How To Look Good With A Career Change Cover Letter

So, you decided to change careers. Good for you.

Now what?

If you are still in the planning process or have time before the big switch, look at all your options. In fact, career change statistics say that over 50% of those who change careers do so because they were economically downsized right out of a job. That sucks, but you can still plan ahead. You can avoid being a statistic by being prepared, by getting career change training and by thinking three steps ahead.

Take your resume, for example. It used to be chock full of experience and accolades and awards and knowledge in your previous field. The new one? Well, not so much. How do make yourself look good without lying? How do you write a career change cover letter without looking too inexperienced? I mean, there is a huge difference between your middle management and, say, a graphic design cover letter. How do solve this dilemma? In addition to looking over some great change of career resume samples, try any of the tips below…

Volunteer in your new field. If you are switching to healthcare, why not volunteer at your local hospital. My husband, the former window cleaner turned biomedical technician, does this for 4 hours every Thursday. He loves it. Loves being in the environment that he is working so hard for. It is the little boost he needs each week to keep him going. Plus, it is something to put in career change cover letter when the time comes. It is highly unlikely that a HR rep will ever care that he was named the Number 1 Window Cleaner in Michigan, but one year of volunteer work and a great letter of recommendation will help. And, volunteer positions are not always listed. Call and ask. Be persistant.

List your general skills, instead of specific ones. In fact, many times they translate into another line of work easily. For example, stating that I have 20 years of problem solving skills and interpersonal communication experience looks far better on a career change cover letter for a CNA position (certified nursing assistant) than telling them I worked in customer service and have no clue what I am doing outside of a classroom. Or, for that graphic design cover letter, mention that you are detail oriented, which works for both your old career and your new one.

Go back to school. If you haven’t done so already, do it. Get the degree. Get the career change training. Get the piece of paper that you need. I have a friend, Rick, that graduated from the University of Michigan Law School only to realize that he had made a big mistake. Not only did he spend a lot of his parents money, he realized that he did not want to be a lawyer. At all. He turned right back around that fall and re-enrolled. And, two and a half years later, walked out with a degree in Forestry. That’s right. He became a Forest Ranger! To each their own, the point is: do it! Whatever it is that you want to do, to be …. You’re not getting any younger right?

And, who knows? One day you could be a forest ranger, too.