Welcome to Q&A From the Trenches! Every week we take your questions on building a resume, interviewing, searching for jobs – ask us anything!
QUESTION: I’m trying to make a big career leap from Administrative Assistant to a position in marketing. I have a lot of experience with social media and website analytics, and email marketing as well – but I feel like hiring managers can’t see past my Admin title! What should I do? I don’t want to lie about my title on my resume. Help!
First things first…NEVER LIE on your resume! This can’t be stressed enough. Being dishonest will get you in trouble. Do not lie about your job title, years worked at a company, responsibilities, education, or anything on your resume.
When you think about it, many of your Administrative Assistant responsibilities apply directly to roles in marketing; it may not be as big a leap as you think. Focus on skills which demonstrate you have the foundation needed to transfer into the role. For example, in marketing:
- you must be organized and pay attention to details
- you provide support to different levels of management
- you prepare collateral materials
- you adhere to budgets and plans
- you work with vendors
- you possess excellent communication and coordination skills
…all of which you most likely did in your Admin role.
Focus your resume on the specific marketing roles you’re applying for. Customize it each time you send it out. For example, if you’re applying for a Marketing Coordinator role (a good position to aim for as a marketing starting-off-point!), read through the job description offered and review their requirements; then go through your resume and describe the specific skills you have that the company is looking for. This will show how you’re a good match for the position.
Highlight all the marketing skills you do have – include experience with social media, analytics, and email marketing on your resume. Describe exactly what you did and how you succeeded. For example, did you increase the number of Facebook and Twitter followers? Give specific numbers, time frames, and how you did it – maybe you posted engaging material, or organized a promotional campaign.
Include quantifiable achievements around your skills. For instance, while working with website analytics did you offer a solution that helped drive a certain number of customers to the site? What was it, and what are the numbers? What actions did you take? This is what hiring managers want to see, and will show them upfront that you do have the knowledge and potential, and offer value to their marketing department and overall company.
Crafting a resume for a career change can be a challenge. Consider hiring a professional resume writer (give us a call)! We wish you the best of luck in launching your career in marketing!
If you have a Question for Q&A From the Trenches tweet us at @InspiredResumes or drop us an email at deidre@inspiredresumes.com
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