Jacqueline Contreras, CPRW ⋅ San Antonio, TX www.ThatResumeGirl.com ⋅ 12 years experience

So, as a Certified Professional Resume Writer who knows that 91% of employers are looking at social media, more than 80% of jobs are filled through networking, and only 2-3% of online applications score an interview, I'm here to tell you that your resume is the last thing you should be worried about. I reviewed your LinkedIn profile and it could use some work.

On LI, follow Michael Quinn and his Cheat Sheet to learn how to build a better profile and connect with numerous recruiters fast. You'll need more than 500 connections to increase your chances of being found.

Next, read http://www.milcityusa.com/milcity-blog/strategic-optimization-on-linkedin to ensure you are including RELEVANT information in your entire profile. Vanessa Machin Perez has several YOuTube videos that go more in-depth on the subject if this video is not enough.

My advice is to start networking.

Your new elevator pitch/resume/introduction has nothing to do with all that you've done and everything to do with how you've prepared to do an awesome job in your new career choice.

Even in HR, if you're good at IT, people come bother you to fix their laptop, route their printers, debug their PCs, etc. Focus on that and not on "Supervising pay and compensation team in providing salary and travel services for more than 3500 military personnel." This type of information is completely irrelevant for someone trying to hire you for your IT skills.

Stop leading with what you haven't done just because you weren't paid for it. If you completed the work and were proficient at it, own it. Even if it was a class assignment or collateral duty, it still counts.

Michael Melanson ⋅ Port Orchard, WA U.S. Coast Guard, Chief Warrant Officer ⋅ 27 years served

Thanks to all the answers so far! It's encouraging to have people who know the drill provide some of those insights. Rest assured, I take in every piece of information and apply it.

Stefan Beyer ⋅ Kirkland, WA Wipro Ltd ⋅ 12 years experience

I'd focus on how your HR experience would benefit your job in IT, as that could make up for some lack of direct experience. Most jobs deal with working with others, both by communicating and collaborating. A soft skill that's often sought after in IT is the ability to do both of those, so highlighting that could give you an advantage.

I also wrote an article in general about cross-discipline resumes which you might find helpful: https://acp-advisornet.org/articles/326/resume-cover-letter-multi-talented-individual

I hope this helps, and good luck! :)

Nathan Hurt ⋅ Sterling, VA Raytheon ⋅ 1 years experience

Michael,

This is a great opportunity for you to change careers. Do you have a security clearance? I'll be happy to look at your resume, too, and give you some constructive criticism.

Nathan

Michael Palumbo ⋅ Waltham, MA Raytheon ⋅ 24 years experience

Hi Michael, if you want to message me your resume, I'd be happy to review and provide you some feedback.

- Mike

Merry Vickers ⋅ Richardson, TX Dallas Police Department - City of Dallas prior to starting with Raytheon 2017 ⋅ 18 years experience

Good morning Michael,

Thank you for your service and I would like to try to answer this for you. There are several suggestions that most services and internet sites recommend, and they are right.

Give your resume a format change and lead with a summary that outlines your skills and qualifications. Share generalities from past positions to translate how it will be beneficial in new roles, like skills, duties,projects or management. Use clear civilian language to describe your career objectives, but highlight key wording from job descriptions and any accomplishments you have achieved. Keep the verbiage in present tense and have others read through it for feedback. If you can pursue any certifications or even CEU (Continuing Education Units) will show how interested you are and make recruiters take notice.

I hope this helps you on this new journey and I wish you all the best.

Kindest regards,
Merry Vickers

Michael Melanson ⋅ Port Orchard, WA U.S. Coast Guard, Chief Warrant Officer ⋅ 27 years served

Just to keep the faithful updated: I'm still working hard, but have shifted my focus back toward the HR, business analytics, project management world. I get a better response featuring those skills than I do with IT.

This is not to say I've quit. I'm still excited and enthusiastic about my search, I just find it better to feature myself as a project manager with strong IT skills, rather than an IT professional with strong HR skills.

Thank you all for the help and advice!

Katie Tamarelli ⋅ Newport, KY Strategy& ⋅ 8 years experience

Hi Michael,

Thank you very much for your service. I would be happy to review your resume. If you could send that and a job description of something you would like to apply to (or have applied to), I would be happy to provide feedback.

My email is kmtama@gmail.com

Best,
Katie