Career Change Resume Summary Examples + 5 Pro Tips from Experts

A career summary or resume objective is the first thing the recruiter sees when screening your resume. In 3-4 sentences, it explains how the employer will benefit from hiring you and what you bring to the role.

An informative career summary is paramount for catching the employer's attention from the first sight. Yet, in a career change resume, it performs another important function. The summary should explain how your prior background aligns with the role you're seeking. Moreover, it has to prove that you've got the needed skills and competencies to excel at it.

A strong career summary for career changers should highlight relevant skills and training for the position. It has to be adapted for a specific job description with keywords to increase your chances for success. Today, we will explain how to create a tailored resume summary for a new career path and share career change summary examples to inspire your own.

Have no time to write a resume by yourself?

Reflecting your career change on a resume is a tough task and may be overwhelming. If you're not sure how to do it right, contact our custom resume writing service for career changers. The American and British writers from Resumeperk.com have rich experience in writing ATS-optimized, achievement-driven resumes that draw attention of hiring managers. We offer custom resume writing based on your experience and career goals and free unlimited edits during 2 weeks.

Signs You're Ready for a Career Change and Need a Resume Update

On average, people change careers at the age of 39. The majority of job-seekers (39%) are motivated by salary increase, but this isn't the only reason behind the change. If you're still unsure about switching careers, look at these signs that embarking on a new career path might be right for you.

✓ You cannot realize your potential. Maybe, your skills are not used to its fullest or your current career doesn't let you develop the competencies and skills you want. Or, you have a global feeling that you're doing something that isn't right for you and contradicts with your goals, principles, or values.

✓ You experience physical and mental health symptoms. If the job serves as a source of stress, you may start experiencing insomnia, frustration, depression, apathy or other mental health issues. And if you keep feeling dissatisfied with your job, you can even encounter frequent headaches, stomach aches and other physical symptoms.

✓ You stay on the job only because of paycheck. Having a lucrative paycheck is important, but this shouldn't be your only motivation for work. This situation might give you the feeling that you're trading your life for money. The job should give you other important feelings, such as fulfillment, joy because of work well done, professional development, and more.

✓ You have no interest in what you're doing. You no longer think how to achieve the sales targets or how to be on good terms with colleagues. The task assigned by your boss irritate and discourage you, and you don't find them challenging. All these are signs that your true career passion lies somewhere else.

✓ Your priorities have changed. Maybe, you want to make a different impact on the world, and your current job doesn't allow for it. Or, you want to spend more time with the family, and the it's common in your industry to work on-site for 12 hours a day. Or, you've discovered a new hobby and want to monetize it - no matter the reason, you need a new career that meets those priorities.

Have you recognized yourself in these descriptions? Then, start updating your career change resume early. Take the time to reconsider your experience, recall the details and accomplishments in previous jobs. Think about how your soft skills and technical skills can be the advantage for a new industry. Creating a persuasive resume that reflects your career motivation will help you find a dream job faster.

How to Write a Resume Summary for Career Change: 7 Tips

Writing a summary on resume for career change takes more preparation than if you stay in the same field. You need to evaluate your professional experience and skills, identify those matching your target career, and explain the change to hiring managers. Take the following steps to create a powerful summary:

Study the job description.

Before you start writing a resume summary for career transition, study the job posting closely. Take the time to identify the key skills and requirements of the potential employer. You want to create a tailored resume summary that reflects those skills. If they are looking for someone with strong project management skills, emphasize your success in overseeing projects, even if not 100% relevant. If they want strong customer service skills, focus on client interactions in your previous jobs.

The key is to mention relevant skills on your resume early so that the hiring manager sees them for sure. Thus, your application won't look completely irrelevant and will spark interest.

Optimize it with keywords.

70% of large companies use an applicant tracking system these days. If your resume doesn't have keywords, it will get rejected before the hiring manager sees it.

As you read the job ad, highlight skills and qualifications that appear frequently. Add them to your resume, using the same form as they appear in the job listing (i.e. strong communication skills, regulatory compliance, software proficiency). It will help you pass the ATS screening and get your resume seen.

Connect the dots between the past and the future.

In a summary, you should unite your past experience and skills with the requirements for your target job. For instance, if you're an accountant transitioning to data analyst, the summary should reflect your analytical skills, research skills and ability present trends and findings and make data-driven decisions. In other words, your transition should seem logical for a recruiter, as this gives you a higher chance for consideration.

Adjust the language.

Each industry has its abbreviations and slang, hardly understandable for someone outside of that field. One of the top things to do on your career change summary is to make the language more neutral and clean it from insider words and abbreviations. Thus, you won't look as a total stranger trying to break into the industry but rather as someone who knows something about the new industry, which is always preferred by employers.

Include measurable achievements.

Employers like accomplished candidates, even if these accomplishments lie outside the industry. If you're a bank clerk looking to switch to IT sales, the fact that you exceeded sales targets for banking products will work in your favor. Be specific and prove your statements with figures where it's possible. Yet, since the summary length is limited, include no more than 1-2 most notable achievements.

Add your career goals.

When you make a career change, your professional goals are not clear from the context. Conclude your career change CV summary with the sentence explaining your professional goals in a new field. It will show the recruiter that you are eager to make a change and not just want to try something new out of curiosity. Here's the example: "Seeking to use strong Python skills to improve the efficiency and automation of software development workflows at [Company Name]."

Phrases to write a career change CV summary.

As you compose your Summary section, using power phrases will help you formulate it more concisely and keep it professional. Here are the popular phrases to use in a resume summary:

• Result-oriented professional...
• Proven track record in...
• Passionate about leveraging skills to...
• Adept at...
• Proficient in...(software or technical skills)
• Strong understanding of...(concepts, software)
• Dedicated to...(your professional values or goals)
• Achieved...
• Seeking a challenging role where...

Career change summary template.

Not sure how to structure your summary? Use this template for inspiration:

A [Adjective describing personality] professional with [Number] years in [Previous Field] transitioning to [Target Field]. Proven skills in [Skill 1], [Skill 2], and [Skill 3] gained through [work or personal projects]. Completed [Training or certification in a new field]. Eager to leverage [Professional skills and abilities] to contribute to [Target goal] in this new role.

Resume Summary Examples for Career Change (With and Without Experience)

Career change resume example - Data Analyst

Detail-oriented accountant with 5+ years of experience seeking a Data Analyst position. Reduced month-end closing time by 15% through process improvements and report automation. Eager to leverage my analytical skills and attention to detail to contribute to data-driven decision-making and customer insights at [Company Name].

Sample resume summary for career change - Software Developer

Salesperson with a proven track record in exceeding sales targets by an average of 20%, transitioning to Software Development. Self-taught in Python and JavaScript with a strong foundation in programming principles demonstrated through personal projects including a web application with 250+ users. Seeking to leverage my Python coding skills, dedication to learning, and passion for technology as a junior developer at [Company Name], and provide a unique customer service perspective.

Returning back to profession - Teacher

Compassionate and dedicated teacher with 7+ years of experience prior to a maternity leave. Seeking to re-enter the teaching profession with renewed enthusiasm and a passion for student success. Increased student test scores by an average of 15% over previous years through pesonalized lesson plans and using classroom technology to cater to the needs of diverse learners at former school.

Resume summary with unrelated experience - SMM Manager

A highly creative and data-driven individual seeking to transition into a Social Media Manager role. Cultivated a strong understanding of social media strategy and content creation through managing personal accounts, growing a personal social media account by 50% in 3 months through consistent posting and targeted engagement. Completed the Social Media Marketing course by Meta. Eager to leverage my analytical skills and commitment to learning to drive brand awareness and engagement as a SMM Manager at [Company Name].

Resume Tips for Career Changers

Refining your summary statement is only the first step in creating a powerful career change resume. You also need to rewrite the rest of resume content to highlight transferable skills, relevant training, and achievements. Follow these resume tips for career changers:

Include a headline.

Add a resume headline for career change resume, making your target job title clearly visible. Our career coach recommends using it because it is good for ATS and quickly communicates your goals to the hiring managers. Moreover, you can add your areas of expertise and key selling points to make your headline catchier.

Example: Online Tutor | Curriculum Development | Exams Prep.

Choose the right career change resume format.

If your prior experience is completely irrelevant, use a functional resume format. Use a detailed list of skills and competencies, and list work history briefly. If your past career is somewhat relevant, it's best to use a reverse chronological format, describing duties and achievements in each job in detail.

Highlight relevant skills.

Study the job description for relevant skills, and create a dedicated Skills section. Make sure to only include skills relevant to your new field. If the job requires problem solving skills, experience in digital marketing, interpersonal skills, or software proficiency, make sure your resume features them. These skills will also work as relevant keywords, making your resume more ATS-compliant.

If you are writing a functional resume, create a detailed skills summary section with examples.

Add metrics and achievements.

In addition to resume objective or summary, you need to add accomplishments to your Experience section. Even these accomplishments are not quite relevant to your new field of work, they will show you as a proactive, result-oriented individual.

Capitalize on unpaid experience.

If you have zero experience in a new field, include unpaid relevant projects. Add personal projects and those you did as a volunteer. Your goal is to present relevant experience, even if limited. For example, if you are a beginner SMM manager, you can mention experience of managing accounts for your brother's coffee shop. This strategy will help you convince employers that you have the needed skills for a new job.

Add a career change cover letter.

About 60% of hiring managers expect cover letter. Plus, when you are chaning careers, a cover letter is not just a formality. In it, you can explain the reason behind the change in detail, mention your relevant training, or discuss projects and past achievements that might be relevant for a new position. A well-written cover letter will increase your chances for success with the human resources department.

Give Your Resume a Head Start

Career change resume writing is tricky. It is not easy to build a connection between your past and a new career path and present your career change as an advantage. To make this transition easier, hire resume writer for career change.

Our custom resume writing service has 10+ years of experience in writing resumes for career switchers. We will match you with an expert who makes your qualifications shine and optimizes your application for a specific job posting. We offer affordable prices for resume services and a 20% off for all new clients. Chat with us to find out how we can help you stand out in the job market!

Career Change Resume Summary - FAQ

What is a good summary for a career change resume?

A good career change resume summary highlights your transferable skills, aligns with the new industry, and shows confidence in your ability to succeed. It should clearly state your background and how it connects to the role you're pursuing.

Should you use a summary or objective for career change?

A summary is generally better than an objective for a career change. It focuses on what value you offer, rather than what you're looking for. A strong summary helps frame your experience positively, even if it's from a different industry.

How to explain career change in resume summary?

Address your career shift directly and confidently. Emphasize transferable skills, relevant accomplishments, and your motivation for switching fields. Keep the tone positive and future-focused.

How to highlight transferable skills on resume?

Create a dedicated skills section or incorporate them into your summary and work experience. Use industry-relevant terms and quantify results to show how your previous experience adds value in the new role.

How to write resume summary with unrelated experience?

Focus on core skills like communication, problem-solving, or leadership that are useful across industries. Frame your unrelated experience in a way that supports your adaptability, fast learning, and motivation to contribute in the new field.

More Resources for Career Change and Resume Tips

Need more tips on how to write a resume for career change with no experience and build a successful career? Read these guides from our career experts:

• How to Find a Career Mentor & Transform Your Career?
• Boost Your Medical Career with Professional Medical Resume Writers
• 7 Ways to Build Your Career Path Within the Organization
• How to Make the Right Career Choice?
• How to Build a Lasting Career in Finance: 10 Expert Tips
• Planning a Future Career: Are You For Or Against?