Getting your foot in the door of a new career field, even with a degree, is typically much easier said than done. Unless you graduated at the top of your class or got an internship-turned-full-time-position, you're condemned to fight against being underqualified for positions and lacking experience. While this can be devastating to recent grads and cross-over professionals who are left to think their degree has been a waste, it is not impossible to find an appropriate job without experience. All you need to do is change the way you market yourself. Your degree is your ticket to the fair in terms of most entry-level positions—but all the applicants have one. So you need to do more to set yourself apart from other candidates.
If you've been promoting your degree and meager job history as your sole qualifications for a new position, consider creating a skills-based resume instead. The truth is that you have skills that go beyond what you've learned in your classes. And some of those skills are unique, valuable, and can make you the pick of the litter for potential employers. A skills-based resume focuses on the skills you've acquired through the years rather than the work experience. Of course, you can still list your job history and educational background, but there is more emphasis placed on the skills you have to offer potential employers.
The great benefit of using a skills-based resume is that you can showcase your skills and talents regardless of whether you have specific work experience in that capacity. How many things can you do that you didn't learn in school or at a previous job? For example, what have you learned about customer service just by being a customer? In a traditional resume, there is nowhere to account for these life skills and character traits that can serve you well in your career. The other scenario, a skills-based resume can be so useful when you want to cross over into a new career path. This format will ensure that potential employers know the transferable skills you've picked up along the way in your previous positions.
So what do you put down? What's important and what's not? That all depends on a. what you've done, and b. what you're applying for. Pay close attention to the duties and requirements for the position(s) you're applying for. Then brainstorm all that you've done that has given you the requisite knowledge and prepared you to excel at those duties. Once you've figured out the best ways to prove to the hiring officer that you're the right person for the job, it's all about language and formatting. A little research goes a long way when you're ready to put it all together. Here's a great skills-based resume resource to get you started.
Once you're done, start applying! With such great skills right at the forefront of your resume, employers won't have to ask at the end of it what separates you from the rest of the applicants. Stop worrying that your lack of experience won't get you through the door, and let your skill set push your resume to the top of the pile!
