If your job adverts aren’t pulling in career changers, the problem probably isn’t your role. It’s your advert. The way you write a job advert tells candidates pretty quickly whether they should bother applying. For career changers, that message is often: “this isn’t for you.”
Career changers are some of the most motivated candidates on the market. They’ve made a deliberate, often difficult decision to start again. They’re hungry to prove themselves and they come with transferable skills built up over years in a previous career. If your advert puts them off before they’ve even read the job description, you’re cutting off a strong talent pool before recruitment has even started.
Here’s how to write a job advert that attracts career changers and actually gets them to apply.
1. Lead With the Role, Not the CV
Most job adverts open with a wall of requirements. Five years of industry experience. A specific degree. A proven track record in X, Y, and Z. For a career changer reading that, it’s over before it’s begun.
Try flipping the structure. Open with what the role actually involves day-to-day and what success looks like in the first six months. Then list your requirements, and be honest with yourself about which ones are truly non-negotiable and which ones are just habit.
A candidate who has spent ten years managing client relationships in hospitality has real, relevant experience for a customer success role. But if your advert demands “proven experience in SaaS client management,” they’ll scroll straight past it.
2. Focus on Skills, Not Job Titles
Career changers won’t have the industry-specific job titles you’d normally expect. What they do have is a skill set, and often a well-developed one.
When writing your requirements, think about what the role actually needs rather than the roles candidates should have held previously.
Instead of “experience in digital marketing,” try “strong written communication skills and the ability to manage multiple projects at once.”
Instead of “background in financial services,” consider “analytical mindset with experience presenting data to stakeholders.”
It’s a small change in wording but the difference in applications can be significant.
3. Watch Your Language
Certain phrases signal to career changers that they’re probably not welcome. “Seasoned professional,” “industry veteran,” “deep sector knowledge” all read as closed doors. So does heavy use of jargon that only insiders would recognise.
If a career changer has to Google half the terms in your advert just to understand what you’re looking for, they’re unlikely to apply. Keep the language plain and direct.
Write it as though you’re explaining the role to a capable person who doesn’t work in your industry yet, because that’s exactly who you’re trying to reach.
4. Sell the Development Opportunity
Many career changers switch because they want to grow, not just change. They’re not expecting to walk in and know everything on day one. What they want to know is whether you’re going to back them as they get up to speed.
If your organisation offers training, mentoring, or a structured onboarding process, say so in the advert. It costs nothing to mention and it makes a real difference.
Something as simple as “we provide full training and ongoing support” can be the line that convinces a strong candidate to apply.
5. Be Upfront About Flexible Working
Lack of flexibility is one of the most common reasons people switch careers. If your role offers remote working, hybrid arrangements, flexible hours, or part-time options, put it near the top of the advert rather than buried in the small print at the bottom.
Career changers are often navigating bigger life changes alongside their career switch. Flexible working is a genuine draw. If you offer it, make sure people can actually see it.
6. Rethink the Years of Experience Requirement
The “X years of experience” requirement is one of the biggest barriers for career changers, and in many cases it’s arbitrary.
Think carefully about what you actually need. Do you genuinely need five years of experience in this specific field, or do you need someone who has five years of professional experience and can handle the demands of the role? Those are different things. The second version opens your advert to a much wider group of candidates.
If you must include a years of experience requirement, consider adding “equivalent professional experience will be considered.” That one line tells career changers their background is worth something.
7. End With an Invitation to Non-Traditional Candidates
The closing lines of a job advert are usually an afterthought. For career changers reading the advert and wondering whether to bother, those lines matter.
A direct, encouraging sign-off can tip the balance. Something like: “If you don’t tick every box but you think this role is right for you, we’d love to hear from you.” Or: “We welcome applications from candidates with experience across different industries.”
It sounds obvious. But most job adverts don’t do it, which means the ones that do stand out.
Final Thoughts: How to Write a Job Advert That Attracts Career Changers
Writing a job advert that attracts career changers doesn’t require a complete overhaul. It requires being specific about what you actually need, using language that doesn’t accidentally exclude experienced people from other fields, and making it clear that non-traditional backgrounds are genuinely welcome.
Get those basics right and you’ll find a lot more career changers in your pipeline.
For more on getting the most from non-traditional candidates once they’re through the door, take a look at our guide to developing skills in career changers and our tips on advertising career change jobs.
At Refreshing a Career, we work with employers who want to connect with career changer talent. Our Job Advert Inclusivity Screening checks your advert against our inclusive language checklist so nothing is putting the wrong people off.
You can also post your vacancy on our career change jobs board and put your role in front of thousands of candidates actively looking to make the switch.
