: knowledge of collaborative work methods, cooperation, shared governance, empathy, taste for teamwork...
Of course, no bullshit, if you don't have any experience in the new sector you're attracted to, you can't make it up. You could stand out from the crowd in another way, by stating the reasons why you want to join an SSE organization in your resume teaser and expand on them in your cover letter for example! :)
To change jobs
In the case of a career change, you cannot repeat from A to Z the information of a previous resume. Logically, you should only highlight your accomplishments and skills that could be useful in your new position;
➡️ For example, if you go from being a fashion salesperson to a Transition workshop leader, it will be your interpersonal skills that will be interesting to put forward for your new position. You will also need to add a training course, even for a few days, in the field of transition.
For a spontaneous application
In this case, when there are no job openings, you don't know what the recruiters expect. However, you can get an idea by exploring their communication tools, their website, their news and press releases. What skills might they need right now? How can you help them? Why are you interested in their mission? Their values?
To rewrite your resume, you can ask yourself these questions and then adapt it according to your needs.
Change the layout
To create a resume from an old one, you can also opt for a new layout. You can build a resume with an original layout using tools like powerpoint, photoshop or indesign for example. On canva, there are original templates. You can also find free resume samples to download on the internet.
If you're applying for a creative job, you could take the personal information from your old resume and change the visual or go for originality by leaving out the classic pdf resume. You can also use a singing resume, a video resume, an origami resume, a puzzle resume... the possibilities are numerous.
👉You'll find original resume ideas in this article !
5 important things to do to redesign your resume
Write a resume in chronological order
The basis if you don't want to lose your reader when reading your background. Make sure you specify the dates in front of each experience ;)
Avoid spelling mistakes
On word processors like Word or Open Office, you can choose the option to underline your mistakes. Proofreading your resume and having it proofread twice by someone close to you will give you the best chance of making ZERO mistakes!
Make your resume readable for the recruiter
Readability is achieved through simple and clear fonts, line spacing, paragraphs...
The recovery of keywords
Using the keywords present on the job offer or on the organization's website can help you attract the recruiter's attention! Of course, choosing keywords only to seduce your recipient is not crazy... Use the words that characterize you to be relevant too ;)
To go further
👉10 steps to prepare for a job interview