4 Steps For Writing a Career Transition Cover Letter

Nancy Anderson
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A career transition cover letter serves a special purpose in your job search. This type of document lets a prospective employer know you're in the middle of a career change and not just moving up the corporate ladder from one company to the next.

Even though shifting career gears after you've already chosen a path isn't easy, you can overcome any challenges by getting noticed. A viable statement about a career transition keeps things up front and honest with a potential employer.

1. Sell Your Perfect Fit

Sell yourself as a perfect fit for the company by playing to your strengths in the first paragraph. If your past career was IT and you're switching to marketing, mention the career transition as a way to harness your core ability rather than the specific tasks at hand. To wit, "Spending 15 years as an IT manager prepared me to meet complex challenges and solve problems when I sold my department's ideas to the rest of the company." The idea here is to mention how your previous career as an IT manager leads to a dynamite marketer.

2. Showcase Achievements

The second paragraph of a career transition cover letter mentions your top professional accomplishments. Mention your general accomplishments first before going into detail. "Here are examples of how my department built relationships inside and outside the company to led to more revenue and greater profits." The bottom line of any company comes down to making the business model a financial success.

3. Notable Career Milestones

List three notable career milestones in the third paragraph to impress the recruiter or HR manager. Include measurable numbers that recruiters can relate to as you find a new career. For example, "Under my leadership, my IT department saved the company $3 million over 10 years thanks to newer computer hardware, more efficient software and better use of company time. Over the same period, Acme Brick grew 7 percent per year in terms of revenue." The more numbers and figures you can place into a career achievement, the better, so long as you make it clear and concise.

These milestones let you prove to a company that you have the skills to move a business forward, regardless of your previous career. Show you're ready by noting what you liked about your previous line of work and how it relates to your new path. Come across as someone who carefully researched his new field before choosing a new career.

4. Close, Thanks and Reiterate

The final paragraph of your career transition letter serves to thank the reader and reiterate why you're the perfect fit. For example, "I am positive I can leverage my skills as an IT leader to create a viable marketing strategy for SmithCo due to my experiences creating efficiency plans, staying within a budget and using all my resources to my advantage. Thank you for your time and consideration in this regard."

Perhaps the most important aspect of a career transition is humility. You can learn a lot from your new employer, so be open to the possibilities and learn as much as possible as you start your new career.


Photo courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

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