“Even though I haven’t done exactly what this job requires me to do, it seems like the kind of job I’ve been looking for. How can I convince an employer to consider me?”

Not getting the call backs on your resume or applications you hoped for? Not landing the right interview opportunities? Does your job search often feel like a dead end?

The solution is to make sure your resume and cover letter are branded for the job you want, not the jobs you’ve had!

Here at PACE, we see a lot of candidates who apply for jobs that at first glance they don’t appear qualified for. Because we are a company that makes its living by uncovering transferable skills, we know how to connect the dots between a candidate’s resume and what our clients tell us are their key requirements. Unfortunately, most employers won’t put in the effort it takes to put these sometimes disconnected pieces together. In fact data shows that most recruiters only spend 7-10 seconds scanning a resume before making a decision to move forward or not with a candidate. That’s not enough time to uncover transferable skills.

When a candidate candidate is branching out on a new career or trying to expand the scope of work covered by their current career, its easy to get trapped by your previous experience and what can legitimately be showcased on your resume. But, if you find a job that really sparks your interest, it’s worth the time to go thru the extra steps it takes to adjust your resume or write a cover letter explaining how your previous experience has prepared you to take on new and different responsibilities.

“Why would an employer want to hire me, when there are other candidates with the same exact experience?”

That’s the big question isn’t it. Let’s share a perspective that you might not be aware of that we often give to a hiring manager looking to form a high performing team. Our advice often goes like this? If you truely want to create a record breaking team, how about looking for candidates who have the talents you need, even if they don’t have all the specific skills and experience listed on your job description. If you hire an already trained candidate they will often bring some poor work habits with them. Start fresh – hire the talent you need and then develop the specific knowledge and experience along the way.”

This advice, if followed, always makes room for unconventional candidates! It also gives a wider range of candidates an opportunity to showcase their talents not just their skills and experience – an opportunity to compete for a job even if they don’t have as many skills or as much experience a competitive candidates.

Here’s how to get a sense of what a hiring manager is looking for and how to build your resume and cover letter to match that need.

Write your resume with a specific job description in mind!

We recommend you spend time reviewing the job description to get some sense of what outcomes they need the person they hire to achieve. Make a list of similar results you’ve achieved in your previous jobs, particularly those that closely align with the responsibilities outlined in the job description. For example, if the job description notes they are looking for someone with experience performing high level analysis in a manufacturing setting, and you’ve worked in environments involving a similar type of analysis involving work flows and production, make sure your resume highlights the analytical components of your work history. Align the elements of your previous responsibilities with those of the job description by noting things like: “provided detailed analysis to senior management regarding the performance of current work flows and the anticipated outcomes of recommended improvements. Adept at both data base and AI enabled analysis that allowed analytical assignments to be completed on or before scheduled deadlines .

Building your resume using the job description as its foundation (rather than your previous work experience) will not only help you create a story of your “fit” for the job, but also ensures that your resume contains enough keywords to make your resume surface as a potential candidate.

Your COVER LETTER is invaluable!

Crafting a cover letter that addresses the hiring manager’s likely business needs is always the first step. You should also itemize your transferable and applicable skills and experience that you believe will make you a unique asset to the team. Showcase your intangible talents, not just your specific skills and experience.

Transferable skills are the skills and abilities that can be transferred across many different jobs and career paths. They are the kind of skills that can be acquired through work, school, hobbies, life. What are the talents a potential employer might be looking for? Let’s say a posting for a job working for a medical equipment distributor describes one of their requirements as the ability to juggle multiple tasks under pressure. You may not have not worked in a medical distribution company but you have multitasked in a previous position compiling tax documents from multiple customers of a CPA firm. That is definitely a transferable experience and skill.

Make sure to quantify every responsibility and accomplishment – ex. the volume of tasks performed (ex. I processed 150 invoices each week ), the revenue you generated (ex. My goal was to generate ate least 2k in upsells each week. I always exceded my quota), the you saved the company (ex. my project saved the company about $10K per month in operating costs) etc. Data will help the hiring manager view your accomplishments objectively even though they were not produced in the same industry or environment.

Final Thoughts….

If you are a candidate with an unconventional background or are looking to flex your transferable skills into a new space, you are a candidate that falls right into our sweet spot. PACE is a recruiting company that thinks outside the box, always looking for each candidate’s unique talents and the skills that you don’t think about but what has made you successful in a variety of jobs. We pride ourselves on seeing your potential, your transferable skills, the work environments most likely to keep you engaged and motivated.