As the Trump administration lays off thousands of federal workers, many are in the process of updating their resumes to try to target work in the private sector.
As the Trump administration lays off thousands of federal workers, many are in the process of updating their resumes to try to target work in the private sector.
A LinkedIn career expert shared tips on how former government workers can update their resumes and boost their chances of finding new jobs.
First, LinkedIn’s Andrew McCaskill offered some reassurance.
“Your skills are highly transferable to other industries,” he said.
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In a highly competitive job market, career experts say former federal workers need to learn private sector language and translate their experience to fit those jobs.
“You've got to get that language shift, and instead of talking about maybe ‘impact,’ start to think about ‘revenue.’ Or think about ‘stakeholder engagement;’ that may actually translate to ‘corporate partnerships.’ Or ‘constituent services’ may translate to ‘consumer engagement,’” McCaskill said.
He advised being strategic about your next move.
“Think about the fact that this job that you get next is going to be a career pivot. It actually may be a bridge job. What I know for a fact is that most jobs are vehicles and not destinations,” McCaskill said.
How to highlight your skills and gain some
Focus on marketing your skills and acquiring new ones.
“I think you gotta think about the skills that you need to get into the roles that you want next, and some of those skills may be counterintuitive,” McCaskill said.
Skills should be a priority on a resume, as many hiring managers focus more on those than on an applicant’s work history.
The website Coursera offers free certifications on a wide range of topics. Harvard University and Stanford University also offer free online courses that can help beef up a resume.
McCaskill also recommended AI tools that do skills assessments and advise how to talk about your skills.
He also advised:
- Be prepared to negotiate and make some concessions
- Reach out to your network, which might have great job leads
- Be familiar with AI tools, as many employers incorporate them into the workplace
“Build a plan for what you're willing to do, what you're not willing to do, and you go into it with a lot more agency. But you've gotta be calm and you gotta be prepared to pivot,” McCaskill said.
LinkedIn says hiring in health care and education are at pre-pandemic levels. Look for opportunities in industries that are performing well and where your skills are in demand.
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