Writing A Career Change Cover Letter

Shifting careers is an exciting yet challenging endeavor. A career change cover letter is necessary if you are looking forward to have a career for which you never had experience before and this poses a serious question on your employer’s mind. In the age of technology where we send our resumes and cover letters online, it becomes easier for everybody to send in their letters of intent and qualifications.

But how will your career change cover letter shine and make a difference among all these applicants? Here, we will guide you how to make a letter that will bring desired results. We will not be discussing the formatting, margin, and all that. Instead, we will focus on the content of your cover letter to make it more effective and spot-on.

Why is it Critical?

At first glance of your resume, any potential employer will immediately think that you are not fit for the job. This is precisely because your resume tells him that your previous jobs are not relevant to the current position they are hiring for. The only thing that will change his mind is what your career change cover letter tells him. It is a powerful message that will tell the employer why he even has to consider you for an interview.

On another note, your cover letter is an indication how serious you are in getting the job. Many applicants tend to disregard the importance of sending letters of intent and this is one of the fatal mistakes in job hunting that you do not want to make. Your cover letter lets an employer know that you want to stand out from the herd and make a difference.

How Do I Begin?

The first step in creating a convincing and effective career change cover letter is to inform the employer who you are. This means you need to share your reason for changing or shifting careers. This is a critical statement because the potential employer will make his decision whether to take you to the next step of the hiring process or discard your application. This should arouse the employer’s interest and keep him reading on. Generally, this part of the cover letter should be one paragraph long but no more than six sentences.

The next paragraph should share your skills and specific expertise that match the needs of the job or position. In this paragraph, do not focus on what you have done for your previous work if they have no relevance to the position you are applying for. The important skills and experiences you can share could be training sessions and certifications you had in the past that make you qualified for the new career you are trying to nail. Keep in mind to keep the entire career change cover letter to look neat. Itemize these skills in bullet points and provide very short descriptions if necessary.

The challenging part in shifting careers is convincing the employer to select you instead of other applicants who have relevant experiences. So how will you overcome this obstacle? First, you need to emphasize how fast you can learn and eventually contribute to the company. Express your commitment to exceed expectations and willingness to explore new things. Your career change cover letter should give the employer the confidence level that you can be trusted to perform your duties at par with the company’s standards.

Any Other Tips for Me?

Once you have drafted your career change cover letter, you need to proofread it and proofread it again. You need to do the proofreading no less than three times, literally. This should ensure that your letter is free of grammar errors, typographical mistakes, and other nuances that might tick the employer off. Essentially, your cover letter should be perfect.

Always remember to thank the person for taking the time to read your career change cover letter. You need to initiate the action on this part and ask the employer to call you for an interview. If you do not do this, your effort will be in vain because your lack of initiative shows how passive you are. Your entire letter should be short and straight to the point without sacrificing attention to detail. Use keywords to highlight what you are trying to say. This should make your letter stand out among the rest

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