Tips for Eliminating Irrelevant Work Experience

PSA: If you’re applying for jobs outside your degree or aiming for a career change, read this! Career transitions don’t just 'happen' because you apply for enough jobs - they happen because you’ve deliberately built and communicated the bridge between your past and your target role. If you’ve sent 100+ applications in your target field and still haven’t secured an interview, this is the most likely reason: 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐕 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲. This applies to both junior and senior professionals. Too often, there’s 𝐧𝐨 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭. Example: You studied Marketing at university. After graduation, you started your career in Sales at an SME. Three years later, you’re sick of sales and are now aiming for a Communications role at an MNC. It’s not impossible to make that jump, but hiring managers think in terms of credibility and risk. When they read your CV, they'll think this: “Why should I choose someone who hasn’t spent most of their career in this field over someone who has?” So in order to position yourself as a credible candidate, you need to close that gap. Ask yourself these 3 questions when revising your CV: 1️⃣ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞? → Review multiple job descriptions and spot repeated skills. These are industry requirements. 2️⃣ 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐈 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞? → Frame these specific skills upfront and expand on them, with measurable results - the more detailed it is, the better you position yourself for the role. You can remove irrelevant experiences, they just add fluff and distract the recruiter. 3️⃣ 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐈 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐛𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐬? → If you’re changing fields, share your motivation in your summary and draw a clear line between your past and target role. The connection have to be so clear you can spot it from space. I’ve applied this strategy successfully several times - I transitioned from a Law degree → Corporate Comms → Programme Management → Recruitment - all in 7 years. If your CV doesn’t show a clear, deliberate path to your next role, you’ll keep being seen as a risk no matter how capable you are! You need to write a CV that builds trust, not one that raises doubts. Right now, which one is yours doing? If you need support in doing this, I provide CV review services here > bit.ly/CVReviewbyYasmin _________ Let's connect - I share career tips & opportunities > Sharifah Hani Yasmin Kindly repost ♻️ for your networks!

I reviewed 4,000+ resumes last year. Avoid these mistakes that 90% make: 1. FOCUS ON ATS OPTIMIZATION ❌ Candidates pack their resumes with keywords to beat ATS systems but forget to make them readable and user-friendly. ✅ Remember there’s always a real person reviewing your resume (!) 2. GENERIC SUMMARIES ❌ "Experienced professional seeking to contribute my skills in a dynamic company." ✅ "Product Manager who launched 3 successful SaaS tools, driving $2.5M in revenue within the first year.” 3. NO COMPANY DESCRIPTIONS ❌ Listing company names without context. ✅ "XYZ Inc. | SaaS startup in data security, serving 100k+ enterprise clients.” 4. FOCUS ON RESPONSIBILITIES ❌ "Managed projects and oversaw deadlines." ✅ "Led 3+ cross-functional teams, delivering 7 projects on time with a 98% client satisfaction rate.” 5. TOO MUCH FOCUS ON EARLY JOBS ❌ Detailed descriptions of high school internships or your first retail job. ✅ Highlight key accomplishments from the last 10 years that showcase your growth. 6. NO METRICS OR DATA ❌ "Improved performance and reduced costs." ✅ "Increased team efficiency by 20% and cut operational costs by $50K annually.” 7. TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE TEXT ❌ Dense paragraphs or single-sentence descriptions. ✅ Concise bullet points that provide enough detail to convey impact. 8. IRRELEVANT INFORMATION ❌ Listing outdated or irrelevant skills (using Slack, Outlook) ✅ Focus on skills and experiences that match the job you want. 9. TYPOS ✅ Double-check for spelling errors, or use tools like Grammarly or ChatGPT to catch mistakes. Which of those mistakes you’ve seen? Or you’ve made?  I'm Kris Holysheva 👋 Follow me for more hiring tips.

I’ve read 5,000+ pricing resumes. Here’s what most people get wrong: After a decade in pricing recruitment, I’ve seen some amazing resumes… and a whole lot that miss the mark. If you’re applying to your dream pricing job and not getting bites, it’s probably not your experience—it’s your presentation. Here are the top mistakes I see (and how to fix them): 🔁 Using the same resume for every job Resumes aren't a one size fits all. Tailor your resume to each job. Different roles emphasize different skills. Don’t make the hiring manager hunt for your relevance—show them immediately. 🖥️ Not optimizing for ATS systems If your resume isn’t making it past the bots, it’s not making it to a human. Use clean formatting, avoid PDFs with weird tables, and sprinkle in keywords from the job description. Yes, even the boring ones. Especially the boring ones. 🎯 You’re prioritizing what you care about, not what the company does Your resume shouldn’t just say what you did—it should say how you made the business better. Think: “increased margins by X%,” not “ran monthly reports.” Lead with impact, not just tasks. 🚫 Using buzzwords instead of keywords You’re a go-getter? Cool. So is everyone else. Cut the fluff and get specific. Use terms the hiring manager (or ATS) is searching for: “price optimization,” “contract management,” “deal desk,” etc. 🧩 Describing unrelated work experience If it doesn’t add to the pricing narrative, trim it down. You don’t need to delete your past—you just need to reframe it. Show how your skills transfer. If they don’t, don’t waste valuable space. 👉 The TL;DR: Your resume is a marketing document. And you’re the product. Make it easy for someone to say “yes.”

I think I get at least one question every day about optimizing your resume to land interviews as a career pivoter. So let’s break it down: how to write a resume to pivot into a new job that you don’t previously have experience in 💡 (and to be confident you’re getting the best advice, I come with receipts from Wharton’s best practices for career changing resumes) Before we start... general resume best practices will still be your best friend. Think ATS-friendly formatting, focusing on accomplishments rather than responsibilities, quantifying your achievements, and using keywords - all tips that still apply. But there are a few resume tweaks that can help you compete with more "traditional" talent. 1. Include an objective You may have been told to skip a summary at the top of your resume that it’s a waste of space - not anymore! A summary is your chance to make it crystal clear why your background (that doesn’t look like an obvious fit on paper) will be the perfect thing this hiring manager needs (even more perfect than the “right fit on paper candidates”). To do this, focus on the outcomes you can deliver and the skills that qualify you for the job. 2. Summarize your skills Above your work experience, try creating a skills summary section, by listing a few of the most important skills you want to highlight, and then a bullet point that describes an example of when you used this skill. 3. Focus on only relevant experience Time to be RUTHLESS with tailoring your work experience. You’re only including bullet points that are relevant to the role you’re applying to. Get rid of the fluff. 4. Emphasize education This section can be a great way to show you’re serious about making the career pivot. List relevant coursework from your university education, plus any courses or certification programs you’ve completed to make this pivot. The more reputable the better. 5. Use a notable accomplishments section Especially if you don’t have a ton of experience, it can be helpful to add a notable projects or accomplishments section. I remember on early versions of my resume I had a Leadership Experience section where I listed Volunteer programs that I ran and my position on my Sorority’s Executive board. Be sure that everything you list here ties back to the key skills required in your target job. Go forth, and build your resume, and remember, career pivoting is a whole strategy that is sooo much more than just applying to the jobs you want!

8 things you should NEVER put on your resume. (Remove them if you want to get hired) After reviewing >1,000 resumes and helping hundreds land jobs, I always see the same mistakes. When your resume has these red flags: 🚩 Walls of text 🚩 Generic claims 🚩 Empty buzzwords Because if they make these mistakes, Their resumes are just gonna get ignored. Here are 8 things to remove immediately: 1/ Generic soft skills ❌ "Strong communication and leadership abilities" ✅ "Led daily standup meetings for 15-person team, maintaining 98% on-time project delivery rate" 2/ Fluffy job descriptions ❌ "Responsible for overseeing various projects including daily operations, team management..." ✅ "Delivered 5 major projects ($3M total) ahead of schedule, saving 25% on budgeted costs" 3/ Achievements without results ❌ "Managed social media accounts" ✅ "Grew LinkedIn following from 2K to 15K in 4 months, driving 30% more inbound leads" 4/ Walls of Text ❌ "During my tenure at ABC Corp, I was responsible for developing and implementing comprehensive marketing strategies while coordinating with cross-functional teams to ensure optimal campaign performance and stakeholder satisfaction across multiple channels..." ✅ "Led 3 marketing campaigns at ABC Corp: • Q4 revenue: +65% ($2.1M) • Customer acquisition cost: -40% • Team efficiency: +25%" 5/ Meaningless buzzwords ❌ "Dynamic professional with proven success" ✅ "Increased customer retention by 40% through data-driven experience improvements" 6/ Irrelevant personal interests ❌ "Enjoy cooking and watching movies" ✅ Either remove or make it count: "Build custom PCs (demonstrates technical aptitude)" 7/ Outdated experience ❌ Multiple paragraphs about your first job 8 years ago ✅ One line showing growth: "Promoted twice in 24 months, from junior to team lead" 8/ Random skills ❌ List of 25 random tools you've barely used ✅ "Core stack: Python (7 years), AWS (built 5 cloud architectures), Figma (led 3 product redesigns)" 💡 The winning formula: Specific numbers + Real impact + Human touch = Interviews ♻️ Share this with someone job hunting ➕ Follow me for more career growth tips

What's the difference between a resume that gets interviews and one that gets passed by? 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀. All of your skills are valuable. But some are more valuable in different situations. Example: I've won President's Club (top sales person) during my sales career 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁...if I'm trying to land a sales job 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁... if I'm trying to land a job as an Instructional Designer While winning an award is something I'm proud of, my reader for an Instructional Design job probably isn't going to value an ability to sell and exceed quotas as much as they'd value Adult Learning Theory or my experience with ID tools like Adobe Captivate or Articulate Storyline. 𝗜𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 They make your reader work too hard (which they probably won't do) to try to connect the dots between what you're sharing and what they need for the job. 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 skills will change your results: Here's how to figure out what's relevant: 1. Choose a focus role (i.e., Recruiter, Sales) 2. Research the role to figure out the skills that matter in the job 3. Build bullet points that highlight the skills you have that align with what you learned during your research 4. Make sure each bullet has a skill claim and evidence to support the skill claim That's it. Remember: All skills are valuable, but the situation determines which ones are relevant. --------------------------------------------- When you're ready, here are two ways I can help you start getting interviews: -𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 download on my website (10k + downloads) -𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲: The complete-it-in-a-weekend course to research your target role and build a resume that gets interviews. erinlewber.com #jobsearchadvice #transitioningmilitary #teachertransition #careerchange

Should you include Non-Engineering experiences on your resume? Most people get this part wrong. When I was an engineering manager at Meta, I reviewed thousands of resumes. Here’s the truth: Non-engineering roles should 𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 be left out, 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 they do one of three things: ↳ Fill a noticeable gap ↳ Show transferable skills ↳ Add meaningful depth to your story Hiring managers scan resumes fast. The average review time is just 7–8 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘴. Not because we don’t care, but because we have a team to run, deadlines to hit, and hundreds of applications to get through. This week, I’m helping a startup with hiring, and I’m applying the same rule: I scan for relevant experience, clear signals, and immediate red flags. If something feels off, I stop and move on. So here’s how to decide what stays and what goes: 1️⃣ Prioritize relevance first Lead with experiences that align directly with the role you want. Make them impossible to miss. 2️⃣ Make every line count If a non-engineering experience belongs, condense it into a sharp one-liner that highlights the transferable skill or impact. 3️⃣ Treat it like an elevator pitch Summarize the value in one clean bullet. Don’t let it overshadow your engineering narrative. Every experience has a story. Make sure it's one that moves you closer to your goals. ♻️ Found this helpful? REPOST to share with others! 👋🏼 Follow me, Jean Lee for more career and resume advice 📌 P.S. Grab the Ultimate Resume Handbook for 𝟯𝟬% 𝗼𝗳𝗳 with the Black Friday code 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞𝗦𝟯𝟬. #ResumeTips #CareerAdvice