Learn how to craft a career change cover letter to help recruiters understand your move from your former job and your goals for your new career path.
Over the course of your career, you will likely change jobs as you seek out more responsibility, growth, or even a higher salary. In fact, the average employee stays at each job for around four years and five months []. But for career changers鈥攐r those who are interested in exploring an entirely new path or industry鈥攎aking that switch can sometimes involve unique challenges.听
Even so, making a career change has become an increasingly popular move. In January 2024, Ranstad鈥檚 poll showed that 27 per cent of British workers intend to switch jobs within the next six months [, ]. Changing careers can provide you with an opportunity to find more meaningful work, better align your career path with your larger goals, and move into a role that feels more energising.
When you draft your cover letter to apply for a job in a new line of work, it鈥檚 important that you take time to explain your larger objectives. Explore specific information you can feature in your cover letter to help recruiters understand your goals and reasons for changing careers.听
A cover letter is a chance to expand upon the bullet points you鈥檝e outlined in your CV. It鈥檚 a space where you can explain your interest in both the role and company, highlight your experience and skills, and sell a recruiter on the overall fit you鈥檇 make.听
But a career changer needs to do all of that and more. You also need to help recruiters and hiring managers understand why you鈥檙e moving away from your former line of work, what you want to achieve in your new career path, and any transferable skills that will help make your transition a smooth one.听
To do this, you can weave the following key pieces of information into your career change cover letter.听听
Explaining why you鈥檙e interested in changing careers and how the role you鈥檙e applying to fits within your larger career aspirations can preemptively contextualise your story. Plan to include a career change objective somewhere in your cover letter, much like you would a CV objective to provide a short summary of your experience and goals. Showcase your personality so that recruiters can better connect you with your objective.听听
What this looks like: I鈥檝e spent the last six years translating complex topics for an array of users as a technical writer. But in that time, I鈥檝e realised that what really drives me is the user鈥檚 experience. It鈥檚 the lightbulb moment behind my career change to UX design. I believe I鈥檒l make a strong addition to your team because my work has largely put the user front and centre, and now I鈥檓 interested in focusing on a different facet of that goal.听
It costs an average of between 拢3000 and 拢5000 to hire an employee []. That鈥檚 all the more reason why recruiters and hiring managers want to find the right candidate. It can be costly otherwise. Help explain what you鈥檝e done to prepare for your career change by highlighting any professional certificates or training you鈥檝e completed to prepare you for your new line of work.听
What this looks like: In order to familiarise myself with the tools and processes used in data analysis, I completed the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate, which taught me SQL and R and trained me to clean and visualise data. Thanks to this preparation, I feel confident that I will make a strong addition to your team from the very start. 听
Transferable skills, or workplace skills, are 鈥減ortable,鈥 in that you take them from job to job. They include problem-solving, critical thinking, attention to detail, and more. Show recruiters that you have important skills to help you do the job so they can understand the unique value you鈥檇 bring to their company.听听
It can also help to determine the key technical skills the job requires and spend time learning what you can, especially about important software or tools.听
What this looks like: As a software developer, I regularly relied on my problem-solving skills to think through complex issues. I鈥檒l bring that same skill, as well as my attention to detail, listening, and decision making, to ABC Secondary School as the new maths teacher.听
Any time you can highlight what you鈥檝e accomplished in your past roles, you help a recruiter see your potential in a new role. Where possible, summarise any moments that showcase your strengths and illustrate your work ethic or character.听
What this looks like: I pride myself on being a team player as well as a problem-solver. When I worked as a social media manager at Company X, I identified a better program to help my team schedule content. Using that tool improved my team鈥檚 efficacy, which in turn led to our most successful quarter to date.
The idea of a career path can be rigid at times, suggesting that people only follow one specific track. Although that perspective is shifting, it鈥檚 still prevalent. You can help recruiters and hiring managers understand more about your interest in a role by explaining why you鈥檙e changing careers and what you鈥檝e done to streamline your transition.听
In fact, it helps to align your cover letter with a CV objective, which can be especially useful for career changers. An objective on your CV is a place where you can contextualise your larger career aims, quickly summarising what you鈥檙e hoping to achieve in your next role. Repeat that same information in your cover letter and expand on it slightly to give your application materials more cohesiveness.听听
It's common practice to submit your cover letter digitally. In that case, include some of your contact information in the top left-hand corner so recruiters can easily see how to get in touch.
Thomas Bennett
Manchester
07845764521
tbennett@email.org
Dear Ms. Smith,
I鈥檓 writing to apply for the project manager role at Company X. I initially began my career as a marketing coordinator and eventually moved into email marketing, where I was responsible for strategising and developing new campaigns. But in that time, I came to realise how much I thrived when it came to managing our quarterly campaigns from start to finish. That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 interested in segueing into project management.听
Knowing that, despite my experience, I still needed to learn more specifically about project management, I completed the Google Project Management Professional Certificate. Over six months, I鈥檝e learned Agile project management, as well as how to create product documentation, among other key skills. I believe this training, along with my previous experience, will help me transition to a project management role at Company X and make a big impact.听听听
I鈥檓 an organised problem-solver with a sharp eye for detail, all important skills in project management. In fact, I believe my previous work in email marketing provided hands-on training in managing projects, albeit without the official title. I identified new tools to help make my team create more effective quarterly campaigns. As a result, we increased our click-through rate (one of our key metrics) to 1.87 per cent, bringing it closer to the industry standard鈥攁n immense achievement.听
I鈥檓 proud of the foundation I gained through marketing, but in realising where my true passion lies, I鈥檓 keen to transition into a project management role with more growth opportunities. Thank you for your consideration.听
Yours sincerely,
Thomas Bennett
Much like you would for a standard cover letter, you can strengthen your cover letter as a career changer using the following tips:听
You should tailor your CV for each role you apply to, and the same goes for your cover letter. Take time to research the company, find out about aspects of their work that interest you, and insert those details into your cover letter. You should also tailor your experience and skills, highlighting the most relevant skills and accomplishments for each job.听
Your cover letter should expand upon your CV, rather than repeating the same information. One way to do this is by giving details about your past achievements. Quantify your impact with numbers, when possible, and explain how these accomplishments make you uniquely qualified for this new role.
Build action words into your CV and your cover letter. Rather than more staid words that don鈥檛 capture your unique story or responsibilities, action verbs can liven up your cover letter and make it more enticing to read. Find verbs that succinctly and accurately depict your previous experience.
Your cover letter is an important addition to your CV when you are changing careers. It helps recruiters see how your previous work is relevant to your future plans.
Brush up on your cover letter writing skills by taking the University of Maryland鈥檚 course, Writing Winning Resumes and Cover Letters. Or develop important skills for an in-demand career with a Professional Certificate from industry leaders such as Google, Meta, and IBM. Most certificate programmes take less than seven months to complete.
Douglas Scott. 鈥, https://www.douglas-scott.co.uk/insights/how-long-are-people-currently-staying-in-jobs鈥. Accessed 25 July 2024.听
HR Review. 鈥,听https://hrreview.co.uk/hr-news/recruitment/quarter-of-uk-workforce-set-to-change-jobs-in-next-six-months/375774鈥. Accessed 25 July 2024.
Randstad. 鈥, https://www.randstad.co.uk/employers/workforce-insights/rebr-report鈥. Accessed 25 July 2024
Undercover Recruiter. 鈥, https://theundercoverrecruiter.com/true-costs-hiring-uk/鈥. Accessed 25 July 2024.
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