How to write a cover letter in case of professional retraining?

Are you undergoing a professional career transition and looking for a new job to change your status or career path? Then your cover letter will be crucial to highlight your strengths, skills, and motivation, despite your lack of experience. Indeed, your CV will not be enough on its own because it will not contain the experience recruiters are looking for. Here is a guide to writing THE cover letter that will allow you to stand out by leveraging your career transition.

Want to reorient yourself or change careers? Discover our article on the subject and our tips to properly prepare for a professional career transition!

• Start by presenting the objective of the letter

The first paragraph should be short and direct. In it, indicate the position you are applying for and where you spotted the job posting.

“Dear Hiring Manager,

Following the publication of your job offer on the [X] website, I would like to express my strong interest in the vacant position of [write the job title].”

• Introduce yourself and explain your choice of career transition

The second paragraph is dedicated to you. This is the moment to explain the reasons why you decided to make a career change, and why in this particular field. Already? Yes, because this will undoubtedly be the first question the recruiter asks when processing your application. Be careful to choose your words wisely and not to denigrate your former colleagues, as this could be very poorly perceived by the recruiter. Thus, even if you had a bad experience in your previous job, try to frame your explanation positively and constructively. This part should help reassure the recruiter about your genuine motivation to enter a new sector of activity.