What Counts as Relevant Career Experience

What Counts as Relevant Career ExperienceWhat Counts as Relevant Career ExperienceJob seekers often think if they havent held a full-time position in a certain industry that they will be rejected as unqualified for that discipline. It pays to remember, though, that relevant career experience comes in a variety of forms. What matters is being able to demonstrate to employers how your background and attributes set you up to be successful in a given role.Show hiring managers that your past accomplishments match their needs by pointing out these relevant career experiencesVolunteer WorkThe lack of a paycheck does not discount your efforts. In fact, providing services for free reveals much about your character as well as your interest in utilizing and developing certain skills. Impress an employer looking for an exceptional communicator with stories about grant writing for a nonprofit, or use your experience as a Sunday school teacher as proof of your passion for working with children.Int ernshipsNo longer just for college kids, many seasoned workers take an internship in a new field to gain knowledge and experience. Again, employers are much more interested in what you learned, not what you earned, and how it pertains to the job at hand.Part-Time or Freelance WorkThe route to full-time employment often starts with demonstrated ability in another capacity. The part-time help desk position you held while raising young children definitely has bearing on your candidacy for a 40-hour-per-week customer service job now that they are older. Likewise, someone who has designed websites on a freelance basis certainly can use those samples as proof of competency when seeking a traditional position in a digital marketing department.Transferable Skills from Past EmploymentWhile nobody can expect to get hired as a surgeon without completing very specific training, many abilities a person develops in one job can be applied to roles in a different area. Evaluate your so-called trans ferable skills, and chances are youll discover a great deal of experience new employers will find attractive.Probably the most important aspect of crossing from one position to another is that you- the job candidate- think in terms not of what your past position WAS, but what it was that YOU brought to that position, and how your skills translate to a new position, says Alan Guinn, managing director ofThe Guinn Consultancy Group, Inc.For instance, if you have a proven track record of effectively managing a team of 20 in the insurance industry, chances are youll be equally capable of leading a similar-sized group at a nonprofit. Similarly, talent in areas such as project management, negotiation, sales, customer relations, and communication are valued across many fields.Dont rely on the hiring manager, though, to make the connection. Highlight your transferable skills as relevant work experience to create a clear picture of why youre the right candidate for the job.Readers, are you su rprised to learn about which of your experiences count as relevant career experience? What will you add to your resume as a result?