How to Tailor Your Resume for Cannabis

Whether you’re just starting your cannabis job search or are looking to transition to a different role or company, here is what you need to know about applying to a cannabis role: it’s not that different from traditional roles. Cannabusinesses are looking for talented professionals who can translate their experience and education to suit open roles in this field. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to scrap your entire resume; you need to tailor it to fit this new industry.

What to Tweak

Specific language and listed skills will be top hits for a cannabis staffing agent. Here is what you can add to or edit in your resume to get attention from recruiters. Ensure that the skills you choose to highlight are relevant to the types of roles you are applying to. For example, if you are looking to work as a cannabis accountant, what skills or background do you have to support that role? If you don’t have prior experience in a similar role, what skills do you possess that would make you a good fit?

Speaking of skills, you want to make sure that your experience can translate to the cannabis industry. Skills like time management, customer service, attention to detail, and more are still relevant in cannabis, so make sure you demonstrate your use of those skills in previous positions. While your past experiences may not line up precisely with what is needed in a cannabis role, you should be able to translate those skills to fit the roles you are applying to. When in doubt, research is your friend. Look at what other cannabis candidates are saying in their resumes, or take a peek at the company’s site to see how their current staff talks about their experience.

General Resume Rules

While it may seem like cannabis is a more lax industry, there are still professional standards that must be upheld to conduct business. Cannabis companies are looking for talented individuals excited to take on new challenges within this industry and help them succeed. When writing your resume for a cannabis position, remember that cannabusinesses are still businesses and must maintain a certain level of professionalism.

What to Include in a Cannabis Resume

Work History: As mentioned before, your past experiences are essential in hiring. Even if you have not held a cannabis role before, you still have valuable experience from other industries that can transfer over. Make sure you highlight your past successes and lessons you’ve learned from other roles. Speaking to your experience and how you have succeeded in other positions will help cannabusinesses understand how you can help them succeed.

Skills: Whether from past positions or life experiences, you have likely amassed many soft and hard skills to aid you in your cannabis job search. Hard skills are those you have from specific training or experience like the use of certain software, product manufacturing, or client management. Soft skills are those you have gathered through experience or natural ability like attention to detail, leadership, and open-mindedness.

Education: Education is the foundation for many skills needed in the workforce, like organization, time management, and the use of tools like Microsoft Office. Listing your education history, whether high school, college, or graduate level, will show cannabis employers that you have those fundamental skills that will help in any role. Any training or additional seminars you have attended should be listed if relevant.

Looking to make your resume and experience stand out even more in this crowded market? Consider investing in cannabis-specific training courses. These courses can offer a leg up as they connect you with industry professionals who can train you on cannabis basics as well as cultivation, cannabis medicine, retail, and compliance.

If you’re interested in making a move to a career in cannabis, Growing Talent is here to help. With more than 25 years in the recruitment space for new verticals, Growing Talent is well equipped to help you navigate this budding industry. We’ll connect you to a network of top minds in cannabis today and help you find your perfect fit within the world of cannabis.

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