Creating a Fresh Resume for a Job with Your Current Employer

Thinking about applying for a job with your current employer? Many employees consider doing that same thing every year in hopes of being promoted internally. Of course, in most cases, employees are required to start the application process all over again. If this is the case, you might be wondering how to write a resume for a new job at the same company—after all they already know your employment history, right? They know your responsibilities and achievements, and hopefully they know you’re already a good fit for the company, so what can you actually tell them in a new resume that can help you get the new internal job? Look at this not as a problem, but as an opportunity!

The reason it’s an opportunity? By starting over, you have a chance to review your current skill set and accomplishments and not just update your resume, but actually improve your resume with new qualifications, skills, and abilities. Also, because you know the company inside and out, you can use organization insight to your advantage. Are you ready to get started? Here are some ways to create a fresh resume that will impress your employer and help move your career ahead.

Get Friendly with Human Resources

It’s likely that if you found the open position via a bulletin board or website posting, then your human resources department did the work to write the job description and list it where they think they have the best shot for hiring. With your inside track, you have the perfect resource for learning more about the internal job you’re applying for.

During a break, take some time to stroll down to the human resources office to learn more about the position, going beyond the job description and getting a bit more into the nitty-gritty. You may even have an opportunity to find out who the hiring manager is and speak directly with him or her to ask questions about the position and the hiring process. This could provide insight into which skills and accomplishments should be included to help you create a great resume tailored to this new internal job.

Showcase Knowledge of and Passion for the Company

Because you’re on the inside track, you have a wealth of knowledge about the company. You can use this to your advantage by showcasing your passion for the company’s mission and your knowledge of the direction in which it wants to move—and how your work experience within the company can help with that.

If you’ve volunteered for committees, don’t be shy about adding this experience to your resume—or include in your response to interview questions what you think is a great direction for the company to move in within the department you hope to enter or continue with. Managers will actually appreciate your insight and may be willing to hire you for the great ideas you can bring to the table.

Have Company Leaders Add Testimonials

Another great way to leverage your internal resume against external job seekers applying is to have leaders in your company provide testimonials for your resume. Testimonials on your resume are similar to those you’ll find from people who are willing to vouch for a new product. (Testimonials can also be a key piece of a great resume for any position—external or internal.)

The testimonials need to be only two or three sentences long, and you need only two or three for your resume. Adding them will make a tremendous difference in the hiring manager’s perception of you as a candidate, as they can see what your current manager and others within the company already think of you, your skills, and accomplishments.

If you have an older resume, you probably will need to create a new resume format to be able to fit in these testimonials—but that’s a good thing! Doing this will force you to rethink how you are presenting yourself to the people making hiring decisions and will improve your resume writing overall.

One thing you don’t want to do when writing a resume for your current employer is replicate the one you submitted years ago when they were just a prospective employer. Bring something fresh to the table in this job application in order to demonstrate your crystal-clear growth as an employee—one who has been trained well enough to excel in a new position and continue adding value to the company. Ditto for your cover letter. Don’t just change the job title and consider it good to go. Take stock of the experience you’ve gained with your time at the company and use your inside knowledge to create a resume and cover letter that impress, get you a job interview, and get you that internal promotion.

It’s important to remember to brand your resume before applying to each new position. For more information on branding, check out my article 5 Key Areas to Target When Branding Your Resume. You can also get additional job search and career advice by checking out our blog or following us on Twitter @GreatResume. We also have resume examples available for you to peruse at our sample resume page.

If you’d like to work with the team of professional resume writers at Great Resumes Fast, you can learn more about us here and get in touch with us here.

Are you tired of your resume being rejected by applicant tracking systems? I know how frustrating it is to submit your resume and receive no response. I hate seeing qualified people never break through the screening process. It shouldn’t be that way. That’s why I created this guide and I encourage you to download the FREE PDF so you can start seeing better resume response rates!