Avoid Resume Typecasting 

by Sheila Curran, printed in Duke Magazine 

Question: 
After 2 years in banking, I’m looking to switch careers to something that involves more contact with people.  How can I write a resume which doesn’t typecast me as “finance.”

Answer: What you need to do is re-orient potential employers to your skills, rather than your most recent experience. If you’re interested in working with people now, it’s probably because you’ve had some past experience – perhaps at Duke – which you enjoyed more than your current position.  Many skills are transferable, and even in your current position you may have good examples of how you’ve worked effectively with people.  The trick is to make it easy for your new employer to see that you do, indeed, meet their requirements. Here are a few tips on how to help your new employer visualize you in the position:• Write an objective at the top of your resume, particularly if you know what kind of organization you’d like to work for.  It might look something like this “Objective:  An entry level management position in a non-profit organization, where I can use my human relations and leadership skills for the benefit of clients.” •  Consider a hybrid functional/chronological resume. This allows you to lead with a “Skills and Accomplishment” section, with subheadings like Leadership, Human Relations and Presentation skills.  You can take examples from any part of your life, not just your most recent work. In this kind of resume, there is usually a section called "Work History", where you list in chronological order the places you have worked, your title, and the dates, but do not go into detail.•  The more you can find out what an employer is seeking, the more you can tailor your "bullets" to fit the requirements of a position.  Did you, for example, organize the fundraising drive for your current employer, raising $10K? Did you organize a conference, managing 20 volunteers and involving 10 speakers? Are you certified as a mediator? Brainstorm all the things you've accomplished and pick those examples that tell the employer "I've done everything you require, and I'm a good fit".