Career Transitions8 min read
How to Write a CV for a Career Change
Career-change CVs fail when they read like a list of unrelated jobs. They win when every line points at the new role.
Reposition before you rewrite
Don't change the facts of your career — change the lens. List the top five duties of your target role, then for each one, find a moment in your past work that maps to it. Lead with those moments.
Transferable-skills mapping
- Write the target job description's top 5 responsibilities in a column.
- For each, list two concrete things you've done that prove the same underlying skill.
- Promote those proofs to the top bullet of each past role on your CV.
Use a hybrid format
Pure functional CVs (skills-first, dates buried) signal hiding. A hybrid format keeps reverse-chronological dates but adds a strong skills/projects section above experience.
Frequently asked questions
- Should I explain my career change in a summary?
- Yes — one sentence stating the transition and the bridge skill. Save the longer narrative for your cover letter.