Career Change Cover Letter Template (UK 2026)

[Your name]
[Address]
[Date]

[Hiring manager name]
[Company name]
[Address]

Dear [Hiring manager name],

I'm applying for the [Role title] position at [Company name]. I'm currently a [Current role] at [Current company] but I'm making a deliberate career change into [new field/sector] and have been preparing for the move over the past [X months/years].

The reason for the change is straightforward: [one sentence on what's drawing you to the new field — be specific, not generic]. Over the last [X months/years] I've been building the foundations:

• [Concrete recent action 1 — course, certification, side project, freelance work]
• [Concrete recent action 2 — relevant work or volunteering]
• [Concrete recent action 3 — networking, content, contribution]

Although my CV reads as a [previous field] career, three specific capabilities I've built will translate directly to [new role]:

1. [Transferable capability 1 with concrete example from previous experience]
2. [Transferable capability 2 with concrete example]
3. [Transferable capability 3 with concrete example]

I'm aware that someone with a direct background in [new field] might appear to have an easier path through the application — but I'd argue my combination of [previous field strength] and [new field preparation] is uniquely useful for [specific aspect of the role or company stage]. Specifically, [one sentence on why your unusual combination is an asset, not a liability].

I'd welcome a conversation about the role and how my background could contribute. My CV is attached. I'm available for a call at any reasonable time.

Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
[Phone] · [Email] · [LinkedIn]