Are you looking for a job but are uncertain about how to create a resume that will stand out and win interviews? You’re not alone. Many people find it difficult to write about their own accomplishments. In this blog post, we will discuss how to create a strong mid-career resume that will set you on the path to land you the job you want! We will provide tips and advice on how to showcase your skills and experience in the best possible light. So, let’s get started!

Write from a Different Perspective

Your resume is a tool to highlight the value you bring to your next employer and it should do so in a way that engages the hiring manager by speaking to their needs and providing proof that you have the skills, knowledge, and experience needed to help the company reach their goals.

  • How does hiring you benefit the company? Focus on areas where your experience, skills, and accomplishments prove ROI.
  • Wayne Gretzky said, “…skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been.” When it comes to writing your mid-career resume, write to your future not about your past by leveraging the skills and experience you have that align with your next employer’s needs.

Share Substance vs. Details

Listing every detail of your career and recording job descriptions, no longer works in your favor. Your experience must be showcased in a way that draws the readers and makes your value proposition clear. On average,  employers look at resumes for six to seven seconds scanning your document to determine your fit for the role. At this point in your career, the goal is to provide a snapshot of your goals and qualifications within the first third of your resume.

  • The goal of your mid-career resume is to answer the employer’s questions, “Who are you? What can you do for me?”
  • For each role, write a brief overview of what your job involved and then quantify the scope of your duties + notable contributions —showcasing how you impacted the organization / delivered results.

Trim Out Excessive Information

After a decade or more of being in the workforce, you’ll have reached a major milestone — the halfway point of your professional career! After crossing this career milestone, you’ll want to approach the resume writing process much like a marketing brief –

  • Determine the target and your strategy.
  • Align success stories with the company’s needs.
  • Keep your messaging short, relevant, and to the point.

You are the product and you must convince the reader that you will bring value to the organization by setting aside job descriptions, tasks performed, and responsibilities held and turning the focus toward proving why THEY should hire you instead of someone with similar experience and qualifications.

Review for Clarity

Before you start using your resume, double check your document for clarity and accuracy and properly name your document.

  • Based upon my experience, there are thousands of documents named ‘Resume’. When you save your resume, make sure your file name includes your proper name + resume = Joe Smith Resume.
  • Your resume should be as concise as possible, sharing the most relevant success stories for your career and connecting the dots between your experience and the employer’s needs.
  • Review your contact information to ensure it is current and recorded correctly.
  • Audit your spelling and grammar. Go beyond using spell check as manager easily becomes manger, personnel becomes personal, principle becomes principal. Spellcheck will not correct these errors.

The first rule of writing a modern mid-career resume is to understand your resume isn’t focused on every single detail of your career, but rather begins with a strategy anchored to your next employer’s needs and value-packed statements that set you apart from other mid-level managers in your industry.

Hiring managers are looking for details to support your candidacy and proof of your value.

  • Use the first third of your resume to give the reader a quick snapshot of your qualifications.
  • Incorporate industry-specific keywords throughout your document.
  • Replace non-essential information with engaging success stories that shine a bright light on the outcome you’ve delivered in each role.
  • Leave off these old-school headers off:  ‘Resume of xxxx”, do not include the phrase, “References Available Upon Request” or list references on your document.

The perfect resume can make all the difference when it comes to winning interviews and securing your next mid-career dream job. If you are actively looking to advance to the next level of your career or if you are proactively keeping your options open, having an updated resume is an important tool in your job search arsenal.

If you are having trouble crafting your own personal brand / career narrative, I work one-on-one with job seekers who want better results via Resume Writing | Cover Letter Development | LinkedIn Profile Updates

If you’ve tried DIY and you’re not getting results, I look forward to connecting with you and chatting!