stating career change in objective
Hello eveyrone,
I had a question to post here and hope someone can shed some light on this matter. I've been working in a sales career for the past 3 years in mortgage/real estate/consumer lending. Now that I'm starting to feel there may be better opportunities for me out there to be a more well-rounded individual, and given my aspirations to pursue further education in MBA...I'd like to expand my horizons and initiate a career change before it's too late.
Currently I've stated the following:
Objective - To seek a full-time position in which I can further utilize my analytical skills and strengthen financial backgroup experience
I was hoping that will hint at the potential employers looking at my resume to think "non-sales" and more "analytical" position. I've always believed that the objective statement shouldn't be too long, but perhaps more explanation is needed (i.e. specifically stating a desire to seek career change - only worry is that I do mention this in my cover letter which I'll be sending out with the resume, showing an interest in change of pace). Before I miss any potential opportunities...any advice or opinions would help. Thank you all in advance.
I hear ya. To be honest, I just am not 100% sure on what field to go into. What I do know is that I'm wanting to get away from consumer sales / outside sales (which mostly ends up being door to door selling).
Preferably, I'd like a financial analyst position. That would allow me to build upon the skill sets I'm seeking and provide a bit more of a behind-the-scenes opportunity. Plus I'll be able to learn more about the strategic planning and operations of a business as a whole (again, I go over most of the above info in my cover letter). Unfortunately, I haven't been successful scoring interviews in those areas given my experience. In the end...I think I'm just fed up with being on the front line, taking hits from consumers and management at the same time - it's never good enough for neither of those parties.
Looking at the long run, I'm considering pursuing MBA part time while I work. CPA certification came to mind as well, but when asked opinions of others in the message boards...consensus seems to be that I'll be wasting my time b/c it's more fit for situation where I'm already in an accounting position and wanting to advance within my career field. If merely passing the exam opened up many doors as far as accounting positions I can qualify for, I'd readily invest the time/money. But everyone seems to tell me otherwise.
So that's where I stand...I'm extremely stressed out and don't know what to do
Dear Maria,
Thanks for taking the time to reply and giving me your advice. I certainly should do more research so that I don't make a hasty decision. I think for now, I do need the income to pay bills so I'll find a job just to do that. In the mean time, I'll study nights/weekends taking courses on accounting to see if I truly like the subject matter (worst case, it'll keep my brain going and bring me back to the studying mode for grad school). Once I'm more knowledgeable, I can readily talk to accounting professionals like you've said and discover the pros/cons of that profession. I considered pursuing MBA part time, but it seems to me that I should devote all my time for that while finding internships and such. Plus that can always come later in my career when I'm more situated personally and professionally.
Again, thank you and I hope a brighter future awaits me.
There's nothing wrong with stating your career change goals in your resume. In fact, it helps explain your new direction and related qualifications to hiring managers who are quickly glancing at your resume. I agree with Maria that it helps if your goal is crystal clear, and if you have more than one possible career goal, you should set up different, targeted resume versions.
You should also emphasize the career accomplishments that are most related to your new goal. For example, if you are pursuing a financial analyst position, think about the accomplishments in your sales/mortgage career that would be relevant. Maybe you analyzed data and made recommendations that had positive outcomes, or created spreadsheets that facilitated reporting or tracking functions.
Here's a link to an article on career change resumes:
Resume Dilemma: Career Change
Best wishes,
Kim Isaacs
The Resume Expert