What feels like a million years ago (reality, about 30) people used to get an education in a certain field and work in it until retirement. If you’re anything like me, you a) hate the idea of this and b) spend a lot of time trying to convince your dad it’s simply not the case any more.

And the thing is, generations past can be really convincing. Especially when they’ve reached the heights in their career you’re still aspiring to. It’s tempting to follow in their footsteps even if, actually, it’s not what you want. Especially when making a change could mean taking a small step back, before an eventual leap forward.

But, it’s important to remember all the experience you’ve built to date is still valid and will carry you through into a successful career — whatever that may be. It’s what makes you unique and perfect for your new career path. All you need to do is learn how to communicate the value of your existing transferable skills, knowledge and experience while showing you’re able to fill in the gaps if you get the job. Easy, right?

I’m going to tell you why you have an advantage right now. You have an advantage because you’re already thinking about how you can put some effort into your next application. You’re not about to click apply on 50 roles without a second thought. This puts you head and shoulders above many candidates who have the “right” experience but the wrong idea. And that’s how you’re going to get your foot in the door, that, and a little help from us.

To stand out from the sea of applicants, here’s how to make your cover letter shine:

Show ‘em what they’re looking for:

Recent, relevant experience. Always. Whether you’re a career changer or not, this is always what an employer is looking for. They want to know — does this person have the skills and experience to step into this role and succeed fast?

As a career changer, it’s your responsibility to show a future employee exactly why your previous experience is directly related to what they’re looking for. Don’t leave them guessing.

If you’re at writing a cover letter stage, you’ve likely already identified which key areas of your experiences match the brief. Go over the job description again and every time you think of a reason you’re able to do the job, write it down. Then tweak until you’ve made a really convincing case for exactly why they should interview you.

It’s all about impact:

When writing a CV or cover letter it can be easy to fall back on explaining what your responsibilities are. But that doesn’t explain the impact you had. You haven’t merely “managed a team”, perhaps you’re a sales team lead who’s increased the revenue billed per team member by 30%. Make sure you include the outcomes of your work. The tangible results. Put in writing a challenge you were presented with, the actions you took and the benefits for the business. Costs saved, problems solved, time saved, people helped, revenue generated and work produced are all outcomes.

Sprinkle on some passion:

Can you show the company you love their mission and you “get it”. For any hiring manager a factor in their decision making is “how long will this person stay” or “will they stick to it” — onboarding staff costs time and money, so it’s an important decision. If your heart’s not in the problem you’re solving, you could become a difficult employee to manage because you’ll get fed up. So, they’re looking for people aligned to the mission, who love the way they’re doing things, and get excited when they talk about the products they’re building and the feedback they get. It’s a good idea to reference where you’ve seen them in the press, an initiative they’ve recently launched or the positive feedback you noticed during your research.

TLDR: Take a step back from your cover letter and think about whether you’ve shown recent, relevant experience, impact and passion. If not, make it happen.

Switch is Jolt's immersive bootcamp for career changers looking to transition their existing skills into a career in tech. Find out more here.