Career dissatisfaction can happen for many reasons. From stagnant salary to lack of advancement and more, it is common for individuals to change career paths at some point in their professional lives. Financial and other responsibilities can slow down a job search, causing busy professionals to sacrifice their professional satisfaction and put off pursuing the additional education that is often required for career change. This doesn’t have to be the case, however. Often, professionals choose to pursue online education to acquire the credentials and information they need to begin a higher paying, more satisfying career, in a convenient format.

How to Land a Job Interview When Changing Careers

Once it’s time to begin the job search, there are several important steps that increase the chances of getting an interview for a desired role and getting hired. Utilize the following tips to make a great first impression for recruiters, hiring managers, and more.

Conduct Company Research

When you walk into an interview with a strong grasp of what your potential employer does, you’re already a step ahead. Researching the company and its goals shows your commitment to the role. You can find the information you need both by visiting the company’s website and seeking out third-party sources.

Understanding the role itself is also key, because it helps you demonstrate why you are the right person to carry out the various responsibilities that the position entails. It’s also a good idea to research anything new and noteworthy about your potential employer, Career Builder says. Has it launched a new product recently? Did it hit a corporate milestone? Referencing information like this can put you ahead of the competition.

Create a Role-Focused Cover Letter

The best cover letters explain both why you are interested in a specific company and your relevant skill sets and expertise that make you the right fit for a role. Pay close attention to the job description and align your experience with job responsibilities. List specific examples of when you used those skills, and share positive outcomes.

Another way you can craft an effective cover letter is by referencing the company’s core mission and values, or its reason for being in business. “At its core, a company’s purpose is a bold affirmation of its reason for being in business. It conveys what the organization stands for in historical, ethical, emotional and practical terms äó_ a company’s purpose is the driving force that enables a company to define its true brand and create its desired culture,” Gallup explains.

Write an Outstanding Resume

When changing careers, it is especially important that your resume conveys any transferable skills you have that are relevant to your desired position. It is a good idea to read industry job descriptions to get a sense of what employers are looking for, then highlight your suitability for the role in your resume objective.

Depending on your job history and preference, you can choose a chronological resume that lists your work experience in order or a functional resume that focuses on skills. No matter which you choose, it is important in this digital age to include keywords that are relevant to your career goals. Because most resumes end up in a database, they “need to be ‘findable’ when someone types in their search terms,” Next Avenue explains. It is a good idea to include keywords such as the following, the same article says:

• Your professional name
• Your location (or target location)
• Your target job title
• Current employer
• Licenses relevant to your profession
• Industry-specific tools and techniques
• Professional organizations

MBA School: Working Professionals and King University

Working professionals may feel stagnant in their career because they need more education to advance or change paths. However, online MBA programs are flexible and ideal for nontraditional students with professional commitments and other demands on their time.

For example, King University’s online MBA program is designed for professionals who are ready to take the next step in their business career. With coursework in management, research, quantitative analysis, ethics, and more, students graduate with the knowledge for ongoing success. Specialization options include:

• Accounting
• Finance
• Healthcare Management
• Human Resource Management
• Management
• Management Information Systems
• Marketing
• Nonprofit Management
• Leadership
• Project Management

King’s MBA program features an accelerated schedule, 100 percent online coursework and collaborative, case-based learning that gives you the knowledge and experience for ongoing success. Coursework may be completed in as little as 16 months. Find out where an MBA from King University can take you today.