Let prospective employers know that you are currently working by conveying in your cover letters that you are ready for a change and will stick with this job for the long term. Employers also want to know that you have a clear plan for resigning from your current job and starting another. Say all of this with a positive, confident tone.

State in your cover letter that you are currently working. You might say something along the lines of, “I am currently working as an administrative assistant, but I want to work as a nonprofit program manager, which is in line with my field of study.” This statement relates your current job to the one you are applying for, letting the prospective employer know why you want to leave.

Write a few sentences devoted to the accomplishments you have made at your current job especially if you are using skills you will need in the new position. You might state, for example, “As an administrative assistant, I have developed and maintained an office supplies budget and developed positive relationships with vendors.” Then connect your skills used in your current job with the skills needed for your new job. You might continue, “I will use these skills as a program manager to create and work within a program budget and maintain and begin new relationships with partner agencies and the public.”

Avoid saying anything negative about your current employer in your cover letter. For example, you would not say, “My current company does not challenge me, and it is really boring to work there. My boss is rude, and I do not like my coworkers.” You do not want to come across as a whiner or gossiper to any potential new bosses. Hiring managers may well wonder what you will say about them when you leave their companies in the future.

Relate a plan to move if you are looking for a job in a different location, as well as dates you will be in the area to interview. You might say, “I am planning to move to your area upon securing a position.” This lets the employer know that you are making plans to transition to his locale and will be available to work, despite working in another city and currently having a job.