On career and SEO

In 2021 I decided I need a career change. One emerging trend that gained traction during the pandemic was remote work. I saw my opportunity there and began to scan the job market.

Not long after, a promising ad popped out that ticked several points on my list. The international company with a small team was looking for an SEO writer and was offering excellent conditions.
The problem with career change is that you will have one significant drawdown — lack of experience.

SEO writing was something I looked into in the past and been following trends on the topic. The writing was also one of my hobbies but only in private diaries and short stories that were not published.

I needed something that will give them a sample of my writing and show familiarity with the field of expertise they are looking for.

This was my time to shine!

So dear reader who find themselves in the middle of my quest for a job, I will not leave you empty-handed. I present to you my thought process for writing a resume for a career change.

First, identify the area in the resume that needs work.

As I mentioned, career change requires a different approach when applying. I had more than 15 years of job experience and valuable knowledge of specific job niche. You don’t want that to go to waste, but you also don’t want your CV to seem like it’s miles away from the required expertise.

My first step was to determine the main request from the published ad and then transfer my work experience to show how my strengths complement job requirements.
Here are few tips on how to build a portfolio.
The company is looking for excellent writing skills — that is easy, provide them with a sample of my work.
One key thing about writing posts is that they can help strengthen your portfolio in different areas. You can write technical text and progress as a developer. And it gives you an ample opportunity to be seen as skilled at what you do.
Since I didn’t know what style they needed, I decided to do an informal blog entry.
It is not ideal since it is not commissioned work, but it shows commitment to creating something regardless of the outcome.

I would also use this writing sample to brag about my accomplishments.

For example, I can mention that I have extensive experience working with customers in sales and customer service. I helped customers who were on different levels of technology adoption to use company products and services and overcome difficulties in technology use.

Next, point out my biggest strength, and that is my computer skills. Don’t get me wrong, if I were to compete with a programmer, I’m sure I wouldn’t stand out. But if I am competing with writers for an SEO related job, then my IT background gives me an edge.
I can immerse myself in the topic, research different keywords and questions people ask that company product can solve with a deeper understanding than someone who comes from a writers background.
I’m very good with HTML/CSS and have used programming languages in the past (even some C# in college).
That means that the learning curve for using different tools (code editing, image editing, collaborating etc.) won’t be steep. I’m sure my potential employee will recognise this as an asset.

Now, all is left is to wait and see if my tactic was successful. Also, one more good thing emerged from this effort. I realised how much I like to write and will continue to do so.