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Career change?
I am 26 and have been working in pharma sales for about three and a half years. People keep telling me I am nuts for wanting out because there are so many great perks, but I am completely stressed and dislike the work and think I am way to young to be so burnt out. I have a BS in Health Science but really would like to go into event coordination. I have been applying to jobs and including cover letters which explain my reasons for career change and also about the transferrable skills I have from my current position but have had no interest yet. I think people see my degree and current job and just feel like I won't have anything to offer. I am afraid of getting stuck in my career at a young age.
Any suggestions on things I can do to make my resume stick out? Thank you!
Re: Career change?
See if you can pick up some event coordination experience. Even if it's occasional and on an intern/unpaid level
De-emphasize your education by putting it last on your resume
Re-evaluate the reasons you list for your desired career change. I don't know what your CL currently says, but if it's anything like what you described here it might not come across well.
Our little Irish rose came to us on March 5, 2010
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Disclaimer: I am not an MD. Please don't PM me with pregnancy-related questions. Ask your doctor.
Unfortunately I don't have too much advice for you, my only thought was to use a cover letter to point out the skills/talents you use in your current job that would transfer over to what you want to do (I would imagine being in sales you're a people person, you're driven, you know how to figure out what people want, etc.). Other than that, I just wanted to say good luck!
It is definitely possible to burn out early - I was an attorney for 5 1/2 years and burnt out, now I'm a insurance adjuster for liability claims and I could not be happier. So don't listen to people who think you should stick with it, do what you want to do!
Be sure to emphasize parts of your job that would benefit your new career. Have you organized lunches/dinners for doctors? That can be spun to be a bullet point on your resume.
Also, I took a part time job with Stonyfield yogurt working events handing out yogurt samples. I only worked about 6 hours a month during the summer months on weekends, but was able to put it on my resume as "Marketing and Event Representative". Maybe you could find a similar gig on Craigslist? You don't have to mention on your resume that its a part-time gig.
I would also include any marketing skills you have on your resume. MS Office, Powerpoint, HTML, and any design programs should be highlighted. Anything that shows you could help out with invites, web, etc. will look good.
and just keep applying! Its totally a numbers game.