Are there any second career choices you have always wanted to pursue? If so, seriously examine each of them. Testing the waters confidently and secretively to determine if a second career in an entirely different position or sector is common.
Whether your career interests you in education or the business sector, it’s time to reflect on 2023 and determine if a career move in 2024 sounds exciting.
Have you ever thought you would like to try a different career?
Only to stop yourself because your career focus has never been in that direction?
You aren’t alone.
Going after a second career in education or outside of education can be a huge decision. You may find out you need to refresh your career in education with a different role.
Approach this potential career dream by staying safe BUT still applying for positions in the area of interest to see what career opportunities appear.
Secure a Second Career Before Leaving Your Current Job
If you have one, keep your current position and target your resume and application letter toward the desired role. Make sure you show your passion in your cover letter. Submit your documents and see where your job search takes you. Career opportunity doors will open, and you will scrutinize the job leads and offers.
Remarkable surprises and big dreams happen with a single step.
Prepare for Resume Rewrites
Having a targeted resume and application letter is your first step?
A second correctly formatted resume is vital to success if you wish to target multiple career directions to see where the opportunities arise.
If you need to apply to more than one job area or industry, then writing a second objective resume will be crucial to your job search. A second resume will help you effectively target multiple career directions to optimize job interviews, thus job search results.
This type of adaptable CV or resume will allow you to quickly reply to job postings, regardless of the job target. A resume should always be tailored to fit the position you are applying for – a second objective resume facilitates exactly this.
Examples of Adjusting Job Search Documents
For instance, if you are an elementary teacher who wants to pursue corporate training opportunities, you can have one resume for each job target. Therefore, if you are considering applying for positions in completely different fields, a second objective resume is essential.
Another example is when you are teaching and are interested in transitioning into an educational leadership position. Make sure you have two resumes and cover letters. Targeting positions using the correct resume keywords and relevant skills and accomplishments gets results.
There are many reasons why a person might wish to apply to multiple career opportunities, some of which may have entirely different or somewhat similar career focuses.
Reasons for a Second Target – Objective Resume
- Diverse educational background
- Differing personal and professional career interests
- An already extensive list of prior positions
- Transferable skills
- Change in careers
- Looking for a new challenge
- Recent graduate
- Uncertainty about which career path to take
If one of the reasons above applies to you, you must write a 2nd objective resume. For instance, perhaps you have spent the past 16+ years in the corporate world but now find the challenge lacking and are looking to make a more significant impact on society by educating others.
As such, you have chosen to enter the field of education. However, you are not sure if your credentials and experience will be enough to land you a job, so you would like to hedge your bets and still apply for positions within the business world. The best course of action for you would be creating multiple resumes.
Have a Second Career Resume Ready
Don’t let last-minute job applications stop you from creating a second objective resume.
Perhaps you have come across the ideal job posting at the last minute. Are you prepared to apply to it with a quality resume? Your resume should not be generic but, as mentioned above, should be written to fit the particular job that is of current interest.
If you have already developed a second objective resume, your document should need little editing, thus making applying relatively simple. If you have already created a second objective resume, it is easy enough to repeat the process repeatedly as you find different job openings in your other job targets.
After you have completed your first resume – and proofread it several times – it is time to start on your second objective resume. The introductory paragraph and your expertise section should be tailored to fit your second career choice. The order in which you place your accomplishments, work experiences, and even your education should also reflect your career choice.
I posted an article specific to tailoring your teaching cover letter to the school district’s needs. Allocating time to target your application letter and resume will increase your chances of landing an interview. When the letter reaches the decision-maker’s desk, it will communicate you are an expert.
Result: They picked up the phone and called to request an interview!
So, what exactly is a second resume focus?
A second focus uses your first top-notch resume, skills, talents, and experience and morphs them into a document to use for a different career opportunity. Your key and stand-out qualities and credentials should be present in your resume, regardless of the job posting. Distinct features and experiences must be highlighted and brought to the forefront of your resume to capture the reader’s attention to the particular position they have available.
Different features and experiences must be highlighted and brought to the forefront of your alternative career resume to capture the reader’s attention and secure an interview for their available position.
For instance, with a teaching resume, all teaching-related experience and skills should be highlighted. In a corporate-targeted resume, the teaching-related skills would be moved behind anything related to the business world. A transition I have seen increasing is transiting from
A career transition I have seen increasing is transitioning from teaching to corporate training.
On the flip side, I have witnessed numerous clients switch from business to teaching. Ask yourself questions before deciding if this career option is viable.
How to Create a Second Objective Resume
If you know you will be targeting two different career areas; you will need to work on two different resume versions. Start by making a list of your education and credentials, job experiences, areas of expertise, soft and hard skills, community involvement, professional development, and so forth.
Next, organize them into a comprehensive job application document that is easy to read, catches the reader’s eye, and effectively communicates vital information. When putting together the document, always keep your job target in mind.
When writing your introductory paragraph at the top of your resume, keep one career focus in mind – the same goes for the section dedicated to your expertise areas. Generate the reader’s interest by listing relevant accomplishments first under each job title.
You can repeat this process multiple times if you have several different job targets. Even if you have different job targets within a particular profession, such as elementary teaching and science teaching, you should have different resumes specifically targeting each position.
Writing targeted job search documents will increase your chances of landing interviews. When the recipient glances at your resume for the first time, it must show you know your career direction. It’s imperative to show that you are qualified and passionate about your specific job target. This will show that you can meet the needs of the school district or organization.
If you are writing a resume and cover letter specific to a new teacher, consider reading other posts I wrote about first-year teacher resume writing tips or smokin’ hot hacks for writing a beginning teacher resume with no experience.
Additional cover letters are also necessary, sometimes referred to as focused or targeted cover letters. Brush up on writing your letter by reading and implementing effective job application writing tips to make your application stand out.
When developing a refocused resume, write a cover letter to accompany it. Always refrain from submitting a generic cover letter—they are not effective. So, once again, tailor your documents accordingly! A second objective cover letter can be created using the methods mentioned for resumes.
You will want to highlight your key skills, talents, education, work experience, and other pertinent credentials as they apply for the job. The skills and abilities you want to draw the reader’s eye should be chosen based on the position of interest. When discussing your greatest strength(s), mention qualities that a hiring manager will find relevant and crucial.
If your biggest strength has nothing to do with the job you are applying for, do not waste this precious space on it. Change your cover letter to fit each resume accordingly.
If you transfer from teaching to an administrator role, it doesn’t have to be stressful or difficult if you approach it correctly and positively.
Organizing your job search will save you time and frustration. Don’t underestimate this critical step to landing a new position.
Always start with a targeted, relevant resume and cover letter that shows the reader you are ready and capable of an educational leadership role such as assistant principal or school principal. If you start with an unfocused, mediocre resume and cover letter, your job search will drag on and on – don’t let that happen to you.
Finally, when submitting your job documents, ensure that the resume and cover letter match one another in formatting and the job posting or description! If you follow these guidelines, you will be off to a great start in finding your next position, regardless of your chosen job target.
Whether your dreams are “big” or “small,” you should give it your all to make them come true!
Do not let anyone stop you from achieving your goals, especially yourself. Moving on to a second career, especially if you are taking a decrease in pay, may seem beyond crazy to some people.
That is fine. Let them think you are crazy.
Too often, you will find individuals, whether friends, family, or co-workers, who quickly diminish your hopes and dreams. Many times, it’s because they are jealous or have been unable to realize their dreams.
Push these naysayers and negative attitudes aside and focus on the positive.
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I like discovering and using positive mantras to keep me going and push through the tough times.
Need help to write a winning resume, navigate your job search, improve your interview performance, or develop a career strategy?
Contact me (Candace) via email or call toll-free at 1 877-738-8052, or you can visit our resume and coaching services. If you call or connect via live chat or email, you will always get me – no one else. 🙂
Wander over to the About Me page to learn more about Candace.
