The Career Change Resume for Wall Street Professionals

Jul 28 2011, 4:46 pm in Career Change, Wall Street

Career change is never easy. But change is often necessary to move to the next seniority level, grow as a professional, or find a viable career path in a rapidly changing industry. Wall Street in particular has weathered tremendous change in the last several years, and many professionals are looking to reinvent themselves – in the workplace, and for the purpose of finding a new job, on paper.

How do you create the career change resume?

Experience. The first step is to mine your background for transferable expertise or experience. Identify selling points that could qualify you for a different type of role. If you’ve worked as an investment banker in technology, you might use your knowledge of corporate finance to segue into a financial management role with a boutique technology company. If you’ve worked as a research analyst or in institutional sales, you might use your experience with investors to transition into investor relations. Sales talent can transfer to other sales roles in financial services, and possibly in other industries.

Certifications & Credentials. Have you considered highlighting certifications and other credentials? A new certification can help qualify you for a different career path. Some examples that come to mind include the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designations. These exams take time and hard work, but may be worth pursuing to make a long-term career change.

Education. Are you interested in going back to school? An advanced degree can open up new doors, in new industries, if you’re willing to put in the time.

Now, apply these factors to your resume:

1. Write a headline and branding statement that clearly positions you as a candidate for a career change. Mention the top one or two selling points that apply to your new objective.

2. In your profile summary, core competencies, and throughout the professional experience, be sure to play up transferrable skills, experience, and achievements.

3. You might also create a separate Relevant Highlights section on the first page that plays up career contributions that specifically qualify you for a career change.

4. If you’ve achieved a new certification, or have one you haven’t previously highlighted, make sure to place it after your name on your resume, and mention it front and center in your profile summary. Mention a new degree in the profile and in the education section.

Bottom line: Create a resume that specifically targets a new career path, and take the first step toward positive change.

Comments

2 Responses to “The Career Change Resume for Wall Street Professionals”

1. LD Writing & Résumés says:

   November 9, 2011 at 12:20 am

   [...] make a transition into an investor relations role or another sales position. (See our blog – The Career Change Resume for Wall Street Professionals)  The research analyst could put financial modeling and analysis skills to use in a financial [...]

   Reply
2. LD Writing & Résumés says:

   December 23, 2011 at 12:05 am

   [...] on this in past blogs, including Career Change Ideas for Finance & Investment Professionals and The Career Change Resume for Wall Street Professionals, but let’s dig a little more into a few specific career change [...]

   Reply