Career Change Cover Letter | Examples & Template
If you’ve been job hunting recently, you’ve probably read lots of advice to write cover letters that are perfectly aligned to skills that each job requires. But what if you’re pursuing a career change? How do you convince hiring managers that your previous career is relevant to the career change you’re hoping to make?
As with any job application, a career change cover letter is a formal, 1-page business letter that you send with your resume to elaborate on your top skills and achievements. With a career change cover letter, though, you should also explain why your achievements from your previous career are transferable to a new career or industry.
The examples, tips, and template below will help you present your unique background in a compelling and memorable way. QuillBot’s paraphrasing tool can also help you with concise and powerful word choices every step of the way.
Khalif is an experienced realtor who is pivoting to a career as a transaction coordinator for a real estate broker. In his cover letter, he explains how he’s already demonstrated strong communication and proficiency with client database systems and escrow paperwork as a realtor, which will prepare him to succeed in a different real-estate role.
How to write a cover letter for a career change
A cover letter for a career change should follow the standard cover letter format, which includes a business heading and greeting, 3–4 paragraphs (an introduction, a body paragraph for each reason you’re qualified, and a conclusion), and a complimentary close. The standard cover letter length is one full page.
The steps for writing an effective career change cover letter are outlined below.
- Review the job description, list of responsibilities, and main requirements to determine which hard skills (e.g., Salesforce, Excel, or Jira) and soft skills (e.g., communication) the role would entail.
- Of all the required skills, determine which ones are transferable from your previous career to the prospective role. Which ones have you demonstrated most successfully? Copy/paste the keyword for each transferable skill into a blank document.
- Below each keyword, type a few bullet points about when and how you demonstrated the skill.
- For each example, consider why your success in your previous career or industry is relevant to this particular role.
Then, use these brainstorming notes to decide what details your body paragraphs will include.
Start with the heading, the date, and a greeting
At the top of the page, put your name on the center of the line in a slightly larger font than the rest of your letter. On the center of the next line, include your city and state, phone number, LinkedIn URL (if available), and email address.
Skip a line, and add the date you’re writing the letter. The date and the rest of your letter should be left aligned (not centered like your heading).
Then, address your cover letter to the name of the hiring manager or team (e.g., “Dear Recruiting Team”).
Write a powerful introduction
Start your cover letter with a powerful and concise introduction that includes the following details:
- What position you’re applying for
- Why you’re interested in the company
- A brief summary of the career change you’re making
- Your claim about why you’re an ideal fit for the role
The following sample introduction for a career change cover letter includes these four details.
Noelle Fischer
Dallas, TX | (469) 888-9999 | LinkedIn.com/noellefischer | [email protected]
April 10, 2025
Dear Recruiting Team:
I’m excited to apply for the training coordinator position at XYZ Industries because I’m inspired by your commitment to exceptional customer care. As a recent instructional design graduate with 10 years of experience in quality assurance, I’m seeking a new career in corporate training. With my strong expertise in training methods and customer service quality, I’m confident that I can design and deliver exceptional training programs for your call center agents.
Focus the body paragraphs on transferable skills
After your introduction, write one body paragraph for each transferable skill or area of expertise that qualifies you for the job. Focus on required skills from the job posting. For example, after the introduction above, the career changer would write two body paragraphs:
- Expertise in training methods gained from instructional design coursework
- Expertise in customer service quality gained from her quality assurance career
In each body paragraph, describe how you demonstrated the skill in your previous career, and explain why that experience is relevant to the new role. When possible, use action verbs (e.g., “spearheaded” or “created”) and measurable achievements.
End with a memorable closing
End the cover letter with a concise conclusion (2–4 sentences) to reiterate your interest, thank the reader for their time, and motivate them to contact you for an interview.
Then, add a complimentary close (e.g., “Sincerely”) on one line and your full name on the next line.
Career change cover letter example
In this cover letter, a fictitious accounting instructor describes the skills that are transferable to a new career as a financial advisor.
Daniel Nguyen
Athens, Ohio | [email protected] | (123) 555-5555
April 12, 2025
Dear Financial Advisor Recruiting Team:
I’m excited to apply for the financial advisor position with Bloom Financial because I admire your commitment to personalized service. As an experienced accounting instructor at Athens Community College, I’ve spent over 10 years guiding students through complex financial concepts. Now, I’m eager to bring my passion for education into a new career where I can help individuals and families navigate their financial futures. My strong interpersonal skills and detailed knowledge of financial principles have prepared me to help your customers thrive.
Throughout my teaching career, I’ve developed strong interpersonal skills rooted in patience and empathy. I’ve successfully coached students from all walks of life—many with no prior financial literacy—to understand the fundamentals of budgeting, investing, and planning for the future. My students frequently commented on end-of-course evaluations that I inspired them to pursue advanced accounting coursework and to make data-driven financial decisions in their daily lives. I consistently achieved average instructor ratings of 4.9/5 or higher. My ability to break down complex information, meet clients where they are, and build trust with diverse audiences will serve me well as a financial advisor for Bloom clients.
In addition to my teaching experience, I bring a deep understanding of financial principles, including investment strategies and insurance planning. Not only did I pass the FINRA SIE with a score in the 98th percentile; I’ve also successfully helped hundreds of private clients achieve passing scores on the first try. This knowledge of financial systems positions me to quickly grasp Bloom’s suite of services and provide clients with well-rounded, value-driven advice.
I’m excited about the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with clients and support your commitment to service, integrity, and community. I would welcome the chance to speak with you further about how I can contribute to Bloom’s mission. Thank you for considering my application.
Warm regards,
Daniel Nguyen
Career change cover letter template
To help you get started on your own career change cover letter, QuillBot offers a Career Change Cover Letter Template, which you can copy/paste into your own blank document and customize with details about your background and the job requirements.
Frequently asked questions about career change cover letters
- What should I include in a career change resume?
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Start a career change resume with a resume objective that summarizes your professional background and the type of career change you’re pursuing, such as this example:
- Innovative landscaping expert with 10+ years of experience in residential design, installation and maintenance pivoting to a career in landscaping sales. Perceptive communicator skilled at bidding and upselling large-scale projects and maintaining impeccable records in Salesforce and Tableau.
After the summary or objective, include a section about your skills and details about your past work experiences. Throughout the resume, include keywords from the job posting for any of the required skills that you have (e.g., Salesforce or Excel).
You can also choose between a traditional resume format or a functional resume. The latter focuses more on skills rather than past work experiences.
When you’re working on a resume or career change cover letter, the QuillBot paraphrasing tool can help you use impactful word choices and a professional tone.
- Should I submit a cover letter if not required?
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Don’t submit a cover letter if not required when the job posting or company website explicitly says that you don’t need a cover letter or that you need a resume only. However, you should probably submit a cover letter anytime you’re unsure.
Sometimes a cover letter is necessary even when the job posting doesn’t ask for one, especially in these situations:
- The application portal has a place for you to upload or copy/paste a cover letter.
- You’ll be working in a creative or helping profession (e.g., advertising or physical therapy).
- You have a personal connection with someone who works there.
- You’re making a career change and need to elaborate on your transferable skills.
Have you tried QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker for your cover letters and resumes? It’s a quick and easy way to proofread your job application materials.
- Should your cover letter match your resume?
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Your cover letter should match your resume format stylistically, but their content should not match.
Fonts, colors, and any design elements should match in both documents. Likewise, if you write a CV, your cover letter and CV should match in terms of style.
On the other hand, they should have complementary—not matching—content. Your resume outlines your qualifications and experience. The purpose of a cover letter is to showcase your personality and tailor your application to the specific job.
Both your cover letter and resume must be free of grammar and spelling errors, so run a QuillBot grammar check before sending.
- Is a summary or an objective better for a resume?
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A resume summary is better than a resume objective. You can include an objective in a resume summary, though. A resume summary provides employers with an overview of your skills and experience at the top of your resume. Your summary can include a phrase about your short-term career goal, too.
Describing your objective can be useful for your first job or a major career change as long as you also summarize your skills and background.
Have you tried QuillBot’s free paraphrasing tool? It can instantly level up your resume with powerful word choices and concise syntax.
- What is the best font for a cover letter?
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A cover letter is your chance to make a good impression on a potential employer. Both content and cover letter format are important.
The best fonts for a cover letter are fonts that are professional, legible, and familiar to the majority of readers. A few of these are:
- Arial
- Times New Roman
- Georgia
- Garamond
- Calibri
- Helvetica
No matter how good the font, your cover letter won’t make a good impression if it has grammar and spelling errors, so use QuillBot’s Grammar Checker to make sure your cover letter is error-free.
