Tuesday, 2 November 2010

Career Change: Selling Yourself




When it feels as if you have been doing the same job for too long and you would like to direct your career along another path, you need to be able to express your 'value proposition' to a potential employer. The burning question is how do you sell yourself to an employer in an area where you cannot show much experience and your qualifications are not particularly relevant?
Use one of my examples of career change cover letters to guide you, but try to:
  • Highlight how your experience skills and education actually relate to the new job.
  • Emphasize your transferable skills and external activities which equip you for your new career choice.
  • Show the different, but tangible ways you can contribute to the success of the organisation.
  • Concentrate on what the employer will get from any arrangement and not how you benefit.
  • Show what new things you can bring to the table: identify an issue and propose a solution.
  • Suggest working for a 'trial' period in order to prove yourself.
So how do you go about writing your career change cover letter and what should it actually contain?
First, it needs to get noticed and grab the attention (and imagination) of the reader. You can do this by clever use of an attention grabbing headline: I am confident of being your ideal candidate for [job title] because of my interest, enthusiasm and passion for [job detail].
Now, as your start to write your letter, you must concentrate on the what the employer needs and not what you want.
First, demonstrate how you can contribute to the success of the organisation and spice it up with some ideas for new things you can bring to the table.
Next, illustrate with related and relevant experience, skills and education, how your transferable skills and interest in this work make you the ideal candidate for this new job and career choice.
You could even suggest proving yourself on a trial or probationary basis for a short period to convince them that you have what it takes.

Career Change Cover Letter:

Mrs. W. Jones - Commercial Director
Some Company Ltd
123 Anywhere Street
A Big City
Postcode
Today's Date
Dear Mrs.Jones
My name is Arthur Applicant and I am confident of being your ideal candidate for Events Organizer because of my interest, enthusiasm and passion for organising and planning events as you advertised on your company website.
The opportunity you describe in this listing is very exciting, and I am sure that my prior experience and education will make me a very strong candidate for this position.
From my previous employment I have developed the following key strengths for success in this position which include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • researching markets to identify opportunities;
  • liaising with clients to ascertain their precise requirements;
  • producing detailed proposals (e.g. timelines, venues, suppliers, legal obligations, staffing and budgets);
  • agreeing to and managing a budget;
  • ensuring insurance, legal, health and safety obligations are adhered to;
  • planning room layouts and the entertainment programme, scheduling workshops and demonstrations;
  • coordinating staffing requirements and staff briefings;
  • preparing delegate packs and papers;
  • liaising with marketing and PR colleagues for promotional purposes;
You will find me to have great written and spoken communication skill; I am energetic, confident, and efficient. With a broad range of background experience, I have always most excited about organising and arranging events, and that is why I am focusing my career on this aspect of business and why I am so enthusiastic about this role.
I am available for an interview at any time in the next two weeks and I would be delighted if we could arrange an interview in that time. I am excited about this terrific opportunity and I would love the chance to meet you at an interview for this position.
Thank you very much for your consideration.
Yours sincerely,
Arthur Applicant
Encl. CV

P.S. May I emphasise how interested I am, and my eagerness to interview for the position of Events Organizer at Some Company Ltd. which is high on my list of companies I’d like to work for. I can be available immediately and my mobile phone is _______. Thank you again.
This career change cover letter has picked out the relevant details from the job seeker's background and made them relevant and appropriate to this application. You don't need to spell out that you haven't actually done such a job before, so long as you put a strong career change cover letter together which gets you noticed in the first place.

http://www.your-career-change.com/career-change-cover-letter.html

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