Thursday, April 26, 2012

Persuasive Career Change Cover Letter

After having decided that you want to move on to a more challenging and satisfying career, persuading your potential employer that you have what it takes to develop the talent needed by the new job can be a bit of a challenge. As such, here's a sample of a persuasive cover letter for career change that will help you draft one of your own. Take a look.

As well as a job may pay you, if it is not satisfying enough, it is likely to start seeming monotonous. When you are bored with your job, it reflects in your work and start appearing half-hearted, not up to the mark, or the less creative. Every mind needs an outlet for creativity, but sometimes this creativity is stubbed by monotony. And though not many have the courage to take a step so drastic as a career change, those who have done it can easily tell you what a whole world of a difference it makes to you as a person. Irrespective of having to start from scratch at a low or no pay at all, the satisfaction that is attained by doing something you have always wanted to do cannot be matched with any other feeling.

After having convinced yourself that you deserve to change your career, it is time to persuade your prospective employer regarding the same. Let's face it. Any practical employer will want someone with tons of experience, and even they consider hiring someone with a lot of experience in another field at a beginner's position in another, it may seem a little 'out of place' even for them. Also, it is not easy for you to go and personally chat up every prospective employer about how you are suitable for a particular job. What do you do then? You draft a persuasive career change cover letter so that upon reading it, the least the employer wants to do is contact you for a personal interview. For some help in this regard, we provide you with tips on writing a good letter, and a sample of the same.

How to Write a Persuasive Cover Letter for Career Change

The first thing that should reflect in your cover letter is your own conviction that you are perfect for the job. Choosing to highlight skills from your previous job that are relevant to the new one is absolutely essential. After all, it is only these that you have when shifting from one job to the other. For instance, if you were a sales head and now want to make it into writing, the skills that will be applicable in your new job, also known as transferable skills, will be the art of communication, and persuasion. There perhaps may be other skills that you may have developed on the job that are then helpful in this one. The idea is to determine these skills and their relevance in your new job. Having done this, there are some more important tips you should keep in mind when writing a cover letter for career change:
1. Only highlight what you can use from your previous job in the new one. Never make an attempt to highlight the fact that because you are a novice you will not be the best at the job.
2. When citing the reason for career change, do so diplomatically. You should not sound like someone who will want to change her/his career again once they get bored of their new career choice.
3. Do not bad-mouth your previous job. The most you can say is that you discovered you were not meant for such a job, rather than saying it stresses you out, or that it is too competitive, or that you cannot deal with the pressure. These terms only throw light upon the fact that you are not ready to deal with the various demands a job may put on you.
4. Keep the letter short. It is your job to persuade your prospective employer in as little as possible. If writing is not your cup of tea, work on a couple of drafts before you can write one that you think is perfect. Only by doing so will you be able to convince the employer.
Based on these tips, here is a sample that you can refer to and write your own.
Sample Persuasive Career Change Cover Letter
Date

Name of Authority
Designation/Title
Company Name
Company Address

Dear Ma'am/Sir or Ms./Mr. Last Name,

I am an interior designer with two years of professional experience, now seeking newer professional challenges by entering the field of advertising. I understand yours is a renowned organization in the field that hires only the best you can get. However, I would request you to consider my application for the position of job title (say junior copywriter) in your esteemed organization.

The reason for a career change is the realization that the field of interior designing is not suited to the kind of challenges I am seeking within a job, and based on my research, I believe I can do much better in field such as advertising. I am convinced that the skills I have developed on the job as an interior designer will be useful in the position I am seeking at your organization. I have been appreciated for the following skills that I find relevant to the new position I am applying for:
1. Persuasive Communication: The ability to easily develop a rapport with clients has been one of my key strengths, which in itself allows me to be more convincing and opens them up to accepting my ideas. I am sure this ability to connect with the client will help me as a copywriter as it is this skill that the job is most dependent upon.
2. Time Management: The field of interior design is highly dependent on projects completed within stringent deadlines, a skill that I have mastered over time. This skill can easily used in the pressure-driven environment in advertising.
3. Organization and Teamwork: No project in the field of interior design is a one-man show, and only teamwork and good organizational skills can produce remarkable results. Similarly, in advertising, each department is responsible for creating a convincing final product. I have been able to develop these organizational and team working abilities over the 2 years that I have worked as an interior designer, skills I believe will definitely help me in this new position.
I think it is never too late to seek the satisfaction one desires from a job, so long as one has the passion to learn and strengthen one's abilities in any given field of interest. I will deeply appreciate it if you consider me for this job, and grant me a personal interview where I will be able to demonstrate my skills better for the position I am seeking. I may be contacted on the number or e-mail address I have provided below.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely

(Signature)

Name of the Applicant
Phone Number
Email Address

Encl: Resume

As you can see, clearly specifying the relevance of skills developed on the previous job with those of the one you are seeking, in the cover letter, will help you write a career change cover letter that will get you that dream job and position. It may take a while before someone is truly convinced that you can be a suitable potential candidate for a job. Don't give up hope and keep trying. You are bound to get lucky soon.

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