So, you’ve made the firm decision to leave your conservative cubicle bubble and transition into the exciting cannabis industry. Fantastic! The good news is that you’ve made a life-changing choice that will place you in a blooming industry that’s more fun than most, where new challenges arise every day. The bad news: it’s time to fix that resume, shake off the interview rust, and start applying for jobs.
The first thing is first: writing a cannabis resume that will stand tall amongst the crowd of digital files in a cannabis company’s inbox. Your resume is the first piece of information that an employer feasts their eyes on, so it better blow them away. We know it may seem like a daunting task to write a cannabis resume for a position in the legal marijuana space, so we’ve decided to assist you in the process. Our guide on how to write the perfect resume for the cannabis industry will help you form an overview of the best version of yourself.
Do Your Research
Before you even think about tapping away at those backlit keys, slow down. You have to do adequate research to shape your cannabis resume the right way. A deep dive into the cannabis company you want to work for is a necessity. Don’t just peruse their website, scour every social media channel they have from Instagram to LinkedIn. The job application will show you the skills and experience needed for the position, but to get a taste of the company’s culture, you have to do your homework. Find out how the company got started, analyze their mission statement, and observe their presence on social media.
Make it Scannable
Employers have to go through a ton of resumes, and it’s not the most exciting task in the world. And if they’re in the cannabis industry, they have plenty of other things to do, so time is precious. If your cannabis resume looks like a wall of words, even if the content is amazing, chances are the employer won’t get through all of it. Worst case scenario: they won’t bother to look at it! Help them out by making your resume scannable. Keep each section neat and organized, use headings and subheadings, and keep your bullet notes short and to the point. Make the information lean and easily digestible, and keep it at 1-2 pages–anything beyond that will feel like a novel.
Professional Summary
In this section, you’ll write a short 3 to 5-sentence blurb about yourself, explaining why you’re the best candidate for the open cannabis job position. Shine a spotlight on the absolute best qualities that make you the perfect fit for the company. Be clear and concise with your words, and treat the section like an elevator pitch–a short speech that sparks interest in your skills, experience, and mindset. Here is an example:
Product Photographer/Videographer
Expert in creating a unique brand aesthetic through photography and video. Over a decade of experience executing photoshoots and video shoots for brands like Nike, Nixon, and Persol. Passionate about capturing the humanity and theme of the brand’s product, making it relatable from a fresh perspective.
Work History
When jotting down your work history and duties you performed at each company, be sure to highlight applicable skill-sets for the position you’re pursuing. Potential cannabis employers are interested in what you’ve done in the past that has groomed you for the open spot. You may not have prior cannabis experience, and that’s perfectly fine. Relate your skills, expertise, and accomplishments to the cannabis job position you’re targeting. Consider these tips for a more streamlined work history section:
- Present quantifiable experience (e.g.Increased sales by 20% in the first 3 months as manager)
- Get straight to the point by stating your exact capabilities
- Name drop whenever you have the chance
- Begin each description of your abilities with verbs
- Write down specific actions taken to solve a problem
Typically, a resume’s work history will start with your most recent or current job and work its way down to your oldest position. However, you might want to consider using a functional resume format if you don’t have any cannabis experience. Using this structure, you place your most significant work experience first, so it doesn’t get buried. With your primary qualifications upfront, there’s a better chance that your cannabis resume will make its way to the coveted interview pile.
Skills & Education
In this section of your cannabis resume, every skill you showcase should be pertinent to the job you’re seeking to fill. If you have direct experience with cannabis, you’re golden–if you don’t have any marijuana know-how, don’t sweat it. State your abilities and talents that pertain to the position. Organize your transferable skills into two parts: hard and soft.
Hard Skills
Hard skills are teachable abilities that are simple to quantify or measure. They are learned via training sessions, school, or reading materials. In short, they are your hands-on talents that may apply to a variety of industries. Be sure to highlight hard skills that can be applied to the position on deck. Some examples include typing speed, coding, and public speaking.
Soft Skills
Unlike hard skills, soft skills are more difficult to measure, as they are subjective. They’re also referred to as interpersonal skills, as they pertain to how you interact with others. For the cannabis industry, promoting your open-mindedness and ability to play well with others is a major plus. You’ll be interacting with a variety of people, so people skills are a must. Some examples include cognitive flexibility, teamwork, and time management.
Education
The education portion of your cannabis resume should be no different from what you have on a standard one. List the degrees and certificates you earned, as they might be useful or give you an edge in the decision-making process. For a cleaner look overall, name the institutions you attended, but leave out the graduation dates unless you just graduated. And, if you haven’t attended college, include your high school to inform the employer that you have a diploma.
If you’re seeking high-quality cannabis education–which will definitely give you an edge over the competition–Green Flower Media is the best option. All of their cannabis programs are 100% online, so you can elevate your marijuana knowledge from anywhere and at any time. They utilize a network of over 700 leading experts in cannabis medicine, business, cultivation, retail, compliance, and more, to produce best-in-class content. Having cannabis education on your resume–even if you’re in the process of completing a program–can make a difference. Finding candidates with cannabis education is rare, so you’ll likely stick out in the best way possible with a program certificate.
This article was originally published by CannabizTeam.
