career change

Cover letter for a career change

Anyone changing careers needs to do two things in a letter that an ordinary applicant doesn't: explain why, and show that the previous experience isn't wasted. If you don't, the employer will fill in the gaps themselves, and rarely in your favour. Below is a letter that gets it right.

Example of a cover letter for a career change

Dear Mr De Groot,

After twelve years in hospitality, the last five as manager of a restaurant with thirty staff, I'm making the move into care work. Your vacancy for a home care team leader calls for someone who can lead a team, get the rota sorted and stay calm under pressure. That's exactly what I did every day for the past few years.

This move isn't an impulse. Two years ago, alongside my job, I started volunteering in a care home one day a week, and last year I completed the Helpende Zorg en Welzijn qualification. So I know what the work on the floor requires, and I know from experience what it's like to build a rota where no one is left short.

What I bring from hospitality: rotas for thirty people with sickness absence that dropped from 8 to 4 per cent, a team that stayed together for three years running in a sector where everyone moves on, and the habit of solving a problem straight away rather than waiting. What I still need to learn about care administration, I'll pick up quickly; I've already seen it during my training.

I'd be glad to explain my choice further in an interview. You can reach me using the details in my CV.

Kind regards,

Marieke de Vries

The names and figures in this example are made up. The letter you have written here uses your CV and the real job advert.

How to convince in a career change

  • Explain the switch in one paragraph, without running down your old profession. An employer wants to see a positive choice, not an escape.
  • Translate your experience: managing, planning, clients, figures. Describe it in the words of the new profession, not the old one.
  • Show that you've already taken steps: a course, volunteering, a certificate. That removes the biggest doubt: is this person serious?
  • Mention yourself what you still need to learn and how. Someone who does this sounds realistic; someone who hides it gets asked anyway.

Frequently asked questions about a cover letter for a career change

Do I need to explain why I'm leaving my old profession?
Briefly, yes. One or two sentences about what draws you to the new profession is enough. Stay away from complaining about your old employer or sector.
My CV doesn't match the job advert. Does a cover letter still help?
Especially then. The CV shows where you're coming from; the cover letter makes the connection. Without a cover letter, an employer only reads the distance.
Do I have to settle for a lower salary?
Not necessarily. Experience in managing, planning or client contact has value in any profession. Prepare for the conversation by finding out what's standard in the new sector and what you bring from your old work.

Provide the job advert and your CV and tell us in a few words why you're switching. You'll get a cover letter that makes the connection, first free on your screen.

Have your career change letter written

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What people say about their new CV

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Anoniem
HealthcareAugust 2026
5/5review translated

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August 2026
4/5review translated

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August 2026
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August 2026
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August 2026
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August 2026
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August 2026
4/5review translated

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August 2026

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